Kourou

Introduction

Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. In addition to being an administrative district in French Guiana, it is also the main town in that district.

Some 60 kilometres northwest of the French Guyanese capital Cayenne the Kourou River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. At the mouth of this river sits the town of Kourou, which is ringed by four hills: Carapa, Pariacabo, Café and Lombard, with the Singes and Condamine mountains not far behind.

Sights and Activities

Kourou is the port of departure for those going to the îles du Salut, of which the most famous is Devil's Island. It is also common for many to go up the river in canoes on weekends to camp in the forest.

The Guiana Space Centre, where the European Space Agency starts missions, is located a little behind and outside the town. Part of the town and the islands are closed during rocket launches.

Weather

Kourou features a tropical rainforest climate. The temperatures are uniform throughout the year, mostly around 30 °C during the day and 23 °C at night. It has a copious amount of rain throughout the year, with almost 3,000mm annually. Only September and October are fairly dry.

Getting There

By Bus

There are buses and minivans (shared taxis) that ply the route towards Cayenne and towards the eastern border with Suriname.

Sleep

• Hotel des Roches is a popular upmarket hotel

You can use the form below to search for availability (Travellerspoint receives a commission for bookings made through the form)

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

External Links