Devil's Island Sea Temperature Today

Beaches

Landing on Devil's Island itself is not allowed, and the narrow channel around it has strong currents, so visitors see it from the coastal path on Île Royale. Some excursions also land on Île Saint-Joseph, sea conditions permitting, where a small beach of sand, stones and shell fragments allows a swim in calm weather; check the itinerary with the operator. On the mainland, the sea off Kourou and Cayenne is often brown with sediment carried north from the Amazon, while the water around the Salvation Islands is usually clearer. The sea temperature on this page is measured in the channel between Île Royale and Devil's Island.

Things to do

On Île Royale, a signed walk leads past the prison blocks, the chapel and the former hospital, with agoutis, squirrel monkeys and macaws living among the ruins; the overgrown cells of the solitary confinement block are on Île Saint-Joseph. In Kourou, the Guiana Space Centre runs guided visits and a space museum when launch schedules allow; book ahead and check current conditions. Between roughly April and July, leatherback turtles come ashore to nest on the beaches of Rémire-Montjoly near Cayenne and at Awala-Yalimapo in the west of French Guiana.

Weather and best time to visit

At Devil's Island the sea stays above 27 °C / 81 °F all year, even in the coolest month.

French Guiana is hot and humid all year. The main dry season usually runs from about August to November, and a shorter dry spell, the "petit été de mars", often comes in March. The heaviest rain tends to fall from April to July. Boat trips to the Salvation Islands can be cancelled on launch days and in rough seas.

Hotels and where to stay

The only lodging on the Salvation Islands is the Auberge des Îles du Salut on Île Royale, in former prison-staff buildings, with rooms and hammock spaces. Most visitors stay in Kourou, where the island boats leave, or in Cayenne, about an hour away.

Signature hotels: Hotel Mercure Kourou Ariatel (Kourou)

Airport and getting there

Félix Éboué Airport (CAY) near Cayenne is about 60 km from Kourou, roughly an hour by car; check current flights to Cayenne from Paris and the French Caribbean for your travel dates. Boats to Île Royale leave from Kourou and take about an hour or more. French Guiana is part of France and the EU, but yellow fever vaccination is required for most travellers; check current entry and health rules before travelling.