Bagne des Annamites

In the forest near Montsinéry stand the remains of the Crique Anguille camp, opened in 1931 to hold prisoners deported from French Indochina, most of them political detainees, who were put to forced labour here. The forest has taken the site back, and a marked trail leads between what survives: cell blocks with their iron bars, foundations, water tanks, all under full canopy. Panels along the path tell the story plainly.

What you actually see

• The cell blocks - concrete cells with iron bars standing in the forest.
• The trail - the marked loop linking the ruins under canopy.
• The interpretation panels - the history of the Indochinese deportees told on site.
• The reclaiming forest - roots and canopy closing over the camp.

When to go

July to November is the dry season and the trail is easy. After rain the path is muddy but passable. Mornings are coolest under the trees.

Honest expectations

The remains are fragmentary and the power of the place is in the story more than the structures. Mosquitoes are constant. It is a memorial site and the tone of a visit should match.

Nearby

Montsinéry is west, and Cayenne is east.