Ilet la Mere

A short shuttle off Cayenne's port, Ilet la Mere packs French Guiana's easiest wild day: a forested islet whose resident squirrel monkeys - habituated, agile and shameless - meet the boats and work the picnic tables with pickpocket professionalism, while trails loop the island past ruins of its layered past (penal annex, pasteurian research station) to coves where the swimming is calm and the mainland's mud-brown coastal water finally clears to green. Bring lunch you are willing to defend, sturdy bags, and a morning-to-afternoon appetite for the Guianese coast at its most cheerful.

What you actually see

• The squirrel monkeys - the islet's larcenous welcoming committee.
• The loop trails - forest paths past the settlement ruins.
• The swimming coves - the coast's clearest easy water.
• The Cayenne panorama - the mainland skyline from the crossing.

When to go

July to December for the driest trails and calmest crossings; weekends carry the picnic crowds and the monkeys' peak workload - weekdays are gentler on both counts. Shuttles run to schedule; confirm return times.

Honest expectations

The monkeys are wild animals running a protection racket: feeding is prohibited (and enforced by signage more than compliance), bags must zip, and anything held loosely is community property. Facilities are minimal - carry in, carry out. Book shuttle seats ahead in holiday season.

Nearby

Cayenne's markets and fort, Remire-Montjoly's beaches and the Salut islands offshore.