Rémire-Montjoly

Rémire-Montjoly holds the best of the Cayenne peninsula: the long Montjoly and Gosselin beaches where leatherback turtles nest on spring and summer nights, the Rorota trail looping through forest on the hill with sloths in the trees above it, the ruins of the Vidal sugar mill among the palms, and Fort Diamant on the point. For a suburb it packs in more than the capital itself.

Background

In French Guianese Creole the commune is called Rémir-Monjoli. It covers 46.11 square kilometres to the south-east of Cayenne. Missionaries founded the town in October 1652, and in 1666 the Jesuits settled here and started a sugar plantation. Remire became a commune with its own mayor in 1879, and many people from Martinique moved here after Mount Pelée erupted in 1902. On 27 March 1969 the name changed to Remire-Montjoly, to reflect the growth of Montjoly. The population rose from 2062 in 1967 to 27723 in 2023. Fort Diamant, a coastal battery of 1848, has walls two metres thick. The main seaport, Dégrad des Cannes, lies in the commune on the Mahury estuary.

Source: Wikipedia, "Remire-Montjoly"

What's there

• The turtle beaches - leatherbacks nesting at night in season.
• The Rorota trail - the forest loop on the hill, sloths overhead.
• The Vidal mill ruins - the old sugar works among the palms.
• Fort Diamant - the small fort guarding the point.

When to go

April to July is the leatherback nesting peak, at night. July to November is the dry season for the trail and beaches. Turtle watching follows the rules or not at all.

Before you go

The sea is murky Atlantic water with strong currents, not a swimming paradise. Turtle nights mean red lights, distance and patience. Car break-ins at trailheads happen - leave nothing visible.

Nearby

Cayenne is west, and the Mahury port is south.

Key facts