Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, situated on a small island where the Cayenne River meets the Atlantic coast. As an overseas department of France, it has the strange quality of being simultaneously a French provincial town and a tropical Caribbean city — French is the official language, the euro is the currency, and the baguette is on every table, yet the heat, the vegetation, and much of the population feel firmly Caribbean.
The compact old centre is walkable in a morning. The Place des Palmistes, shaded by thirty-metre royal palms, is the city's social heart, with the colonial Préfecture and the Hôtel de Ville on its flanks and the small Cayenne Cathedral a few blocks away. The Musée Départemental Franconie on rue de Rémire is worth a visit for its ethnographic collection covering the diverse communities of French Guiana and a substantial section on the bagne penal colony. The area around the Canal Laussat — known as La Crique — is a lively neighbourhood with local character; exercise caution if exploring on your own. The colourful Marché de Cayenne is the best place to get a feel for the local food culture, with Creole, Brazilian, and Hmong influences all present.
For a wider view, climb up to Fort Cépérou, the hilltop fortification that marks the city's 1643 foundation, or walk the eastern beach of Plage de Montjoly, where sea turtles nest in season. The Jardin Botanique, adjacent to the university, is a quiet half-hour escape from the city heat.