The Cayenne coast and immediate hinterland have several worthwhile day-trip destinations. The Centre Spatial Guyanais at Kourou, 60km west, is one of the world's busiest spaceports — Ariane and Vega rockets launch over the rainforest and free guided tours run on weekdays. From Kourou you can also take a boat to the Îles du Salut, the offshore islands that housed France's most notorious penal colony, including Devil's Island.
Inland, the Hmong agricultural village of Cacao holds an excellent Sunday market — pak choi, lemongrass, fresh pho — about 75 km southwest of the city. North along the coast, the Marais de Kaw is a vast wetland with caimans, jaguars and one of the largest populations of scarlet ibis in South America.