Where Are The Three Guyanas?

COVID slowed us down for a couple of years, and now a few health issues challenge us.  We're still traveling if not writing about it quite so much. Our goal in 2022 was get to all seven continents in one year... and we did it.

Going forward health issues may not allow us to travel.  No one can take away those memories though.  We hope all of you are well and staying safe... and that you find some inspiration here for YOUR future travels. 

The location of the three Guyanas seemed to stump most of our friends.  It seems to stump most people. 

They are not a big tourist destination… which was a good reason for us to go.

Guyana...

Suriname...

French Guiana.

These three little countries are tucked up in the north east corner of South America. 

We love to explore new areas and new countries. 

The three Guyanas occupy a region of South America that we hadn’t been to. 

Map South America and Three Guyanas

The coastal areas are totally different from the interiors which are in the Amazonian basin. 

As for new counties to check off your list… you can only tick two.  Guyana and Suriname are independent countries, but French Guiana is actually an overseas department of France.

Three Personalities Of The Three Guyanas

Let’s condense history here and just say that each of these three counties was colonized by European powers from the 1600s to the mid-1900s.  That’s as far back in history as we’ll go here.  Previous to the colonial explorers, the area was populated by scattered bands of Arawak Indians.

The main cities of each take on a bit of the personality… and language of the previous colonial power.

Guyana was British Guiana, Suriname was Dutch Guiana, and French Guiana… well, that was and is French Guiana.

We just skimmed the surface in each area, but it was an interesting trip.  While we love exploring on our own, for this trip we joined a tour to facilitate crossing borders and getting around in a timely fashion.

Our tour moved us through the three counties in a couple of weeks.  So let’s look at the three Guyanas.  (Click on any picture for a larger size photo and more descriptions.)

Guyana

In colonial times, this was British Guiana.  Now Guyana, it has been independent since 1966.

Georgetown

The capital city was named for Britain’s George III, but the buildings are mostly weathered Victorian… and a statue of Queen Victoria graces the front of the Supreme Court Building.

Georgetown, Guyana City Hall and Offices
Supreme Court Building in Georgetown, Guyana

The main part of town is easy to explore on foot.  Buildings are slightly run down Victorian.  People are friendly, though we were warned not to walk alone at night.

The Anglican St George Cathedral dominates one end of town.  The Stabroek Market sprawls along the Demerara River.


St George Anglican Cathedral, Georgetown Guyana
Stabroek Market Georgetown Guyana
Stalls in Stabroek Market Georgetown Guyana

Amazonian Rainforest Excursions

Much of the country is wild Amazonian rainforest.  Getting deep into the forest is expensive and time consuming.  

Pressed for time, we took a day excursion that quickly got us across the Demerara River and up to an Aratack Amerindian Village and a taste of the rainforest. 

No rainforest animals, but plenty of birds and jungle atmosphere while boating up a small side river.

Excursion Dock Demerara River Georgetown
Small River to Aratack Village Georgetown

And even a great way to cool off at the end of the day.

Santa Aratack Village Dock, Guyana
Swimming in the jungle in Guyana

Kaiteur Falls

Search top attractions in Guyana, and Kaiteur Falls will come up on top almost every time.  It deserves that spot.  It's the world's largest single drop waterfall by the volume of water flowing over it.

You can hike to Kaiteur Falls over several days, or you can do what most tourists do and fly in for a day hike.

Kaiteur Falls, Guyana - flying in
Potaro River Above Kaiteur Falls Guyana
Runway at Kaiteur Falls
Kaiteur Falls

The falls are 741 feet high (226 meters). 

There are indigenous plants and animals in the National Park that sits on the Potaro Plateau. An easy hike can take you to see the most famous species. 

Even the ground you walk on is unique… it looks like it’s been paved, but it is a natural conglomerate rock.

What's not to like seeing the bright orange Guianian Cock of the Rock displaying on his lek?  Or finding a tiny Golden Rocket Frog inside a Giant Tank Bromeliad?

Guianan Cock of the Rock
Giant Tank Bromeliads, Kaiteur Falls
Golden Rocket Frog Kaiteur Falls

Our flight returned us to Georgetown, and the next day we took an all day bus and ferry trip and crossed into...

Suriname

This country was always officially Suriname, but in colonial times it was sometimes referred to as Dutch Guiana.  It gained independence in 1975.  The capital is...

Paramaribo

The city sits on the banks of the Suriname River. 

The population is very multi-cultural and prides itself on being that way.  The country seems to be a blend of South American, European, Caribbean, Asian and African cultures.  

The heart of old town fans out from Fort Zeelandia which was built by the Dutch in the 1600s.

Fort Zeelandia, Paramaribo
Fort Zeelandia Main Building
Cannon at Fort Zeelandia

The inner city, old Paramaribo, is all low level wooden building with a Dutch feel. The buildings are in various stages of repair and disrepair, but many are protected by UNESCO.

Houses near Fort Zeelandia
Street in old Paramaribo
Presidential Palace Paramaribo

On The Commewijne and Suriname Rivers

Like the other countries of the three Guyanas, it’s fun to get out of the city, onto the water, and into the jungle.

We took a day trip on the Commewijne River to visit plantations and see Pink River Dolphin.

Day trip on the Commewijne River
Pink River Dolphin, Suriname

At the plantations that tours take you to, they are prepared with other wildlife… you can hold baby caimans and land tortoises.

Baby Black Caiman at a plantation in Suriname
Land tortoise.  Plantation in Suriname

After lunch at the plantation, that same day trip took us to Fort Nieuw Amsterdam.

Fort Nieuw Amsterdam

This fort was built on the confluence of the the Suriname and Commewijne rivers during the 1700s. 

There is not a great deal left, but you can see some of the canons from the fort and sugar boiling pots from the surrounding plantations.  There is also a nice museum of ethnic costumes.

Cannons and Sugar Boiling Pots At Fort Nieuw Amsterdam Suriname
Sugar boiling pots at Fort Nieuw Amsterdam Suriname

French Guiana

One thing we want to tell you is that of the three Guyanas, French Guiana is not an independent country.  It is an overseas department and region of France.  When you arrive at customs the signs say you’ve arrived in...

...France!  You will be speaking French and spending Euros.

Our first stop was a foray into the 21st century.

Guiana Space Centre or Centre Spatial Guyanais

Entrance Guiana Space Centre
Soyuz Launchpad Guiana Space Centre
Inside Launch Control Guiana Space Centre

The Guiana Space Centre is used by the European Space Agency and the French government to launch satellites into space.  

Many other counties pay them to launch satellites… including Russia, which launches more Soyuz rockets from this location than it does from Russia.  It has been operational since 1968.

It has an advantageous location on that north eastern edge of South America that makes it good for space launches…

1)  It is near the equator… this gives the rockets a sling shot effect that makes it easier to launch heavy payloads into orbit.

and

2)  French Guiana has a small population, and the spaceport has open sea to the east so lower stages of the rockets or debris has less chance to hurt people.

The terrific tour of the whole facility takes about three hours.

The capital of French Guiana is Cayenne.  It is a nice, but unremarkable little city.  After the Space Center, we were most interested in Devil's Island.

Îles du Salut and Devil's Island

Nowadays, catamarans sail out to this group of three small islands.  It's a great tourist destination.  The Salvation Islands (as they are also known) sit 6.8 miles (11 Km) off the coast of French Guiana.

There is a hospital there where, long ago, missionaries went to escape the plague on the mainland.  Later it was a penal colony.  You can wander on the two larger islands… Île Royale and Saint-Joseph Island.

Catamaran to Îles du Salut
Prisoner's Cell Block on Île Royale
Devil’s Island (Île du Diable)

Many of the old jail cells are still there, and guides will tell you horror stories of the terrible conditions the inmates were kept in.

Devil’s Island was reserved for political prisoners. 

If you ever read the book Papillon, this was the island.  You can sail around it, but you can’t land on it.

 Getting To The Three Guyanas... And... Getting Around

Flights To and From ANY of the Three Guyanas

Flights into and out of any of the countries are not the most convenient.  Research carefully.  You’ll probably have to backtrack; maybe to the country you flew into.

Of the three Guyanas, Georgetown Guyana seems to be easiest for Americans to get to.  Our fellow European tourists found it easiest to get to Paramaribo in Suriname.

Getting From Country to Country Across The Three Guyanas

Transportation is available from one country to the other, but it is not frequent, and it can be frustrating to organize.  If you want to do the three Guyanas on your own, allow plenty of time. 

Our tour took us on a long bus ride from Georgetown to catch the ferry to Suriname.  We left at 4 in the morning.  There is only one ferry a day and there are no reservations, so you want to get there early enough to make sure you can get a ticket.

There are lots of men who meet the ferry to change money for you.  Others in our group did.  Know the rules and be careful.

Boarding Ferry From Guyana to Suriname
Ferry Arriving in Suriname

After a few days in Paramaribo we were ready for French Guiana.  Another bus ride got us to the Maroni River which is the boundary between Suriname and French Guiana.  We did not wait for the ferry which (for some unknown reason was deemed unreliable) but we boarded a small (very small) private boat for the crossing. 

It must have been all legal, because when the border police came onboard to check that we were all wearing life preservers, everything seemed to be OK.

Private river taxi from Suriname to French Guiana
Arrival in Saint Laurent de Maroni French Guiana

Exploring Within Each Country

Within each country, what we found was that getting to the interior to explore was either time consuming or expensive, or both.  That's why we chose a tour that moved us around.  We allowed extra time at the beginning and end to explore more on our own.

I hope this encourages you, even with the difficulties.  The three Guyanas make for an interesting little trip.

Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it! Judy and Mark

Curious about what else we've written about?  Search our site for a destination or travel tip.

But... We'd love to have you share this page or comment on it…
Thanks, Judy and Mark

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Did it help with your travel planning and preparation? Eager to leave on that next vacation? Please leave your tips or comments in the box below.

Timely Tips

Summer Vacation
Travel is fun in the Northern summer... but don't neglect the Southern Hemisphere at this time of year.
Yes, it's winter in South Africa, but that's their dry season. It's a good time to travel there.

Lions stop traffic in Kruger NP South Africa

Sometimes you need to watch rain patterns instead of just seasons to figure the best time to travel...

Whether you're taking a road trip close to home or traveling abroad...

Whether it's summer or winter in your part of the world...
the way you pack can make it all more pleasurable.

Check out all our Packing Lists and Tips.

Need travel ideas?
Things to See in Europe
Africa Calls!
Travel In America

Don't just dream about it...
Start making plans!

Custom Tour Planning List
International Travel Planning Tips
Foreign Is Fun - Not Scary!
Get Your Passports and Visas

And Expect Good Things
There Are Tourist Angels

Search

Search MouseToursTravels
Travel questions or destination info?
Find our answers faster..
.

Translate

We want you to feel comfortable out in the world and on our pages - so surf away in your own language...

Updated Tips & New Travel Stories

  1. 2022 Travels To All Seven Continents

    After COVID, all seven continents in one year was a worthy goal for our 2022 travels..

    Read More

  2. 2021 Travels - Another COVID Year?

    Our 2021 travels were only domestic. COVID kept us close home. Road trips and a cautious flights but still fun.

    Read More

  3. 2020 Travels - What Travels?

    Our 2020 travels were slim. COVID kept us home too. One trip to the Three Guyanas, but dreaming of travel next year.

    Read More

Two Ways To Like Us!

Like Our Site Top Left
Like Our Fanpage Below
Thank You!

Navigate Our Site

Related Pages
on
Trip Planning

Guide Books
Why Travel With A Guidebook

How to Choose A Travel Guidebook

Travel Agents
A Travel Agent - Do You Need One?

Choosing Destinations
Best Time To Go

What Kind Of Trip Do You Want
More Than Throwing Darts

Some of Our Ideas
Stories About Europe
Why Not Africa?
North America
International Travel Tips

What Kind of Vacation?
Group Tour

Independent Travel
Driving Vacations
Adventure Travel
Active Travel - OK, How Active?
Multigenerational Vacations

Eco-Travel and Volunteering
Green Travel Tips
Sustainable Tourism
Volunteer Vacations - Are They For You?

Plan For Safety
Travel Advisories - Plan A Safe Trip

Don't Let Travel Worries Get To You
Keep Traveling

Planning Itineraries
A Custom Tour?
Custom Tour Planning List
Custom Tour Ideas
Top Ten Lists - Helpful, But…
Balance Your Itinerary - Mix It Up
Avoid Museum Sensory Overload
Hobbies for Trip Ideas
Where To Get Trip Ideas

Preparation
Get Passports and Visas

Travel Documents
Vaccinations and Meds 
Travel Preparation

Checklists So You Don't Forget
Travel Document Checklist

Travel Preparation Checklist
Home Departure Checklist
Pre-Departure Checklist

Ready For A New Adventure?

We escape by traveling…
But there are more ways to escape. 
Work on something you LOVE…
With A Website
SBI Teaches You Everything

First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life