French Guiana's island capital has a faded colonial air and a whiff of peppers.

A focal point of the Caribbean, South America and Europe, Cayenne is a city of chestnut-skinned Africans, cafè-au-lait Brazilians and Paris-pink French. Vibrant markets and excellent restaurants make this town as pleasing to the belly as it is to the eye; you won't want to be skipping any meals here.

The streets are lined with colonial wrought-iron balconies, potted plants and flowers, and louvered shutters painted in tropical pinks, yellows and turquoise. Outside the colonial city center, a highway-riddled urban sprawl reminds you that you're still in the 21st century.

Fast Facts

Population

50,395

Currency

Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €

Electrical Plugs

European plug with two circular metal pins
220/127V 50Hz

Languages Spoken

Official: French

Time Zones

GMT/UTC -3 

Country Dialing Code

+0594

Weights & Measures

Metric

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