Devil's Island, French Guiana
A "swell" tender ride and then a walk through a former penal colony
Captain Abhi Singh dropped anchor off the shores of I’le Royale around 8 AM and sent a tender to assess the conditions. The swells were deemed navigable, and tenders started running shortly after. Sherpa and I set foot on the infamous French penal colony in the Iles du Salut, a group of volcanic islands just off the coast of French Guiana.
We explored all over the small island of I’le Royale, never stepping foot on the infamous I’le Diablo, but we had great views of the former prison island. Shark-infested waters and strong currents made escape nearly impossible. Only two prisoners managed to escape successfully. (Think Papillon, the 1973 movie.) It may have been a hellhole for prisoners, but from this distance, it looked like a slice of tropical paradise.
The penal colony operated for over a century before closing in 1953. The islands have only recently opened to tour and cruise ship visitors. Since visits require tenders, there’s about a 50/50 chance of visitors making it ashore. We were fortunate. The tenders made for a challenging but manageable transfer.
Sherpa and I explored about 75% of the paths and trails, spending an enjoyable and eye-opening 5 hours. Many of the buildings were constructed by the prison population — including housing for the administrators, preachers, nuns, guards, and their families.
Of course, wildlife is the entertainment. Monkeys, capybaras, toucans, peacocks, falcons, and swarms of white butterflies are plentiful.
Many of the buildings are open, and since there are no formal tours, wandering was the best option. We went in and out of 100-year-old buildings, fascinated by what life on these remote islands might have been like.
Since the main purpose of these islands was as a prison for the French Republic, one of the more sobering moments was walking through the solitary confinement cell block and entering one of the cells. Living in these conditions is something we can't even imagine.
On a lighter note, Sherpa found his destination beer, a Triple Kwak Jeune Gueule, a Tripel made with 20% manioc (cassava) locally produced in French Guiana. There's a small hotel—originally the director’s house—that has a small restaurant and bar. After walking several hours in 82°F weather with 66% humidity, we felt a beverage break was well deserved. Gotta admit, we were pleasantly surprised by our success. Sherpa’s Take: "Thoroughly enjoyable! Malty and full of flavor. And cold!” 7/10
These peafowl were among the most visible birds. We successfully added thirteen new species to our life lists, including the noisy Great Kiskadee, short-crested flycatchers, a yellow-bellied Elaenia, several tanagers, two wrens, a Chivi vireo, a white-tipped dove (which was also plentiful), the Indian peafowl, and two falcons — the Lined-forest falcon and the Laughing falcon! WOW!
There were many comments from fellow passengers that there wasn’t much to do on the island, but Sherpa and I were thrilled. This is exactly the type of place we love to visit and experience. Plus, the weather was calm, and since there are often tropical rainstorms in this region, we felt extremely lucky!
One more look at the lovely, but notorious Devil’s Island.
This flock of Royal terns were at the pier as we arrived and departed. They were a fun addition and everyone thought they were photogenic. I certainly enjoyed their presence.
Here’s a peek at the World Cruise "cake." All of Week One’s destinations have been crafted by the culinary team and will remain in place — or at least until the end of the cruise.
Finally, here’s a look at the sweet moon as she accompanies us on our travels. January’s Wolf Full Moon.
So far, so...fabulous!! What a trip!
What a great day! How is your foot feeling as you put miles on it?