Information
Landmark: Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands)City: Cayenne
Country: French Guiana
Continent: South America
Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands), Cayenne, French Guiana, South America
Overview
Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands): A Detailed OverviewLocation and OverviewThe Îles du Salut, or Salvation Islands, are a group of three small islands located approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) off the coast of French Guiana in the Atlantic Ocean.The Îles du Salut, or Salvation Islands, are three small specks of land about 15 kilometers (9 miles) off French Guiana’s coast in the Atlantic, where the sea often glints a sharp, bright blue under the sun.Their calm-sounding name hides a violent past, most notably as the site of France’s infamous penal colonies, where rusted cell bars still face the sea.The archipelago is made up of Île Royale, Île Saint-Joseph, and Île du Diable-three islands known for their rugged beauty, their storied past, and the haunting echoes of the French Penal Colony that once stood under the blazing tropical sun.In 1852, under Emperor Napoleon III, France founded the Îles du Salut as a penal colony, where the air smelled of salt and the sea crashed against the rocky shore.France’s plan was to ship convicts, political prisoners, and exiles off to far‑flung islands, a way to ease its packed prisons and warn others against crime.Conditions on the Islands
Life for prisoners there was harsh-days baked under a relentless sun, nights cut by cold wind.safeMany political prisoners, some well-known, spent weeks alone in cold, dim cells.In the late 1800s, Devil’s Island earned its grim reputation as the remote prison that held Alfred Dreyfus, the French army officer falsely accused of treason.The “Dreyfus Affair” later came to stand as a stark emblem of injustice and anti‑Semitism in France, its name evoking bitter headlines and whispered accusations.The penal colony shut down for good in 1953, and over time the islands shifted to hosting tourists and scientists, with old guard towers now overlooking quiet beaches.Of the three islands, Île Royale was the largest, and it bustled as the penal colony’s administrative hub, its stone buildings catching the glare of the tropical sun.Today, Île Saint-Joseph is the easiest island for visitors to reach, with restored buildings like the warden’s house, the old hospital, and crumbling prisoner barracks, a small museum filled with weathered documents and rusted tools from its penal colony days, and winding trails through thick greenery that open to sweeping views of the Atlantic; once, it served almost entirely for solitary confinement.Île du Diable (Devil’s Island)
Known for its inaccessibility, Île du Diable was reserved for political prisoners.Visitors wander through the eerie remains of the old prison cells, their rusted bars cold to the touch, while a wall of dense forest presses close, filling the air with a heavy, haunted stillness.Île du Diable, or Devil’s Island, sat so far off the coast that reaching it meant braving rough gray seas, and it was kept solely for political prisoners.Strong currents make landing on the island tricky, but from nearby Île Royale you can still spot its rocky shoreline glinting in the sun.Jagged rocks crunch underfoot, and the empty, crumbling buildings whisper of a grim past.Natural Beauty – The Îles du Salut may carry a grim past, but today their turquoise waters and wind‑swept palms make them breathtaking.Turquoise waves lap against rugged cliffs, while palms and bright hibiscus crowd the shore.Île Royale is the most visitor-friendly, with accommodations and dining options for those wishing to stay overnight.Monkeys leap through the trees, sea turtles glide under the waves, and flashes of bright feathers streak past-wildlife that gives the place its irresistible charm.You can reach the islands by taking a boat from Kourou, where organized tours set off past the docks lined with fishing nets.Île Royale welcomes visitors with the most comforts, offering cozy rooms and a small café for anyone who wants to spend the night.
