Welcome to the beginning of an unparalleled adventure in one of the most impressive and vital natural spaces for the global ecosystem: the Guiana Amazonian Park, established in 2007. This article will guide you through a detailed journey of its lush jungles, winding rivers, and the rich indigenous culture that surrounds it. You will discover why this park is not only a must-visit destination for nature and adventure enthusiasts but also a critical focus for conservation and scientific study. Let’s pave the way for an exploration that promises to be as educational as it is thrilling.
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History of the Guiana Amazonian Park
The history of the Guiana Amazonian Park dates back to the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, where the project was initiated on June 4 of that year under the direction of François Mitterrand. This was carried out through a memorandum of understanding signed by the presidents of the regional and departmental assemblies, as well as by the Ministers of the Environment, Overseas Territories, and Agriculture and Forests. This initiative gave rise to the Mission for the Creation of the Guiana National Park in 1993.
A first project presented at the end of 1995 was rejected in December 1997 due to insufficient consultation with local populations.
On June 21, 1998, the Twenké agreements recognized the rights of the Amerindian and Bushinengue populations living within the boundaries of the future park.
The final project was presented in early 2006, and on March 13, the decree considering the creation of the Guiana National Park, also known as the Guiana Amazonian Park, was published in the Official Gazette.
Despite the reluctance of several actors involved in the project, such as the general and regional council, the creation of the park was formalized by decree on February 28, 2007. The first meeting of the board of directors took place on June 7, 2007.
Organization and Territorial Extension
The Guiana Amazonian Park is a public administrative body (EPA), a legal entity of public law whose central organ is the Board of Directors, supported by a scientific council and a local life committee.
The park encompasses a core area of 20,300 km² where protection is maximal, and gold mining is prohibited. However, the territory of the Wayanas and Tekos of Maripasoula is not included in this zone, despite the request made by these indigenous communities before the effective creation of the park.
Together with the Tumucumaque Mountains National Park, which borders Brazil and has an area similar to that of Switzerland (3,846,429.40 ha / 38,464 km²), the Guiana Amazonian Park constitutes the largest protected area of tropical forest in the world.
Geographical Location
The Guiana Amazonian Park is located in the vast region of French Guiana, an overseas department of France, nestled in South America. With geographical coordinates of 2°50’18″N latitude and 53°46’20″W longitude, this park is immersed in the lush Amazon rainforest.
Total Protected Area
The Guiana Amazonian Park, also known as Parc Amazonien de Guyane in French, is a prominent national park of the now-independent Guiana, which relinquished its colony status in 1946 to become a French department.
The Amazonian park was created to preserve the vast Amazon rainforest located in the region of French Guiana. This park stands out as the largest within the European Union and ranks among the largest national parks in the world.
Access to the protected area from the coastline or other land means is limited, with access only possible by plane or boat.
The protected area covers a total of 20,300 square kilometers in the core zone, where complete protection is implemented, and an additional 13,600 square kilometers in a secondary protection area. Together, the protected extension spans a total area of 33,900 square kilometers of lush tropical forest.
Geography and Climate
The Guiana Amazonian Park spans a vast area, offering a mosaic of landscapes ranging from dense jungles to mighty rivers. The humid tropical climate ensures lush biodiversity, with temperatures varying little throughout the year, creating a paradise for flora and fauna.
Flora and Fauna
The Guiana Park harbors a remarkable diversity of species. It boasts approximately 1,200 species of trees, out of the total 1,700 existing in Guyana. Among the most common are the families Lecythidaceae, Sapotaceae, Fabaceae, Burseraceae, Chrysobalanaceae, and Lauraceae. This vast territory comprises a variety of forests, from drier areas in the south, hosting vines, bamboos, and members of the Burseraceae family, to wetter zones, mainly dominated by understory palms.
Regarding fauna, the park is home to a great diversity of animals. Around 90 species of amphibians, 133 of reptiles, 520 of birds, and 182 of mammals have been recorded, including numerous bat species. Additionally, about 200 species of freshwater fish have been identified. Some species, such as the Anomaloglossus degranvillei and the satan saki, are considered priorities for conservation efforts due to their threatened status.
The invertebrate fauna is also notably diverse, though not fully known throughout the Guyana region. In 2015, a scientific expedition in the Mitaraka massif, organized by the National Museum of Natural History, revealed over 200 new discoveries for Guyana’s fauna, including 127 species previously unknown to science.
Indigenous Cultures
The indigenous communities living in and around the Amazonian Park are guardians of ancestral knowledge about nature and sustainability. Their relationship with the land is an example of harmonious coexistence deserving recognition and respect.
Visitors will have the opportunity to appreciate for themselves the diversity in the traditional knowledge and skills of each community. More than just encountering simple techniques, they will encounter different perceptions of the world coexisting. Each community has its own language and specific cultural expressions, where nature plays a fundamental role. Additionally, various lifestyles can be observed, with their own systems of government and social organization, a variety of rituals, ways of transmission, cuisine, and body paintings.
Recommended Excursions
The park offers a variety of activities, from hiking on jungle trails to canoeing on crystal-clear rivers. Birdwatching and wildlife observation here are an unforgettable experience, allowing visitors to deeply connect with nature.
Ascent to Mount Galbao to see the Forest Canopy
In Saül, the Galbao trail leads to the mountain of the same name, one of the highest peaks in French Guiana. Part of the trail runs over splendid ridges that dominate the forest canopy, surrounded by a sloping forest with towering trunks, rich flora, and a clear understory emitting an intoxicating aroma. This unmarked trail has significant elevation gains and requires good physical condition, as well as provisions for camping in the forest with a guide for at least 3 days and 2 nights.
Giant Otter Observation in the Mémora River Bay
About 20 kilometers south of the village of Camopi, lies the Mémora River bay, a true biodiversity sanctuary. This river, a tributary of the Oyapoque River acting as a natural border with Brazil, has escaped the negative effects of illegal gold mining.
Because of this, it is common to observe otters or spider monkeys (kwata) swimming in its crystal-clear waters. Additionally, it is possible to access on foot Mount Susu Bella Island, a hill emerging from the equatorial forest. This place is a genuine paradise of orchids and rare birds, and it also houses an archaeological site with numerous artifacts from ancient Amerindian civilizations.
Boat Excursion through the Cottica Abatis Maze
About fifteen kilometers north of the village of Papaïchton, numerous pastel-colored rocks outline the course of the Maroni River. Canoe adventurers must navigate cautiously through this river maze, where calm waters alternate with dangerous rapids. The Abatis Cottica, recognized in the national inventory of natural sites and monuments in 2011, offer a spectacular landscape dominated by the mighty Cottica mountain, rising to 730 meters above the surrounding terrain.
Excursion through the Crowned Mountains
The crowned mountains are pre-Columbian vestiges located on the hill and mountain tops, with a defensive ditch. In French Guiana, about seventy of these sites have been identified, allowing for a better understanding of Ecuador’s history and enhancing tourist visits.
They are discreet and little-known places that apparently have been inhabited for long periods by human communities. Among other evidence of pre-Columbian Amerindian cultures that can be appreciated, thousands of polishers found mainly on riverbanks stand out, as well as engraved rocks and some rock paintings.
Visit the Rock Art of Mamilihpan Rock
In the southwestern region of French Guiana lies Mamilihpan Rock, an island hill that has been preserved from human intervention. One of the walls of this rock formation is adorned with rock paintings, which constitute evidence of pre-Columbian human presence in the area. Recent scientific research has highlighted its archaeological importance, with the exciting discovery of ceramic fragments and ancient trails leading to a nearby plateau.
Listening to Tales in Southern French Guiana
The Amerindian and Bushinengue indigenous communities in southern French Guiana maintain a deep connection to the land, as evidenced by their numerous legends and myths that offer different perspectives of the world and nature. These ancestral narratives are passed down from generation to generation to account for creation and recount historical events, with nature playing a fundamental role in all of them.
Gastronomic Activities
Learning to Cook Cassava
Cassava is the staple food of the inhabitants of the Amazonian Park. Its tuber is cultivated using traditional agricultural techniques and offers a wide range of textures and flavors: kwak (semolina), casabe (cake), tapioca (starch), cachiri (fermented beverage), among others. Its preparation and cultivation, carried out in community and cooperation, involve traditional knowledge. Some wicker tools, such as the sieve, sibucán or fan, are specially made to transform this food.
Tasting Amazonian Cocoa
In southern French Guiana, a group of farmers produces chocolate in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The preferred variety is Guiana cocoa, a wild species that offers a particularly strong but slightly bitter flavor. It is cultivated only in French Guiana, in harmony with local biodiversity, within agroforestry systems and family agriculture. These characteristics make the delicious "Pure Guiana" chocolate a highly valued product.
Discovering the Art of Maroni’s Canoes
The wooden canoes of the Maroni River are a fundamental element of the knowledge of the Bushinengue communities of French Guiana. Capable of carrying passengers, tons of cargo, and even damaged vehicles or helicopters, they are counted by the hundreds along the riverbanks. Both their navigation, which requires deep knowledge of the river by the canoeists, and the manufacturing of the canoes, respect a traditional and meticulous process, composed of ancestral gestures.