Saint-Laurent du Maroni: on the water, following in the convicts' footsteps... and on the rum route

Built by and for convicts, Saint-Laurent du Maroni still bears the scars of this painful French history. The transportation camp gives travellers a real insight into the life of the convicts. There are moving images, such as the location of the guillotine - a small square area that travellers unconsciously walk around - or the graffiti in the cells. Here the signature of Papillon, the famous prison escapee; there the drawing of a moustachioed man exchanging a document with a "spiked helmet". An episode that we inevitably associate with another famous convict: Alfred Dreyfus. All of which is explained in an educational way by the local guides.

After this page of prison history, it's time to escape. Motorised pirogues offer excursions on the Maroni, the 520km river that separates - or links, as the case may be - French Guiana and Suriname. At the helm, the driver also shares his insights into the history and current affairs of the destination. If necessary, he can also take a break, for example on the island of Lepers, where traces of the past are overgrown with wild vegetation. Another possible stop-off during the pirogue trip is the Saint-Maurice distillery, which has just inaugurated a pontoon enabling MICE groups to make an original arrival in the Belle Cabresse region.

The smiling "métisse" is the emblem of the famous local rum. And travellers are soon invited to sample its flavours, the quality of which was recently recognised by the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label. The distinction, awarded by the French government, " is a testament to the passion, skill and rigour of the men and women who work every day in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to produce a quality agricultural rum that is deeply rooted in its terroir. "The managers of the Saint-Maurice distillery are delighted. They also intend to educate both business and leisure tourists, with a signposted route through the distillery, packed with information - and smells - about the age-old craft of distillation. It's sure to leave travellers with some delicious memories.