On a small peninsula overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Kourou River, this small city of nondescript modern apartment blocks once existed solely to serve the mainland and offshore penal colonies. Now it seems to exist solely to serve the Centre Spatial Guyanais, a satellite construction facility and launch pad that employs thousands of people.

In 1964 Kourou was chosen due to its close proximity to the equator, its distance from tropical storm tracks and earthquake zones and its low population density . The launch site is the only one in the world this close to the equator, where the earth's spin is significantly faster than further north or south making launches much more energy-efficient. Since 1980 two-thirds of the world's commercial satellites have been launched from French Guiana. Unfortunately, we timed our arrival in Kourou 5 days after the previous launch and 9 days before the next. However, we were able to take an excellent tour around the launch sites, control centres and museum.

From 1852 to 1947, some 80,000 prisoners died from disease, inhumane conditions and the guillotine on the nearby ironically-named Iles du Salut (Salvation Islands). They were sent here from France by Emperor Napolean III and subsequent French governments. The choppy, shark-infested waters surrounding the three tiny islands were considered escape-proof and particularly appropriate for political prisoners, including Alfred Dreyfus. Another famous inmate, nicknamed 'Papillon' for a tattoo on his chest, claimed that after being wrongly convicted of murder he escaped by floating towards the mainland on a sack full of coconuts! His imaginative stories of escape from French Guiana's infamous prison camps were portrayed by Steve McQueen in a Hollywood version of his life.  

Since then the islands have become a place to escape to due to their natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere. We enjoyed a catamaran day trip to visit the islands and their restored prison buildings. However, wandering around the eerie solitary confinement cells overgrown with coconut palms was a vivid insight to the islands' sad past.

Onward bus to St Laurent du Maroni, 3 hours.