Cacao
French Guiana · Roura · 40 m
Description
Cacao is a Hmong village on a river bank in the forest, founded in 1977 when refugees from Laos were settled in French Guiana after the war. Wooden houses stand on stilts along one street, and the community grows most of the vegetables sold in Cayenne. The Sunday morning market is the reason to come, with pho and spring rolls eaten at trestle tables and embroidered story cloths for sale. A small insect museum holds the huge beetles and morpho butterflies of the surrounding forest. Around a thousand people live in the village and Hmong is still the first language.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: August – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Hmong market on Sunday morning (Sunday)
- Stilted wooden houses along the river
- Le Planeur Bleu insect museum
- Hmong embroidery and story cloths
- Vegetable gardens above the village
- Forest trails from the village edge
- Swimming in the Comté river
- Morpho butterflies in the clearings
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- CAY