Cayenne's Prison, Former penal colony in French Guiana
The Bagne de Cayenne is a former penal colony spread across the mainland and several offshore islands in French Guiana. Stone cell blocks, watchtowers along fortified perimeters, and administrative buildings make up the compound across multiple sites.
The French government founded the colony in 1852 to deport convicted criminals to overseas territories. After more than a century in use, the facility closed permanently in 1953.
The bagne shaped French public memory through escape stories and memoirs written by former prisoners. Some cell blocks are still associated with specific inmates whose names locals continue to pass down.
Access to the different sections often requires boat transfers or walking through overgrown areas. Given the heat and humidity, sturdy footwear and sun protection are strongly advisable.
Alfred Dreyfus spent five years on Devil's Island before his case shook the French justice system. His detention became so closely linked to that one island that many people assume the entire colony was located there.
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