Dégrad des Cannes, Commercial port in Rémire-Montjoly, French Guiana

Dégrad des Cannes is the commercial seaport of Rémire-Montjoly, set in the estuary of the Mahury River a few kilometres from Cayenne. Its 25-hectare land area holds a container terminal with three berths, one of them a ro-ro berth, a petroleum terminal, a mineral berth and a cabotage slipway. The flat paved yard is lined with stacked containers and low warehouses with pale roofs; ships work their own cargo because there is no quay equipment.

The port was established in 1974 to replace the older Cayenne harbor and meet growing maritime demands. This new facility marked a turning point in modern logistics for the region.

In Guiana, a "dégrad" is a place where boats are launched and loaded, which gave the site its name. The port handles over 90% of the territory's maritime trade, and its rear port is the Dégrad des Cannes economic activity park, a 56.66-hectare zone with around a hundred companies in food processing, logistics, construction and business services.

The site is restricted and requires authorization for access. Visitors should arrange visits in advance by contacting the port directly.

An artificial channel connects the port to the sea and is dredged regularly to allow vessels through. This constant maintenance is essential to operations and often goes unnoticed, yet remains critical to all activity.