Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands)

The Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands) consist of the three islands of Île du Diable (Devil's Island), Île Royale and Île St Joseph in the Atlantic Ocean, 10 km (6 miles) north of Kourou.

In the 18th century, colonists regarded the breezy, mosquito-free islands as a haven from French Guiana's mainland, where countless people died from diseases. Later the islands were used as a penal colony and at their peak, housed some 2000 convicts. Escape from the islands was almost impossible, as the waters in the region are infested with sharks.

Île Royale is the largest of the Îles du Salut. It was the prison's administrative headquarters.

Nearby Île Saint Joseph served as a place where convicts were held for solitary confinement.

Île du Diable (Devil's Island), is probably the most famous of the Iles du Salut. It is only a tiny islet, but it was home to the majority of prisoners. Nowadays it is covered with coconut palms.

Nowadays most people come to the islands to visit the ruins of the brutal penal facilities and for the abundant wildlife, which includes macaws, agoutis and sea turtles.

The Îles du Salut have boat connections with Kourou and lie some 50 km northwest of Cayenne.