Kourou

© Roy Digital Design

Kourou sits on the western bank of the Kourou River. Up until the time when the European Space Agency started using Kourou as its basis, the town was little more than a moribund penal settlement, but nowadays it's a thriving space-industry center.

Tours of the Centre Spatial Guyanais are available in town. Currently three separate space organizations operate in Kourou; the Agence Spatiale Européenne (European Space Agency), the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (French Space Agency) and the private company of Arianespace that develops the Ariane rockets. These three companies account for about 15% of French Guiana's entire budget and employ around 1000 people. From Kourou some 8 or 9 rockets are launched into space every year.

There are several hotels and restaurants in town. Kourou is 45 km northwest of Cayenne.