Kourou

Kourou

Kourou is a commune in French Guiana. It is known for hosting the Guiana Space Center, which is the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency. Launches from Kourou are carried out by the European Space Agency, the European Union Agency for Space Programme, the French Space Agency CNES, the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the commercial company Arianespace. It has been used by the European Space Agency for the delivery of supplies to the International Space Station via the Automated Transfer Vehicle. The Musée de l'Espace is a museum dedicated to space and space exploration, and the Centre Spatial Guyanais receives many visitors throughout the year. About 60 km northwest of Cayenne, the Kourou River flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and here, at the river's mouth, lies the town, surrounded by four hills: Carapa, Pariacabo, Café and Lombard, with the Singes and Condamine not far away. Within the city limits are three lakes: the Bois Diable, the Marie-Claire and the Bois Chaudat. The town's oceanfront is lined with long stretches of white sand beaches and a few rocky outcroppings, while the riverfront and inland areas are dominated by mangroves and thick tropical rainforest. For those going to the Iles du Salut, the most famous of which is Devil's Island, Kourou is the port of departure. On the weekends, it is also popular for many people to go up the river in canoes and camp in the woods. Although the ocean is not very clear, as it is brown due to the silt of the Amazon River, both the ocean and the beaches are clean.