l’île Saint-Joseph Adventure Tours

Île Saint-Joseph, one of the three Îles du Salut off the coast of French Guiana, is both haunting and beautiful—an island where history is etched into moss-covered prison walls and silence reigns over forgotten cells. Once home to the solitary confinement section of the French penal colony, this remote outpost housed some of the harshest punishments endured by prisoners in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Nature has since reclaimed much of the island, with roots splitting stone walls and vines crawling across barred windows. Today, Île Saint-Joseph offers an evocative journey through time. Visitors can wander through abandoned isolation cells, past rusted doors and cracked walls, while listening to the sounds of the forest that now blankets the island. Its rugged beauty and solemn atmosphere make it an unforgettable stop on a trip to the Salvation Islands—an opportunity to reflect on resilience, isolation, and the quiet power of nature to heal and reclaim.