Saint Laurent du Maroni - General Info
Description:
Saint Laurent lies on French Guiana’s biggest river, the Maroni, which marks the border with Suriname. The port is about 15 miles from the entrance and is opposite the town of Albina in Suriname. It contains many restored buildings from the period when it served as a French penal colony and is a wonderful historical centre with lots of character.
The marina is situated in the centre of the historic town with everything within easy walking distance.
Cruiser Highlights:
The small marina here offers services to cruisers. This is a good option for hurricane season. As your yacht is in fresh water, the hull is automatically cleaned. Easy access to the town for provisions.
Entrance Notes and Cautions:
A buoyed channel for cargo vessels marks the route. The buoys are moved regularly to provide the best route. Please follow them and not your charts!
If in doubt (buoys are widely spaced), keep as close as possible to the French side of the river. The minimum depth at high tide is over 4m.
Beware of fishing nets when approaching the Maroni river’s safe water mark.
While night entry is possible, it is not recommended as buoys closer to Saint Laurent are not lit.
It is possible to anchor in any of the creeks to await a favorable tide to continue on towards the marina.
Position:
5°30.2′ N, 54° 1.5′ W
Last updated: September 2023
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Reported by Christian Alby:
Some additional info which may be useful to the fleet on their way to Caribbean from the Indian Ocean via RSA, we are now in the marina Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guyana, where yachts of all flags are welcome without too much hassle.
The contact is David on email [email protected] who will advise of available moorings.
Arrived 4 weeks ago, with mixed crew (French, South African & Namibian) we were requested to go for a covid test within 24 hrs of arrival, done at the city hospital, results given within 4 hrs, negative meant immediate entry for all aboard in the territory (even though my crew did not have visas for EU).
Moorings on river on buoys, with assistance by Marina manager. Possibility to drop anchor if all buoys are occupied.
Very friendly border town, with basic supplies available.
Good for discovery of Amazonian forest including discovering the Creeks tributaries to the main river Maroni with our boats (water depth 4 to 12 meters !).
A mite expensive, as EU French prices apply, but in these Covid times so good to be received with a smile and to feel welcome.
This information could be useful to those boats arriving from the South.
One of the best experiences I’ve had in any port. They have the association right in front of the marina with a beautiful coffee shop where you can eat and drink anything you’d like. David and Christiane, the owners of the association are the nicest people I’ve met. They were very polite at all time and helped us in anything we needed. Definitely I would come back because the town and the people there are A1 Class.
Dec 21, 2018 06:44 AM
Dear Mr Wedler,
I can confirm that our daily mooring rate of 12 Euro and “Friends of the Nereid’s Rally” association membership fee of 20 Euro still stand and remain unchanged for 2019, though as of December, membership entitles newly arrived yachts a two night stay on one of our moorings.
As you have pointed out our Norfloat soft buoy moorings are heavy duty. Our moorings are in fact, rated to handle yachts up to 50T. Hence your difficulty in trying to lift the buoy. The Norfloat MBS1 buoys are specially developed for swinging moorings, and to quote the manufacturer, “The outer PVC skin offers excellent boat friendly protection from the mooring buoy, whilst the buoy’s top recess helps prevent shackle damage to the moored craft.”
For more information see http://www.norfloat.com
As for securing your yacht to the buoy, note that it is the responsibility of the captain to ensure the rode is secure and why I asked my partner and not my staff to check my yacht while away. That she chose to ask you for assistance is neither here nor there and certainly not a reflection on the ability of my staff.
I also confirm that there is plenty of space to anchor North of Marina Saint Laurent du Maroni. Close to fifteen nautical miles to be precise not including the creeks, and have no complaint whatsoever with people doing so.
While I welcome constructive criticism, much of what appears in these latest posts amounts to slander, apparently motivated by anger at having services denied once yacht crews decided to move away from our marina.
I leave it to our satisfied customers to redress the critique.
Yours sincerely,
Davide Matelicani
Dec 21, 2018 06:41 AM
Dear Mr Smith,
I am sorry to hear that the recent upgrade to our Internet WiFi service at Marina Saint Laurent du Maroni caused you such distress.
The replacement of our server necessitated some down-time, but we will be happy to refund you for the unused portion of your 5 Euro Internet coupon.
With the new system up and running as of November, WiFi is now offered free to marina clients.
If visitors have any questions relating to pricing or services, they are clearly detailed in our welcome leaflet which is provided to customers upon arrival. The leaflet can also be requested by email through [email protected]
I can confirm that our daily rate for 2018-19 is 12 Euro and that progressively larger discounts apply for stays of a week, a month, or more than 3 months.
Note that our office / cafe / laundry is open from 11am to 8:30pm six days a week. Closed Saturdays, and remind customers that many of our services including:
bulk water delivery,
bunkering,
provisioning transport,
mooring assistance,
mail order,
boat cleaning,
unattended yacht upkeep,
water taxi,
salvage / commercial diving,
office / repair services,
bookings,
car hire pickup,
and formalities assistance,
can only be offered during opening hours.
In view of your comments we will review the marina services section in our welcome leaflet and brief staff to ensure visitors at anchor and clients of the marina alike, are aware of both what they are, and what they are not, entitled to.
I will also gladly share your endorsement of Domburg.
Yours sincerely,
Davide Matelicani
Dec 18, 2018 10:53 PM
I will respond to this mail as factually as I can.
We were on your mooring for 4 days and were charged EUR 12/day
We were charged an additional EUR 5 for 1 weeks worth of internet.
The internet only worked for 2 of the nights and when then it was very erratic with messages about server errors.
After the 4 days we departed for a short visit to St Jean.
When we returned we learned that the conditions had changed and internet was now offered free to users of your mooring field. The remaining couple of days of the paid WiFi were just lost.
We were not the only visitors who questioned your pricing.
I note that you list a number of “services” which apparently contribute to your overheads. So I’ll make it clear for anyone who considers visiting St Laurent:
The mooring is all that you get for EUR 12 / day.
The swimming pool is open to the public.
The customs and immigration procedures can be carried out by officials within a 3 minute walk.
The jetty is public.
Your cafe is open to all and sundry and it is effectively a separate business with its own operating costs and overheads.
Water is available only when the cafe is open – after 11 am and not on Saturdays at all.
So if you were being reasonably honest you would make it clear that the EUR 12/day that you are charging at the time of our visit was simply for the mooring buoy.
I’ll venture slightly from verifiable facts at this point to confirm Angela’s comment that your staff’s attitude change dramatically when we (and others) moved from the mooring buoys to anchor.
Also, Angela’s comments about the pricing at Domburg are noteworthy because it was you who stated that we could expect higher rates in Domburg. The opposite is true. For EUR 10 / day we got the mooring, showers, swimming pool, assistance with car rental, a full fledged restaurant (as opposed to a cafe with limited hours), reasonable internet and free water.
You really do need to look at your rates, and unfortunately your attitude too.
Dec 14, 2018 07:55 PM
We spend about 3 weeks in saint Laurent in Nov 2018.
First we take a mooring for one week. The mooring was 12€ a Day.
In addition we payed 20€ for membership.
The mooring have a heavy chain with a PVC buoy on the top.
Its impossible to take the buoy on the boat. So in the wind against current condition the buoy would bang on the hull all the time.
The ironic thing is, David ask me, when he was in Italy, to secure his boat with additional ropes. I guess that says enough about the ability of his staff.
In our time 9 yachts had anchored outside.
To the north there is lots of space.
David complaint a lot on the fact, that nobody using his moorings.
David calls the place “marina”
Except from the mooring there is nothing.
The Jetty is a public jetty, not very safe.
In strong condition and low water the dinghy can not float.
All in one it was a annoying experience. Except his partner, Christiane
Dec 04, 2018 04:28 PM
Je suis très surprise de votre commentaire. Nous venons de laisser notre voilier pendant 9 mois et venons de le retrouver sans aucun problème. Les services que nous avions demandés ont été effectués en temps et en heure et avons été très surpris par le sérieux de cette équipe, nettoyage du bateau, fonctionnement du moteur etc Nous sommes maintenant sur place et avons grand plaisir à passer quelques moments au café sur le bord du fleuve. La convivialité de Chris contribue à notre séjour et la didponibilité de Davide est excellente. Le prix à payer est loin d’etre exorbitant, et il me semble normal de payer un minimum sachant que le bateau reste sur une bouée fiable en toute sécurité. De plus l’eau demande un gros travail pour arriver jusqu au bateau pouvant compter sur l’aide de ce couple adorable à tous moments et dans toutes les circonstances, jusqu aux visites touristiques et même le transport entre l’aeroport De Cayenne et St Laurent. Je recommande vivement cette halte au milieu du Maroni et je trouve très injuste votre commentaire.
Agnes Lafargue
Nov 28, 2018 08:33 PM
I find the defamatory attack on myself and my partner on this medium to be both unconscionable and spiteful to say the least. It is my policy to treat all cruisers, whether customers of the marina or not, with the utmost respect and professionalism at all times, even when they are onerous or seemingly impossible to please.
Note that our clientele (i.e. those who use our moorings) do have access to reliable free WiFi, water, assistance with formalities, transport, laundry and much more. There is a public 25m pool with shower facilities just opposite the mooring field and yachts are ideally located in the historic centre of town within easy access to all the facilities a large town of 50,000 inhabitants can provide.
Marina Saint Laurent du Maroni is an official port and a member of the Fédération Française des Ports de Plaisance. Our moorings are of the highest quality and comply with European standards (a necessity as holding is not always good in a river effected by 2m tides), and our marina staff benefit from French and EU labour laws / working conditions.
These overheads determine our daily rate, so suggestions by cruisers, however well meaning, that rates be halved, if not naive, do appear to be motivated more by consumer self-interest rather than unbiased critique.
Evidently, as a small business, we can not afford to extend our services and assistance to visitors who are not clients of the marina and I would suggest that even in Domburg, (8 Euro a day for use of the marina facilities when using your own anchor / 10 for a mooring), services cease once you become a former client.
For the record, I have never “bad mouthed” other marinas in the region. Quite the opposite in fact. I’m all for promoting yachting in Trinidad and Tobago, the Guyana’s and Suriname. I have invested heavily in promoting the region to the benefit of all, and it is the reason behind the non-profit association that runs both the marina and the Nereid’s Rally.
It simply wouldn’t be in my own interest to denigrate the efforts of others providing services to visiting yachts.
I am pleased to hear that you are more than satisfied with your move to Domberg, I remain however, somewhat dismayed by the rancor and unwarranted character assassination or should I say “bad mouthing” on your part, of myself, my partner, and Marina SLM.
Nov 23, 2018 10:34 PM
What a joke David and his partner is. They charge 12euros a day for nothing. David’s attitude towards cruisers will come back and bite him. Cruisers just anchor outside his mooring field. Anchor is a good hold. You can get free WiFi from the very friendly tourist office next door. You can check yourself in and out within 5mins with the very friendly office. Why am so angry in my posting? We paid for 4 nights on the mooring, of the 4 nights the wifi didn’t work for 2. We were told we can get free water. When asked we were told sorry things have changed and free water is not their problem. Chrissy’s attitude changed from being very friends to ignoring us after we moved off the mooring. David wasn’t open to any suggestions and just shut 6 yachts down and he was left to an empty mooring field. David on closing while you were so busy bad mouthing other marinas, we are in Domburg with Bettie. It’s half your price and for that we get the following: swimming pools, showers, free water, washing machine and much more.
Wish you well in your business
Mystic Blue
We have just been told that you are not allowed to anchor within 150m of the marina moorings or you will be fined. The marina moorings now take up all of the anchorages behind the wreck with the trees growing on it. It seems the anchorage now is about 800m downriver from the marina area.
In March 2016, we stopped here for a couple of weeks with our (French) ovni “Orionde”. Everything went wonderfully. Davide (he is Australian/Italian) started this marina (20 buoys and a pontoon for dinghies) only a couple of years ago and we really wish he can develop it.
We left the boat on the buoy a few days to have a trip in the forest. We recommend Saül (45 minutes and 130 euros by plane), a village formerly built by gold miners and now a wonderful place to trek in the forest).
At the marina, we found everything we needed: gas, conviviality, beer, advice, washing machine, everything…except showers but the water of the river is fresh and the soap works fine!
French Guiana is rather expensive, everything comes from France, so be prepared to pay your noodles more than Brazilian or Caribbean ones.
If you like French food, go to the restaurant “La Goélette” and try the “Tartare de buffle”, raw buffalo meat finely cut and spiced, I’m still dreaming of it!
We have been here in Saint Laurent du Maroni for the past two weeks and I can confirm everything “tscott” above says. David Matelicani, the owner of SLM Marina, really went the extra mile assisting us in just about everything we needed.
He arranged the complete check-in and check-out procedures and it was done extremely quickly and efficiently – it took 30 minutes to do the entire check out procedure. There are several restaurants in Saint Laurent and you have to try their local dishes.
The supermarket, called “Super U” is well stocked with quality food products – essentially from France. There are numerous anchorages on the wide river with dense forest on its banks, but not too close to the water edge as it can be quite shallow.
At the time of writing, at low tide, the sandbar at the entrance is around 2.5 meters deep – but once in the river and within the beacons, the water is much deeper. The tourist office is the place to arrange a number of excursions and events.
The main language spoken here is French, so it will be helpful for you to learn the basics – we also met a couple of people who can speak English. As yet, there is no electricity nor any fresh water available at the marina. Freshwater on tap (fully drinkable) is a short distance away from the marina and you will need containers.
Wiets
svRevelations.com
Wow! What a wonderful and underrated town St Laurent is! While the rest of French Guiana was nice, we wished we had spent less time elsewhere and more time in St Laurent! The town is clean, safe, friendly and packed with history.
The waterfront area near the main town jetty is a social area for sailors and locals both. A new floating pontoon provides an easy and secure place to leave the dinghy, while the new Marina SLM is up and running providing many services for cruisers.
For less than the cost of 2 beers in town, you can take one of the secure moorings, which also includes free wifi with a strong enough signal to reach you on the boat! Davide, the owner, has a small cafe where cruisers meet and hang out, drinking cheap beers and proper European coffees.
He also has laundry, ice, and an extensive electronic library and small book exchange. Depending on what valve you have, he may be able to fill your LPG bottles. He will help with all clearance formalities, and also offers transport to the supermarket in town which had a selection and prices comparable to the bigger cities.
There is a local market just a few minutes walk into town every Wed and Sat, and smaller mini-marts nearby if you just need a few things. Good restaurants and clubs all within walking distance. There is a tourist info centre next to the Marina SLM office.
Rental cars are available locally which can allow one to drive back to Kourou to see the Space Center, or to Mana to see the leatherback turtles. Also, while the river is still muddy here, the water is clean enough to swim in from the beach (or at slack tide from the boat).
The river is easy to navigate and offers several free anchorages along the way if being in the jungle is more to your liking. This is a “must do” stop if visiting French Guiana, and a secure place to leave the boat if you have to fly home.