Blogging from A to Z 2026 - D is for Devil's Island

 

As I travel the world I take many photos that pique my interest. During the year April 2025 to March 2026 our travels included visits to many islands large and small. My theme for 2026 Island Hopping will give precedence to Islands visited in the past year but for those difficult letters like X and Z I will dig into my photo archives for content.

I had to go to my photo archives for the letter D as  Devil's Island is the only D island I can recall getting close to. 

"The penal colony of Cayenne (French: Bagne de Cayenne), commonly known as Devil's Island (Île du Diable), was a French penal colony that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, and officially closed in 1953, in the Salvation Islands of French Guiana." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Island

I actually blogged about our visit to the Iles Du Salut here in 2017 but that post concentrated on windows.

Years ago I read Henri Charriere's book Papillon, the story of his incarceration and escape from Devil's Island. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the opportunity to visit this isolated place. After a cruise down the Amazon River in 2014 our ship called in at The Iles de Salut in French Guiana and, although we couldn't land on Devil's Island we were able to visit the adjoining island, Ile Royale, where most of the French prisoners had been held in the penal colony's gaol. It was only the incorrigibles like Charriere and political prisoners who were sent across to Devil's Island.

Today I'll share a few images of  the ultimate place of punishment, Devil's Island. 

First sighting of Devil's Island

The stone hut on Devil's Island provided shelter

It's not possible to visit the Island

Devil's Island from Ile Royale

Political prisoners were housed on Devil's Island. In the 19th century, the most famous was Captain Alfred Dreyfus.

Dreyfus information in the small museum on Ile Royale

Other D islands we have visited include Deception Island

Windows on the World - I is for incarcerated on Iles de Salut

This month I am participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge where I will endeavour to post on this blog each day. I will be sharing photos of Windows that I have photographed on my travels and highlighting from A-Z the places where I found these Windows on the World.

Years ago I read Henri Charriere's book Papillon, the story of his incarceration and escape from Devil's Island. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the opportunity to visit this isolated place. After a cruise down the Amazon River in 2014 our ship called in at The Iles de Salut in French Guiana and, although we couldn't land on Devil's Island we were able to visit the adjoining island, Ile Royale, where most of the French prisoners had been held in the penal colony's gaol. It was only the incorrigibles like Charriere who were sent across to Devil's Island.

This site was one of the best I have visited in my travels. It is a shame that most of the buildings are in a poor state of repair.

At least the chapel was in good repair.

Hell on Earth

10 December 2012

What a day we had on Ile Royale in the beautiful Iles Du Salut (one is Devil's Island), French Guyana, the site of a former French penal colony and the setting for the novel and film Papillon. It was a beautiful spot that in ways reminded us of Port Arthur.

There was no organised tour of this isolated spot with few inhabitants so we spent our time wandering around the site at our own pace.

That's Devil's Island over the water

Schoolgirl French came in handy in the small museum

Devil's Island

View from our ship