Cayenne Felix Eboue Airport (CAY) Guide: Matoury / Cayenne, French Guiana

Cayenne Felix Eboue Airport is French Guiana’s main airport and the air link between Amazonian South America, the French Caribbean, Paris, and the Guiana Shield. CAY is compact, practical, and more French-overseas than tropical resort: arrivals are about getting reliable transport, data, and a plan for Cayenne, Kourou, or the interior.

This guide is written for travelers who want the useful details first: the real airport name, where it sits, how much to budget for transport, what to expect in the terminal, where to search for flights, and which services to arrange before landing. Prices and routes are updated for June 2026 and should be treated as practical planning ranges rather than fixed promises.

Quick airport facts

Item	Details
Full airport name	Cayenne Felix Eboue Airport
Short codes	CAY / SOCA
Also searched as	Cayenne Airport, Felix Eboue Airport, Rochambeau Airport, CAY Airport
City and country	Matoury / Cayenne, French Guiana
Practical address	Matoury, near Cayenne, French Guiana; coordinates 4.819964, -52.361326.
Distance to city	About 14-18 km southwest of Cayenne; taxis or VTC transfers usually take 20-30 minutes.
Updated	2026-06-15

Best for: Cayenne, Matoury, Kourou/space center trips, French Guiana business, rainforest travel, and Guiana-region links.
Main route logic: Paris, French Caribbean, Brazil, Suriname/Guianas, and local interior air services.
Airport style: compact overseas-France airport with taxis/VTC, car rental, shops, duty-free, cafes, parking, and regional connections.
Planning rule: pre-book taxis for early/late flights and rent a car if visiting Kourou or nature sites.

Address and location

Use Cayenne Felix Eboue Airport (CAY) for flight searches and Cayenne Airport, Felix Eboue Airport, Rochambeau Airport, CAY Airport as backup search wording in maps, hotel messages, and taxi conversations. The practical address is:

Matoury, near Cayenne, French Guiana; coordinates 4.819964, -52.361326.

About 14-18 km southwest of Cayenne; taxis or VTC transfers usually take 20-30 minutes. For a serious itinerary, save the airport coordinates offline, download the city area in Google Maps or Organic Maps, and keep your hotel address in both English and the local language where possible.

How to get from the airport to the city

Option	Typical time	Approximate cost	Best use
Taxi / VTC to Cayenne	20-30 min	Often EUR 35-50	🚕 Best normal transfer.
Hotel/private transfer	20-40 min	Quote-based	✅ Best late arrival.
Rental car	20-30 min to Cayenne	Daily rental plus fuel	🚗 Best Kourou/coast plan.
Local bus/shared transport	Variable	Low fare but limited	🚌 Not ideal with bags.

Current airport guides put taxi/VTC rides from central Cayenne to the airport around 20-30 minutes and roughly EUR 35-50. Air Caraibes airport guidance also recommends booking taxis/VTC in advance, especially for early departures.

Transport tips

🧾 Confirm the fare before loading luggage, especially when there is no visible meter or posted rate.
📍 Save the exact hotel pin offline; airport drivers may know districts better than street names.
💵 Carry small local cash for the first transfer, baggage carts, snacks, or phone calls.
🌐 Install an eSIM before departure so you can message your driver immediately after landing.

Public transport and metro

Cayenne has no metro or airport rail. Use taxi/VTC, rental car, hotel transfer, or limited local transport.

Where public transport exists, it is usually best for daylight arrivals with light luggage. For late flights, family travel, heavy bags, or first-time visits, a taxi, hotel transfer, or pre-booked private driver is usually worth the extra cost.

Taxi prices and transfer strategy

Taxi prices around airports are rarely as neat as an official table. Time of day, luggage, driver availability, fuel prices, and whether the destination is inside or outside the central city all matter. The ranges above are realistic planning budgets, but the best practice is simple: agree the fare before moving, keep your phone map open, and avoid changing money with random drivers.

For smoother arrival logistics:

🚕 Use official taxi ranks or a hotel-arranged driver where available.
🧳 Pre-book a transfer if you land late, carry equipment, or travel with children.
🚗 Compare rental cars before arrival with DiscoverCars if you need regional freedom.
🏨 Use Expedia to check hotels near the airport and in the city before choosing a transfer.

Airport facilities, shops, and restaurants

Terminal with cafes, dining area, shops, duty-free, souvenirs, car rental, taxis/VTC, parking, and essential passenger services.
Interior flights and coastal drives require extra planning; distances in French Guiana are not casual.
Bring mosquito protection and offline maps if heading beyond Cayenne.
Kourou and the space center are better with a rental car or arranged tour.

The smart rule at CAY is to treat the terminal as a transfer point rather than as a shopping destination. Eat before arriving when possible, keep a refillable bottle where security rules allow, and bring a small power bank. If you have a long delay, an airport-area hotel or city hotel is usually more comfortable than waiting in the terminal.

Airlines and where the airport flies

FlightConnections lists 4 airlines from Cayenne to 9 airports as of June 2026, while FlightsFrom lists 3 airlines to 11 airports. Search Paris CDG/Orly, Fort-de-France, Pointe-a-Pitre, Belem, Fortaleza, Paramaribo, Grand-Santi, Maripasoula, Saul, Camopi, and other interior/regional points.

Air France, Air Caraibes, Guyane Express Fly, Van Air Guyane, and regional partners appear by route/date.

Cheap routes to check first

Cayenne to Belem: often the cheapest international/regional benchmark.
Cayenne to Fort-de-France or Pointe-a-Pitre: Caribbean connection checks.
Cayenne to Paris: compare CDG/ORY routing, baggage, and long-haul timing.

Cheap airport strategy is different from simply sorting by lowest fare. Always compare the final cost after checked baggage, seat selection, payment fees, transfer costs, and missed-connection risk. A slightly more expensive flight into the correct airport can be cheaper than a low base fare that forces a long taxi ride or overnight hotel.

Where to buy flights and hotels

Start with broad searches, then verify the exact airport code before paying. This is especially important in cities with more than one airport or with airport transitions.

Need	Recommended booking link	Why it matters
Internet on arrival	🌐 Yesim eSIM	Install before flying so maps, airline apps, WhatsApp, and hotel messages work as soon as you land.
Flights and hotels	🏨 Expedia flights and stays	Useful for comparing nearby hotels, airport overnights, and onward tickets in one search.
Tours and transfers	🎟️ Viator tours and airport transfers	Best for guided city tours, day trips, private arrival transfers, and skip-the-line activities.
Rental cars	🚗 DiscoverCars	Compare local and international rental agencies before accepting a walk-up airport rate.
Travel medical insurance	🛡️ SafetyWing	Check coverage, exclusions, and country wording before travel, especially on complex itineraries.
Support this airport-guide project	🤝 Patreon: HEDONISMcloud	Helps keep airport guides updated with fares, route changes, and city transport notes.

eSIM, internet, insurance, and car rental

🌐 Internet: install Yesim eSIM before the flight. Airport Wi-Fi can be slow, blocked by SMS verification, or unavailable exactly when you need maps.
🛡️ Insurance: compare policy wording with SafetyWing. Read exclusions for the destination, adventure activities, medical evacuation, political/security events, and pre-existing conditions.
🚗 Cars: compare vehicles on DiscoverCars before arrival. Airport counters can run out of automatic cars or quote higher walk-up rates.
🎟️ Tours: use Viator for airport transfers, city tours, day trips, and guided experiences when independent transport is inconvenient.

Practical arrival checklist

Before you fly	Why it matters
Check the IATA code on the ticket	Prevents booking a hotel or transfer for the wrong airport.
Save airline, hotel, and driver contacts offline	Messaging apps may not work until data is active.
Carry local cash	Useful for taxis, snacks, and small airport expenses.
Recheck live departures	Regional schedules can change more quickly than major-hub schedules.
Keep insurance documents accessible	Helps at medical facilities and during airline disruption.

Safety and travel notes

French Guiana requires tropical-health planning. Use reliable taxis, avoid unplanned night drives into unfamiliar areas, and make sure insurance covers remote medical evacuation if visiting the interior.

The most reliable traveler is the boringly prepared traveler: documents printed, data working, transport confirmed, hotel address saved, and enough time between every moving part of the itinerary.

Short airport excursion idea

If you have a long layover or an overnight stop, choose one simple plan rather than trying to see everything. Stay close to the city center or a known hotel district, keep the return transfer booked, and avoid cutting the return to the airport too close. In smaller airports, a missed flight may mean waiting a day or more for the next practical departure.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Cayenne Felix Eboue Airport from Matoury / Cayenne?

About 14-18 km southwest of Cayenne; taxis or VTC transfers usually take 20-30 minutes.

How much is a taxi from CAY airport?

Typical taxi planning ranges are shown in the transport table above. The safest method is to confirm the price before loading luggage and to use a hotel-arranged driver when arriving late or visiting for the first time.

Are there restaurants and shops at Cayenne Felix Eboue Airport?

Yes, but the depth of choice depends on the airport size and operating schedule. Expect practical cafes or snack options at smaller airports and a better range at major hubs. Carry backup snacks and water for delays.

Which airlines should I check first?