Où se trouve l'habitation Loyola ?

L'habitation Loyola se situe à Rémire-Montjoly, en Guyane française, en bordure de la route de Rémire (RD2), sur un contrefort de la montagne de Rémire.

Qui a créé l'habitation Loyola ?

Elle a été créée par les Jésuites au milieu du XVIIe siècle, à partir des concessions de Quincy et Drague acquises en 1665 et 1668, puis transformée en habitation sucrière à partir de 1674.

Combien de temps dure le sentier de Loyola ?

Le sentier dure environ 2 heures et descend doucement à travers une forêt secondaire jusqu'à la route des plages.

Que peut-on voir depuis le sentier ?

On peut admirer les terrasses de l'habitation, un remarquable arbre fromager et un point de vue sur la baie permettant de distinguer l'Ilet la Mère.

Culture & patrimoine★ Free accessRemire-Montjoly

Loyola, ancienne habitation Jésuite

Free access

Distance1,7 kmDifficultéFacile

Gallery

Overview

The Loyola estate is situated in Rémire-Montjoly, in French Guiana, on the edge of the Rémire-Montjoly road, on a spur of the Rémire mountain. The site preserves the ruins of a former Jesuit estate, in the form of a series of hillside terraces on which buildings once stood - the main house, chapel, kitchen and hospital. Occupied from 1668 to 1769, Loyola was the largest slave plantation in French Guiana.

Why Visit

The site combines the heritage interest of the ruins with a hiking trail that links the Rémire road to the beach road, winding through attractive secondary forest. Along the way, you can admire a remarkable kapok tree, and a magnificent viewpoint offers views over the bay, from which the Ilet la Mère can be made out.

History

In the mid-17th century, the Jesuits established the Loyola estate, its lands formed from the Quincy and Drague concessions, acquired in 1665 and 1668 respectively. From 1674, the Jesuits transformed it into a sugar plantation which, through successive additions, eventually exceeded 1,500 hectares around 1720. In 1740, they abandoned sugar cultivation. The dissolution of the Society of Jesus in 1763 led to the gradual abandonment of the estate. During the Kourou expedition of 1764, it was again occupied by soldiers of the Saintonge regiment, who caused serious damage. The last Jesuit left in 1768, and the estate was definitively abandoned in 1769. Archaeological excavations have been under way since 1994, and much of the site is still to be uncovered.

Practical Information

Allow 4.6 km and at least 2 hours for the full loop, which descends gently to the beach road. The first ruins are reached after five minutes' walk from the trailhead, so a short visit to the archaeological site alone is perfectly possible. The site is located close to Guyane 1ère.

Getting There

The site borders the Rémire-Montjoly road (RD2). The hiking trail connects the Rémire road to the beach road and can be walked in either direction.

Wildlife

What you might see

Species most often reported by naturalists around this place. Nothing is guaranteed: wildlife comes and goes.

Bird
Tangara évêque
Thraupis episcopus
Photo credit
© Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, CC BY · taken in Matoury · iNaturalist
Bird
Tyran quiquivi
Pitangus sulphuratus
Photo credit
© Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, CC BY · taken in Saint-Georges · iNaturalist
Mammal
Paresseux à trois doigts
Bradypus tridactylus
Photo credit
© Jason Berger, CC BY · taken in Kourou · iNaturalist
Amphibian
Leptodactyle géant
Leptodactylus pentadactylus
Photo credit
© Guillaume Delaitre, CC BY · taken in Remire-Montjoly · iNaturalist

Venomous snakes live here: stay on the trails and watch where you put your feet and hands.

Observations: GBIF and iNaturalist. Sources and credits

Getting there

Location

Remire-Montjoly · Guyane

Google Maps Waze directions

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Loyola estate located?+

The Loyola estate is located in Rémire-Montjoly, in French Guiana, on the edge of the Rémire road (RD2), on a spur of the Rémire mountain.

Who founded the Loyola estate?+

It was founded by the Jesuits in the mid-17th century, using the Quincy and Drague concessions acquired in 1665 and 1668, and transformed into a sugar plantation from 1674.

How long does the Loyola trail take?+

The trail takes approximately 2 hours and descends gently through secondary forest to the beach road.

What can you see from the trail?+

You can admire the estate's terraces, a remarkable kapok tree, and a viewpoint over the bay from which the Ilet la Mère can be distinguished.