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Since the lighting of the Olympic Flame on April 15, 2024 in Olympia, Greece, the torch has been traveling through France as it makes its way to Paris for the Opening Ceremony on July 26, 2024. From June 9 to June 17, the torch will visit six of the thirteen overseas territories of France. Organizers are calling it the Paris 2024 Relay Across the Oceans.
On June 9, the torch arrived in French Guiana in the Atlantic Ocean. On June 11, the flame will arrive in New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean, then Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean on June 12. Next stop will be French Polynesia on June 13, then back to the Atlantic Ocean to Guadeloupe on June 15 and finally Martinique on June 17.
That means the Olympic torch will have visited six French overseas territories in the four corners of the world and across three of the five oceans before it continues its journey in mainland France.
Learn about these French overseas territories on ‘France Channel’
France Channel is the #1 Premium “Culturetainment” destination service for everybody interested in France, its culture, lifestyle, and entertainment. On this streaming platform, you can watch recent documentaries to learn more about these territories’ beautiful trails, natural landscape, and more. (Find titles and descriptions below.)
French Guiana (French: Guyane)
The Most Beautiful Trails – Guyane: “One of the wildest overseas territories.”
New Caledonia (French: Nouvelle-Calédonie)
The Most Beautiful Trails – New Caledonia: “A playground for trekking enthusiasts. The documentary explores long distance footpaths on the big island: the GR Sud in the European majority province and the GR Nord, in the Kanak province.”
>>Related: See the postcard from New Caledonia that I previously featured on my Wednesday Postcard series: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Reunion Island (French: La Réunion)
The Most Beautiful Trails – Réunion: “With its spectacular reliefs, cirques, summits, and active volcano, Reunion Island has become a privileged destination for trekking lovers.”
1000 Countries in One: Reunion Island: “The French land is of an unsuspected richness. Villages, towns and natural parks make up the cultural wealth of France and its treasures. Through a culinary specialty, a historical monument or traditional handiwork, different enthusiasts will lead us to the discovery of their country and its heritage.”
French Polynesia (French: Polynésie française)
The Most Beautiful Trails – French Polynesia: “In Polynesia, each archipelago has its own variety of landscapes. From small treks to beautiful walks, from boats to snorkeling, come and discover the wonders of nature, in the water, which abounds in fish and cetaceans, and on land, with atolls, mountains and forests, waterfalls, turquoise lagoons and green valleys.”
Guadeloupe
The Most Beautiful Trails – Guadeloupe: “Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe is a sanctuary of biodiversity.”
Martinique
The Most Beautiful Trails – Martinique: “The island of Martinique does not only have its beaches as an asset: it is one of the rare places where it is possible to hike safely in the rain forest. Mountain guide, Rene Dersion goes to discover the most beautiful ‘traces’ of the region.”
1000 Countries in One – Martinique: “When arriving in Martinique in 1502, Christopher Columbus nicknames it the ‘island of flowers.’ This rich land offers breathtaking landscapes: an exuberant nature, countless hikes, and unforgettable encounters. A place to discover with your backpack.”
Beautiful Getaway – Stop in Martinique: “Raphael de Casabianca is in Martinique, which he is discovering by bike. A nice challenge because the ‘island of flowers’ is made up of volcanic massifs whose history goes back 24 million years. The globe-trotting journalist sets out to meet the little pearl of the Antilles and its culture, which is a mixture of African, Amerindian, and European elements. Between nature and traditions, he meets atypical or passionate characters, and even goes in search of the treasures hidden in the depths of the ocean.”
How to watch
Watch these documentaries and more on France Channel.
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Did you know?
Did you know about the Caribbean Island Hopper service by Air France? (This is not an ad.) A travel vlogger that I follow on YouTube posted his recent trip from Cayenne, French Guiana to Miami, Florida, with stops in Fort-de-France, Martinique and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. What a unique way to visit France (and use Euros) without going to Europe!
Tell me in the comments: Have you been to any of the French overseas territories?
Bonjour: A Francophile Blog 
Wow! The torch is really going places! The DOM-TOM is a large geographical area to cover, but that doesn’t stop the torch from traveling far and beyond for unity. Thanks for sharing, Darlene!
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Thanks for reading, Rebecca! It’s a popular belief that France is Paris only, so it’s fantastic that Paris 2024 Olympics organizers included some of the Départements d’outre-mer, Territoires d’outre-mer (love that acronym DOM-TOM). While it’s a painful reminder of colonization, their inclusion in the Olympic Flame journey helps to make a strong case for more people to learn French. It’s spoken on all continents!
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The torch came through Castelnaudary but I wasn’t there! I would love to visit Martinque, Guadeloupe, Isle de la Reunion…
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I hope your neighbors took some photos! I would love to visit those places and New Caledonia, too.
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