Paramaribo

Suriname's capital, whose old town of Dutch colonial wooden houses is a World Heritage Site, with a mosque and synagogue side by side; cross the river to cycle the Commewijne plantations, or venture out to Jodensavanne and the rainforest.

Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname in northern South America, sits on the west bank of the Suriname River about 15 km from the Atlantic, and is home to half the country's population. Ruled by the British and then the Dutch from the 17th century, its old town is known for Dutch colonial wooden houses with white walls and green shutters, and in 2002 the Historic Inner City of Paramaribo was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is remarkably diverse: Indo-Surinamese, Creoles, Javanese, Maroons, Chinese and Jews live side by side, and on Keizerstraat a mosque and a synagogue stand next to each other, a symbol of religious tolerance. The climate is tropical rainforest, hot and humid all year; the long dry season (Aug–Nov) is the best time to travel, followed by the short dry season (Feb–Apr), while May–Jul and Dec–Jan are rainy. Sightseeing falls into three parts: the old town core (Fort Zeelandia, Independence Square, the Presidential Palace, the Palm Garden, the Waterkant, the cathedral and the Central Market), which takes half a day to a day on foot; the plantations of Commewijne across the river (Peperpot Nature Park, Frederiksdorp, the Marienburg sugar factory and Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam), best explored on the classic day trip of taking a bike across on the ferry and cycling, or on a river cruise that includes dolphin-watching; and inland day trips to the south, including the ruins of Jodensavanne, Cola Creek, and, about 100 km away, Brownsberg Nature Park and the Brokopondo Reservoir. Getting there: Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is about 45 km south of the city, with flights to Amsterdam, Belém and the Caribbean; in town, walk or take taxis, as public minibus routes are complicated. Plan on 3–4 days. Dutch is the official language, with English and Sranan Tongo widely spoken; traffic drives on the left; watch your belongings in quiet parts of downtown at night. Local food highlights include Indian-style roti wraps, Javanese fried noodles and Chinese restaurants.

Top sights

• Historic Inner City of Paramaribo – A World Heritage old town where white-walled colonial Dutch wooden houses with green shutters line the streets, blending European and South…
• Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral – A wooden cathedral completed in 1885, said to be one of the largest wooden structures in the Western Hemisphere, with an interior made enti…
• Fort Zeelandia – A five-sided colonial fortress on the Suriname River, the birthplace of the city. It houses the Suriname Museum, which tells the nation's h…
• Mosque Keizerstraat – One of the largest mosques in South America, standing beside a synagogue. Together they symbolize religious harmony in Suriname.
• Neveh Shalom Synagogue – The synagogue of one of the Americas' oldest Jewish communities, with white sand on its floor. It stands next to the Keizerstraat Mosque.
• Waterkant – A colonial timber-house street along the Suriname River, with evening river views and street snacks. It is the face of the old town.
• Independence Square – A large grassy square in the centre of the old town, surrounded by historic buildings including the Presidential Palace, the National Assem…
• Presidential Palace of Suriname – An 18th-century white timber governor's residence, now the Presidential Palace. Its elegant façade makes it the centrepiece of Independence…
• Garden of Palms – A royal palm grove behind the Presidential Palace, with rows of tall palms offering a cool green space in the old town.
• Central Market – A large indoor market beside the riverfront, where you can find tropical fruit, spices, Maroon herbal remedies and crafts.
• Arya Dewaker Temple – One of Suriname's largest Hindu temples, with a modern design that reflects the influence of the local Indo-Surinamese community.
• Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge – A high road bridge over the Suriname River linking the capital with Commewijne, and a landmark on the river skyline.
• Suriname River Dolphin Cruise – A boat trip to the confluence of the Suriname and Commewijne rivers to watch Guiana dolphins leap from the water, followed by a river sunse…
• Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam – An 18th-century star-shaped fortress at the meeting point of two rivers, now an open-air museum with batteries, a prison and exhibits on sl…
• Peperpot Nature Park – A former coffee and cacao plantation across the river from the capital, now a nature park with forest trails where monkeys and toucans live…
• Plantation Frederiksdorp – A fully restored 18th-century coffee plantation complex, now a riverside plantation lodge where you can visit, dine and stay overnight.
• Marienburg Sugar Plantation – Once Suriname's largest sugar cane plantation. A rusting steam sugar mill and a memorial to Javanese migrants recall the history of contrac…
• Braamspunt – A sandy beach spit on the east bank of the Suriname River mouth, where visitors can watch leatherback and green sea turtles come ashore to…
• Jodensavanne – The ruins of a 17th-century Jewish plantation settlement deep in the rainforest, with a synagogue wall, a historic cemetery, and a site nom…
• Cola Creek – A blackwater creek resort in the rainforest, where tannins turn the water the color of cola. Visitors can swim, paddle, and stay overnight.
• Neotropical Butterfly Park – A butterfly breeding park on the southern outskirts of the capital, home to giant blue morphos and other native butterflies, along with tre…
• Brownsberg Nature Park – A rainforest plateau at about 500 meters, where you can see howler monkeys and toucans, hike to waterfalls, and look out over Brokopondo Re…
• Brokopondo Reservoir – One of the largest reservoirs in the world, where dead tree stumps from the flooded rainforest rise above the water. Visitors can take boat…
• Paramaribo Zoo – A small zoo focused on native South American animals, home to jaguars, tapirs, and macaws.
• Lalla Rookh Museum – A museum honoring the arrival of the first Indian indentured laborers in Suriname in 1873, telling the history of the Indo-Surinamese commu…
• Galibi Nature Reserve – A sea turtle nesting reserve at the mouth of the Marowijne River, where leatherback turtles come ashore at night, and visitors can stay in…

Where to eat

• Mirosso Indonesian Restaurant – The most recommended family restaurant on the Javanese food street in Blauwgrond, famed for soto and satay.
• De Gadri Creole Restaurant – An affordable Creole restaurant by the Fort Zeelandia riverside; Lonely Planet calls it the best Creole food in town.
• Souposo – A small old-town restaurant specialising in Surinamese soups; peanut soup with tomtom is a must-order for visitors.
• Roopram Roti – A branch of the well-known local roti chain on Zwartenhovenbrugstraat; quick, inexpensive, with curry chicken roti the…
• Chi Min Restaurant – A family-run Chinese restaurant founded in 1989 with a huge menu; char siu fried noodles and wonton soup are the signat…

Itineraries

• Three Guianas Overland: Georgetown to Cayenne – An overland journey from Georgetown via Paramaribo to Cayenne, connecting waterfalls, river villages, and a spaceport.
• Suriname: Historic City, Rainforest & Upper River Valley – Based in Paramaribo, this itinerary links historic plantations, Brownsberg, the reservoir, and Maroon river settlements.