Commewijne
Old sugar, coffee and cocoa estates on the far bank of the Suriname River, a fort built to guard the capital, and turtle beaches at the river mouth.
- Arrival
- Johan Adolf Pengel International · PBM
- To the district
- Over the Wijdenbosch Bridge from Paramaribo
- Private jets
- At PBM, about 50 km away
- Best time
- September to October
The city
Plantation country across the river.
Dutch planters cleared this bank in the seventeenth century, and by the eighteenth Commewijne was the colony’s main plantation district. For decades you reached it by the ferry from Meerzorg; since May 2000 the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge has carried the road across.
Sugar kept the district going until the Marienburg factory shut in 1986, and the region declined after it. Frederiksdorp, an old estate near Johan & Margaretha and a protected monument since 2004, was among the first places in Suriname with a telephone line, in 1888. On the coast at Braamspunt, leatherback and green turtles come ashore to nest.
- Fort Nieuw Amsterdam Opened in 1747 to defend Paramaribo and the plantations, and now home to a monument to Suriname’s independence.
- Peperpot A former coffee and cocoa estate about 5 km from the capital, where a 3.2 km path passes the old warehouse and brick locks, with capuchin and squirrel monkeys overhead.
- Braamspunt A reserve at the mouth of the Suriname River and one of the leatherback’s important nesting grounds.
Arriving
A short drive from both airports.
International flights land at Zanderij, about 50 kilometres from the district in a straight line. Paramaribo’s own airstrip, Zorg en Hoop, handles small planes only.
- Barbados 1 h 35
- Antigua 2 h 15
- Rio de Janeiro 4 h 45
- New York 5 h 55
- Nice 9 h 45 long-range jet
When to go
September to October.
Paramaribo figures, from just across the river. Rain falls in every month, heaviest in May and June; September and October are the only months with less than 100 mm, and the thermometer stays between 30 and 33 °C all year.
- 30° J 197 26°
- 30° F 144 26°
- 30° M 140 26°
- 31° A 213 27°
- 30° M 302 27°
- 30° J 302 27°
- 31° J 224 28°
- 32° A 171 28°
- 33° S 87 28°
- 33° O 86 28°
- 32° N 107 28°
- 30° D 181 27°
Where to stay
Stay in town, cross by day.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
-
Royal Torarica The Torarica Group’s smartest address, on Kleine Waterstraat, and the base for Orchid restaurant.
-
Torarica Resort Some 130 rooms on the Suriname River, with the historic centre a walk away.
Where to dine
Across the river to dine.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Suriname. These are the signature restaurant of the Royal Torarica and high-end tables among the best rated on Tripadvisor, all in Paramaribo across the river.
- Orchid Signature restaurant, Royal Torarica Contemporary Royal Torarica, Kleine Waterstraat, central Paramaribo, about 10 km across the river
- Passie, Food & Wines Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice 2026 Seafood and European $$$ Paramaribo, about 10 km across the river
- Garden of Eden Tripadvisor fine dining list, No. 1 Thai $$$$ Virolastraat, central Paramaribo, about 10 km across the river
- Spice Quest Tripadvisor fine dining list, No. 2 Contemporary $$$$ Central Paramaribo, about 10 km across the river
Flying to Commewijne?
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A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.