Paramaribo
A grid of wooden houses from the Dutch centuries, laid out along the Suriname River below a fort built in 1640.
- Arrival
- Johan Adolf Pengel International · PBM
- To the city
- About 45 km north from Zanderij
- Private jets
- PBM, open around the clock
- Best time
- September to October
The city
Wooden streets on the Suriname River.
The centre was laid out on a grid in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and built almost entirely of wood. UNESCO listed it in 2002, and 291 of its buildings are protected monuments. Fort Zeelandia, from 1640, guards the bend of the river; the Presidential Palace looks onto Independence Square, with the Garden of Palms behind it.
In January 1821 a fire took more than 400 buildings around the Waterkant, the oldest street in town, and Oranjeplein, the square now named for independence. Walk inland to Keizerstraat and you find the Neve Shalom synagogue and a mosque next door to each other.
- Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral Called the tallest wooden cathedral in the world; it reopened in November 2010.
- Fort Zeelandia Built in 1640 on the river at the edge of the old town.
- Keizerstraat Neve Shalom and the Keizerstraat mosque, two houses of worship on neighbouring plots.
Arriving
Zanderij for jets, Zorg en Hoop for the interior.
Johan Adolf Pengel International sits at Zanderij, about 45 kilometres south of the capital. Zorg en Hoop, inside the city, has a 750-metre strip for small planes and helicopters heading inland.
- Barbados 1 h 35
- Antigua 2 h 15
- Rio de Janeiro 4 h 45
- London 9 h 30 long-range jet
- Riyadh 14 h 20 long-range jet
When to go
September to October.
Days reach 30 to 33 °C in every month, so rain decides the timing. The long wet season peaks in May and June at around 300 mm each; by September and October the total drops below 90 mm, and those two months are the driest of the 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
Two addresses on the river.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
The best tables in town.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Suriname. These are the signature restaurant of the Royal Torarica and high-end tables among the best rated on Tripadvisor.
- Orchid Signature restaurant, Royal Torarica Contemporary Royal Torarica, Kleine Waterstraat, central Paramaribo
- Passie, Food & Wines Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice 2026 Seafood and European $$$ Paramaribo
- Garden of Eden Tripadvisor fine dining list, No. 1 Thai $$$$ Virolastraat, central Paramaribo
- Spice Quest Tripadvisor fine dining list, No. 2 Contemporary $$$$ Central Paramaribo
Flying to Paramaribo?
Choose how you arrive.
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.