Things to do in Suriname

Trek through lush rainforest to sweeping viewpoints over the Brokopondo Reservoir, spotting howler monkeys, toucans, and hundreds of orchid species along well-marked trails through this accessible nature park.

Stroll Paramaribo's UNESCO-listed historic center, where 17th- and 18th-century Dutch colonial wooden buildings line the streets in an architectural ensemble found nowhere else in the Caribbean or South America.

Wander this 17th-century fortress on the Suriname River's banks, originally built by the French and later held by the English and Dutch, now housing a museum chronicling Suriname's turbulent colonial history and the 1982 December killings.

From April to August, witness massive leatherback and green sea turtles hauling themselves onto remote beaches to lay eggs under moonlight, one of the most awe-inspiring wildlife spectacles on the South American continent.

Sit down at Roopram or a neighbourhood roti shop for a plate of tender chicken curry, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs wrapped in soft stretchy roti flatbread, a dish brought by Hindustani immigrants that has become Suriname's beloved staple meal.

Walk among the evocative ruins of the first organised Jewish settlement in the Americas, established in 1685, including a brick synagogue and a haunting cemetery with over 450 graves set in dense jungle along the Suriname River.

Explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 1.6 million hectares of pristine tropical rainforest, home to jaguars, giant river otters, and over 400 bird species amid granite inselberg mountains and thundering rapids of the Coppename River.

Cruise the Commewijne by wooden boat to visit crumbling 18th-century plantation ruins, spot caimans and river dolphins, and learn about Suriname's complex colonial agricultural history at former coffee and cocoa estates along the banks.

Walk Paramaribo's broad waterfront esplanade at dusk, where the wide Suriname River catches golden light and locals gather on wooden benches beneath colonial-era buildings, creating one of the most atmospheric evening scenes in South America.

Dive into Paramaribo's sprawling two-storey Central Market, the largest covered market in the Caribbean, where vendors sell tropical fruits, dried piranha, cassava bread, fresh spices, and traditional medicines across aisles buzzing with conversation.

Visit the courtyard shared by Neve Shalom, Suriname's oldest synagogue, and the adjacent Keizerstraat Mosque, a living symbol of the country's tradition of religious tolerance where Jewish and Muslim communities have worshipped side by side for centuries.

Journey deep into western Suriname to reach these powerful multi-tiered cascades surrounded by undisturbed rainforest, where you can plunge into natural rock pools and hear nothing but rushing water and the calls of tropical birds overhead.

Travel by dugout canoe to a Saramaccan or Ndyuka village to learn about communities descended from escaped enslaved Africans who have maintained their own languages, spiritual practices, and traditional governance for over 300 years.

Savour pom, Suriname's iconic Creole casserole baked with pomtajer root, chicken, citrus juice, and tomatoes, a dish traditionally served at celebrations and best enjoyed freshly made at a family-run eatery where the recipe has been passed down for generations.

Glide by boat through the vast coastal lagoon of Bigi Pan near Nieuw Nickerie, where scarlet ibises, roseate spoonbills, and great egrets gather among mangrove islands and fishermen still practice traditional techniques in the brackish waters.

Ascend the 245-metre bare granite dome of Voltzberg at first light for a 360-degree panorama of unbroken rainforest stretching to every horizon, after spending the night at the Raleighvallen base camp listening to the eerie calls of guianan cock-of-the-rock birds.

Photograph the elegant white wooden Presidential Palace facing Independence Square, a striking example of colonial architecture now serving as Suriname's seat of government, flanked by palm trees and the stately buildings of the colonial administrative quarter.

Escape the midday heat in Paramaribo's Palmentuin, a serene public garden behind the Presidential Palace where towering royal palms create a cathedral-like green corridor, popular with families and couples on weekend afternoons.

Browse collections spanning Amerindian pottery, colonial-era maps, slave registers, and contemporary Surinamese art at this museum housed within the Fort Zeelandia complex, offering essential context for understanding the country's extraordinarily diverse heritage.

Feast on bami, nasi goreng, and satay with peanut sauce at a Javanese food stall, tasting the culinary legacy of roughly 33,000 Javanese contract workers who arrived from the Dutch East Indies between 1890 and 1939 and permanently shaped Surinamese cuisine.

Sleep in a simple riverside cabin at this remote eco-lodge on an island in the Upper Suriname River, run by the local Maroon community, offering river swimming, cultural drumming performances, and a rare chance to experience deep-interior Suriname with genuine local hospitality.

Take a refreshing dip in the cola-colored, naturally tannin-stained freshwater pools of Colakreek south of Paramaribo, where dark amber water is shaded by rainforest canopy and locals gather on weekends for grilled fish and a swim.

Wander Paramaribo's grid of streets to admire the world's largest concentration of Dutch colonial wooden buildings, many adorned with ornate verandas, louvered shutters, and hand-carved details dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Charter a small plane to the remote flat-topped Tafelberg mountain rising from central Suriname's rainforest, where biologists have discovered dozens of species new to science and where the vast tabletop summit offers views of pristine wilderness in every direction.

Fly deep into the interior to the Trio Amerindian village of Kwamalasamutu, then hike with a local guide to the mysterious Arepuna petroglyphs, ancient rock carvings depicting spirals, animals, and human figures etched by indigenous peoples centuries ago.