• Upper Suriname River - Explore Maroon culture, swim in jungle rivers and relax along the epic waterways of this vast river.
• Central Suriname Nature Reserve - Drive through jungle and savanna, then canoe to Raleighvallen.
• Paramaribo - Stroll along the UNESCO-listed waterfront lined with Dutch colonial architecture and superb restaurants.
• Commewijne River - Discover historic riverside plantations by bicycle or on a boat tour, and (hopefully) spot pink river dolphins.
• Galibi Nature Reserve - Tread lightly on the beaches where giant leatherback turtles lay eggs.
• Brownsberg Nature Reserve & Brokopondo - Marvell at primate-filled forests surrounding an endless, eerie artificial lake in Suriname’s best nature reserve.

RECOMMENDED ITINERARY

ONE WEEK

Spend three days exploring Paramaribo and the plantations of the Commewijne River by bike or on foot. Be sure to take a sunset dolphin-viewing tour one afternoon! If you’ve still have energy, get out on the town for a night of dancing, Suriname-style. For your remaining days, head to the interior – either the Upper Suriname River or the Brownsberg Nature Reserve – for some stellar wildlife-watching and an opportunity to meet locals.

PARAMARIBO

Welcome to one of the more surprising cities in South America. Black-and-white colonial Dutch buildings line grassy squares, wafts of spices escape from Indian roti shops and mingle with the chaos of the city’s market, while Maroon artists sell colourful paintings outside sombre Dutch forts. The friendly, multilingual residents of the Surinamese capital, who call the city ‘Parbo,’ are proud of their staggering ethnic diversity and the fact that they live in a city where mosques, synagogues, churches and Hindu temples are happy neighbours. The historical inner city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a veritable treasure trove of traditional colonial architecture, and makes a great place to relax between jaunts to Suriname’s rainforest.

Exploring this capital, with its colonial architecture and lively main streets, could fill two days. Southwest along Waterkant from Fort Zeelandia are some of the city’s most impressive colonial buildings, mostly merchants’ houses built after the fires of 1821 and 1832. The streets inland from here, particularly Lim-a-Postraat, have many old wooden buildings, some restored, others in picturesque decay.

COMMEWIJNE RIVER

Opposite Paramaribo, the banks of the Commewijne River are lined with old plantation properties divided by canals and strewn with the remains of coffee, cacao and sugarcane-processing facilities. The best way to explore is by renting a bike to spend a full day touring the well-defined routes past the plantations. This makes for a fascinating day trip and an impressive contrast to the chaos of the capital. Highlights include Peperpot Nature Park, Fort Nieuw Amsterdam and Matapica beach (see map for more detail).

Download map waypoints for SURINAME here: KML / GPX