Paramaribo

Travel Guide South America Suriname Paramaribo

Introduction

Palmentuin

Paramaribo is the capital and the largest city in Suriname. It is located at the central coastal area in the north, on the banks of the Suriname River. The city has a population of roughly 250,000 people, which is over half of the total Suriname population. The historic inner city of Paramaribo became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. The city is blessed with a rich ethnic diversity and synagoges, mosques, churches and temples are all to be found within a short distance from eachother. It is also the economical, political and industrial centre of the country and the transportation hub as well, with mostly goods roads along the coast towards Guyana and French Guiana and a few less maintained roads inland.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

Independence Square and Presidential Palace
Palmentuin (Palm Garden)
Fort Zeelandia
Dutch colonial buildings in the historica inner city (UNESCO)

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Weather is hot and humid throughout the year with fairly even rainfall as well. May and June are somewhat wetter, whereas September and October are the hottest months of the year with temperatures hitting 35 degrees Celcius almost on a daily basis.

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Getting There

By Plane

Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM) receives all international flights and Suriname Airways is the national airline of Suriname. International destinations include Amsterdam, Aruba, Curacao, Belém, Miami and Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago. KLM has flights as well to Amsterdam for about €600 including taxes.
Several other airlines serve a number of regional destinations, mainly in the Caribbean and northern part of South America.

There are dozens of small airports serving the isolated places further inland, but most flights are chartered for tourists making a multiple day trip inland.