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Paramaribo
Capital and largest city of Suriname

Paramaribo

Paramaribo, locally nicknamed Foto, is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District.

Plan a trip to Paramaribo→From Matoury

Paramaribo has a population of roughly 252,581 people as of the 2025 estimate, almost half of Suriname's population. The historic inner city of Paramaribo has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.

Get in

Getting to Paramaribo

  1. 01
    Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport
  2. 02
    Zorg en Hoop Airport
See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Historical

    Paramaribo's distinctive historic city centre, packed with wooden buildings from colonial times, has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since July 2002.

  2. 02
    Numismatic Museum

    Highlight of this small museum is a 1679 copper Parrot coin.

  3. 03
    Onafhankelijkheidsplein
  4. 04
    Palmentuin
  5. 05
    Paramaribo Zoo

    Letitia Vriesdelaan, pakro@surinametourism.net.

  6. 06
    St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Henck Arronstraat

    This Roman Catholic cathedral is one of the biggest wooden structures on the entire American continent.

Do

Things to do

Stroll through the historic centre with its old wooden houses. Walk to the Keizerstraat where a mosque and a synagogue are built adjacent to each other. Not far from this place are also a Catholic church and a Hindu temple. Visit Waterkant, share a djogo (1 litre) Parbo, the national beer, and enjoy the sunset. Visit the flea market on Sunday and the daily lively Central Market.

  1. 01
    Thalia

    The Suriname theater company was founded in 1837 and is the oldest theater company of the Caribbean.

Eat

Where to eat

Paramaribo's many restaurants reflect its diverse culture and strong Chinese, Javanese and Hindustan influences. Small food stalls serve inexpensive traditional snacks at the markets and along the Waterkant. If you're looking for Javanese style food, consider driving out to the Blauwgrond area of town.

How locals move

Getting around Paramaribo the local way

A river and Maroni-border capital where private lijnbussen fill up and go, boats stand in for bridges, and the interior beyond the last dirt road is reached by chartered bush plane or by asking around at a river jetty.

  1. 01
    Particuliere Lijnbus (private line-bus) networkminibus

    Paramaribo bus station near Waterkant/Knuffelgracht to Lelydorp (PL), Moengo (PM) or Albina (PA), and other coastal towns, along the Oost-West verbinding

    Where
    A central bus station is near the Waterkant in the Knuffelgracht. Small, hand-painted private buses cluster there; tell a driver or a tout your destination and they point you to the right one. There is no printed timetable, so either ask a day ahead or arrive early in the morning and ask around.
    When
    No fixed schedule: a bus leaves only once it is full. Drivers head for Lelydorp, Moengo or Albina but will let a passenger off anywhere along the route on request
    Fare
    Not confirmed for most routes; pay the driver or a conductor in cash once seated, no ticket office
    Takes
    Varies by destination; Paramaribo to Albina runs roughly 2.5-3 hours
    Season
    Year-round; the Oost-West verbinding is paved, so the buses themselves are not weather-dependent, though demand and how long a bus takes to fill can shift with the rains
    Booking
    None. Board at the bus station or flag one down along its route and pay the driver directly

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  2. 02
    Zanderij (Johan Adolf Pengel Airport) transfer minibusshare taxi

    Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM), Zanderij, 45 km south of Paramaribo, into the city centre

    Where
    Wait outside the arrivals hall; a shared transit minibus and private taxi drivers both work the airport, and the drivers hustle for clients as you exit, so agree the vehicle and price before getting in
    When
    On demand, no fixed timetable, timed around flight arrivals
    Fare (2009)
    A private taxi was SR$100 and the airport bus SRD45 in January 2009; a shared transit minibus to any hotel in town was SRD40 the same year. Treat these as historical reference points, not current prices
    Takes
    About 1 hour
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    None, pay the driver on arrival; the situation outside the terminal is described as chaotic with drivers competing for fares

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence low

  3. 03
    Platte Brug boat taxi to Meerzorgboat

    Platte Brug pier, between the Central Market and the Waterkant in downtown Paramaribo, across the Suriname River to Meerzorg, Commewijne district

    Where
    Walk to the Platte Brug landing between the Central Market and the Waterkant; boats to Meerzorg leave from there. A bicycle can be brought aboard
    When
    Not confirmed; boats appear to run informally through the day rather than to a printed timetable
    Fare
    Not confirmed
    Takes
    A few minutes across the river
    Season
    Year-round; the Suriname River at this crossing point is tidal and not seasonal in the way the interior rivers are
    Booking
    None, pay the boatman at the pier

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  4. 04
    Leonsberg boat crossing to Fort Nieuw Amsterdamboat

    Leonsberg jetty, north Paramaribo (about 8 km north along Anton Drachtenweg), across the Suriname River to a jetty near Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, Commewijne district

    Where
    Cycle or drive north along Anton Drachtenweg to Leonsberg; the jetty is just past a warung on the right. Boats also serve New Amsterdam from here and take bicycles
    When
    Not confirmed to a timetable; the Wikivoyage account describes turning up and waiting only briefly for a boat
    Fare
    An undated fare of SRD30 per person including a bicycle is reported by Wikivoyage; no year is given so treat it as approximate
    Takes
    A short river crossing, a few minutes
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    None, pay at the jetty

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  5. 05
    Canawaima ferry, Moleson Creek (Guyana) to South Drainferry

    Moleson Creek on the Guyanese bank of the Corentyne River to the South Drain terminal, about 30 km south of Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname, then onward by shared minibus into Nieuw Nickerie or Paramaribo

    Where
    Both terminals are in open countryside outside town; there is no walk-up alternative. On the Suriname side, shared minibuses at the South Drain terminal will drop passengers at an exact address
    When
    The 30-minute crossing sometimes runs two or three times in one morning, but often only once, usually around 10:30
    Fare (2025)
    US$20 one-way or $30 round trip as of December 2025; onward shared minibus from South Drain was 400 SRD per person the same month. Cash only, no cards and no nearby ATMs at either terminal
    Takes
    About 30 minutes on the water; South Drain to Nieuw Nickerie is about 40 minutes by paved road
    Season
    Year-round crossing, though schedules can compress to a single daily sailing; see the separate service-status entry on the vessel's 2026 safety suspensions
    Booking
    Turn up at the terminal; bring cash for the fare and for the paid restroom stop on the Suriname side bus leg

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  6. 06
    Canawaima ferry safety inspections and sailing bansservice status

    Applies to the whole Moleson Creek-South Drain crossing above

    Where
    Not applicable; this is a standing risk factor for the crossing rather than a place to find
    When
    n/a
    Fare
    Not applicable
    Takes
    n/a
    Season
    The Maritime Authority Suriname grounded the ferry's only vessel on 22 August 2026 over fire-safety and radar defects, let it resume sailing on 28 August 2026, and as of the article's writing (3 September 2026) that permission ran only until 28 September 2026, with a further inspection to follow – a window that has now passed with no later source found. A traveller should check current sailing status before relying on this crossing rather than assume it is running
    Booking
    n/a

    Sources: dwtonline.com (2026-09) · confidence high

  7. 07
    Albina to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni crossing (French Guiana)boat

    Albina, on the Marowijne/Maroni river about 140 km east of Paramaribo, across to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, French Guiana

    Where
    Go to the ferry terminal at Albina, which is also where exit/entry stamps are issued; informal boats also leave from a few blocks north of the official terminal but do not offer an immigration stamp
    When
    The official ferry runs a few times a day; informal boats leave more often when there is demand
    Fare (2025)
    The official ferry terminal charged EUR5 per person as of December 2025; informal boats north of the terminal may be cheaper but skip the immigration stamp, which can cause problems at a later checkpoint
    Takes
    A short river crossing, a few minutes
    Season
    Year-round; river level and current vary with Suriname's rainy seasons (a long wet season roughly April-August, a shorter one around December-January) but no source ties this to cancellations at this specific crossing
    Booking
    None, pay at the terminal or negotiate with a boatman

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  8. 08
    Paramaribo to Nieuw Nickerie state busbus

    Paramaribo Heiligenweg bus terminal to Nieuw Nickerie, West Coast, the gateway to the Canawaima crossing into Guyana

    Where
    Book at the Heiligenweg bus station in Paramaribo at least a few hours ahead, or in Nieuw Nickerie up to 24 hours ahead. Private minibuses and shared taxi vans running the same route will pick up and drop off anywhere in either town
    When
    Multiple departures a day starting at 06:00, though the schedule can vary with demand and vehicle availability
    Fare (2025)
    A single ticket cost SRD150 as of December 2025
    Takes
    About 4 hours, including a stop at a paid restroom (about SRD20)
    Season
    Year-round; the road is mostly paved except a deteriorated, pothole-heavy stretch just before Nieuw Nickerie
    Booking
    Ticket purchase in advance recommended; private minibuses and shared taxis are typically booked informally through tourism-industry contacts

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  9. 09
    Palumeu bush flightchartered flight

    Zorg en Hoop Airport (ORG), Paramaribo, to the Palumeu airstrip on the Tapanahoni River, deep in the Sipaliwini interior

    Where
    Book through Gum Air or a Paramaribo tour operator running a Palumeu package; there is no walk-up ticket counter and no scheduled seat
    When
    Charter only, arranged around an organised tour, usually 3 to 5 days
    Fare
    Not confirmed; sold as part of a multi-day tour package rather than a standalone air fare
    Takes
    About one hour by air; the alternative is roughly 10 days by river boat from Albina
    Season
    Not confirmed to vary the flight itself, though river levels around Palumeu shift with the rains
    Booking
    Through an organised tour operator or directly with Gum Air; no direct reservation for independent travellers

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · gumair.sr (2026-09) · confidence medium

  10. 10
    Gum Air scheduled bush flights to Maroon and interior villagesscheduled flight

    Zorg en Hoop Airport, Paramaribo, to Tabiki; Stoelmanseiland, Gakaba and Sarakreek; Godo-Olo; and Drietabbetje

    Where
    Book through Gum Air's ticketing office at Zorg en Hoop Airport or by phone/WhatsApp; this is Gum Air's own published schedule, not a charter
    When
    Tabiki and Stoelmanseiland/Gakaba/Sarakreek run Monday to Saturday; Godo-Olo runs Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; Drietabbetje runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
    Fare
    No fare published; ask Gum Air ticketing directly
    Takes
    Tabiki departs 08:00; Stoelmanseiland/Gakaba/Sarakreek, Godo-Olo and Drietabbetje all depart 11:00; flight times are not published
    Season
    Not confirmed to change seasonally in Gum Air's own schedule
    Booking
    Book ahead through Gum Air; international ticketing line +597 433830 or WhatsApp +597 745-5447

    Sources: gumair.sr (2026-09) · gumair.sr (2026-09) · gumair.sr (2026-09) · confidence high

  11. 11
    Paramaribo to Atjoni/Pokigron minibusminibus

    Saramaccastraat, Paramaribo, to Pokigron (also called Atjoni), the last village reachable by road and the embarkation point for the Upper Suriname River

    Where
    Minibuses leave from Saramaccastraat in Paramaribo; ask around the day before for a seat
    When
    Daily except Sunday, departing 07:00-08:00
    Fare
    SRD80, undated in the source cited, so treat it as an approximate, possibly stale figure
    Takes
    About 4 to 5 hours over a mostly dirt, 180 km road
    Season
    The dirt road can deteriorate badly in the rains, and vehicles can get stuck, so allow extra time in the wetter months
    Booking
    None beyond arranging a seat informally the day before

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  12. 12
    Atjoni to Kajana river boats, Upper Surinamecanoe

    Atjoni/Pokigron riverbank south along the Suriname River and its Gran Rio branch, through villages such as Djumu, Awarradam and Botopassi to Kajana

    Where
    Go to the Atjoni river bank and ask around; both taxi boats and shared line boats work the route, and travellers are expected to look around, ask and negotiate rather than book ahead
    When
    On demand, no timetable; boats leave as passengers and cargo are found
    Fare
    No fixed tariff; expect roughly €10 per hour of travel (about 20 km), price depends on destination and choice of boat, and bargaining is normal
    Takes
    Varies by destination along roughly 100 km of river
    Season
    Water level and current strength vary by season, and passengers are advised to wear a life jacket because of this
    Booking
    None; go to the riverbank and negotiate directly with a boat owner

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

Not yet confirmed: An earlier draft of the Atjoni–Kajana entry said korjaals carved from a single tree trunk remain part of everyday river transport and fishing in this region, citing a De Ware Tijd heritage article. That article is an interview about Indigenous heritage elsewhere in Suriname in which a speaker recalls, in the past tense, fishing from a self-made korjaal as a boy. It does not support a present-tense claim about Saramaccan river transport on the Upper Suriname, so the claim has been removed. No source was found stating what the boats on this stretch are built from today.; No fare could be confirmed for the Platte Brug boat taxi to Meerzorg, the busiest river crossing in the city itself; ask the boatman at the pier.; No fare could be confirmed for Gum Air's scheduled bush flights (Tabiki, Stoelmanseiland/Gakaba/Sarakreek, Godo-Olo, Drietabbetje) or for the Palumeu charter; both are sold through Gum Air or a tour operator rather than published online.; Trans Guyana Airways' own site (transguyana.net) returned HTTP 403 to both a default curl user-agent and a full browser user-agent over both HTTP/2 and HTTP/1.1, so this is a genuine block rather than the naive-check failure the brief warns about; Gum Air's site names TGA as its partner on the joint Suriname-Guyana air route instead.; The specific road connection from Albina/Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni onward to Cayenne, and any Guyana-side road links beyond South Drain, were not independently confirmed from a Surinamese source; both crossings above cover the border itself but not the roads on the other side.; State versus private long-distance bus operators for Suriname are named in the country-level Wikivoyage article (J.A. Pengel Autobedrijf, Greenheart Group, Pegasus Suriname) but none of their own sites were checked for fares or timetables; the Nieuw Nickerie fare in this file is Wikivoyage's, not a named operator's own figure.; The Suriname government's own transport, ports or maritime-authority websites were not reached in this pass; all sourcing here is Wikivoyage plus one De Ware Tijd article. Someone with time to try Surinamese government domains directly (rather than via search) may find primary schedules or fares this file lacks.; The brief asked about the Guyana crossing being a bus/ferry/bus chain (Georgetown to Paramaribo via Molson Creek and South Drain); this file covers the Suriname-side ferry and onward minibus in detail but did not independently verify the Guyana-side minibus numbers or fares, which come from an older, undated Wikivoyage passage not otherwise used here..

The field note on Paramaribo reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Tomas Willems & Hans Hillewaert (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.