0.5 km from the centre
The Vreedzaammarkt: the Maroon herb market beside the Central Market
The Vreedzaammarkt, founded in 1989 and attached to the left flank of the Central Market hall, is Paramaribo’s Maroon herb market: women sell oso dresi (herbal medicine), plant oils such as krapa, neem and maripa, and the goods used in winti rituals. Open Monday to Saturday; photography is unwelcome.
Check this Opening hours and entry prices in Suriname change without notice. Call or message ahead if you are coming specifically for this.
What guidebooks call Paramaribo’s "witch market" is officially the Vreedzaammarkt, in existence since 1989. It adjoins the left side of the Central Market but is a world of its own: Maroon women, largely Saramaccan and Aucan, sell what you will find nowhere else in the city.
On the tables: oso dresi, herbal medicine often steeped in strong drink, bottles of krapa, neem and maripa plant oil, hei gron alesi (upland rice), and the paraphernalia of winti, the Afro-Surinamese religion. To the sellers this is not folklore but a trade in things that work; walk through with that attitude and you get the best conversations.
One rule is non-negotiable and repeated by every serious source: photography is unwelcome here, above all at the stalls with ritual goods. Ask if you must, expect no, and never point a camera at people or wares uninvited. Our food tour walks through with explanation, and you genuinely see more without a camera.
The practical side is simple: the same days as the Central Market (Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday), the same morning peak, cash in small notes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Paramaribo’s witch market?
The market guidebooks call that is officially the Vreedzaammarkt, founded in 1989, attached to the Central Market. Maroon women sell oso dresi (herbal medicine), plant oils such as krapa, neem and maripa, and the goods used in winti rituals.
Can you take photos at the Vreedzaammarkt?
Assume no. Every serious source repeats that photography is unwelcome, above all at the ritual-goods stalls. Ask in person if you must, but respect a no; with a guide and without a camera you see the most.
When is the Vreedzaammarkt open?
The same days as the Central Market it adjoins: Monday to Saturday, mornings best. On Sundays it is closed; that is when the Chinese Sunday markets and the Javanese Saoenah market run instead.