🗓️ Practical info
Weekends in and around Paramaribo: for people who live here
For people living in Paramaribo rather than visiting for ten days: weekend options sorted by how far you want to travel. In the city it runs on the markets (Central Market on Saturday, the Sunday markets on Sunday), within an hour lies Commewijne, and a full day out means Colakreek, Jodensavanne or Brownsberg.
Check this This changes. Verify it before you travel with the markets, museums and venues themselves, we keep this page current, but a page is no substitute for the source itself.
In short
- Saturday: Central Market at its busiest, best before 11:00
- Sunday: Central Market closed, the Sunday markets empty by 10:00
- Within an hour: Commewijne, Peperpot and Fort Nieuw Amsterdam
- A full day: Colakreek, Jodensavanne or Brownsberg (2 to 2.5 hours each way)
- Rain? A shower usually lasts under an hour, do not cancel on it
A tourist has ten days and a list. Someone living here for two years exhausts that list in a month. What keeps working is the city’s weekly rhythm, and in Paramaribo that rhythm is the market and the river. Here it is, from nearest to furthest.
In the city. Saturday is the busiest day at the Central Market, which runs Monday to Saturday and is fullest between 07:00 and 11:00, with the Vreedzaammarkt attached to its flank (the herb market, where photography is not welcome). On Sunday the Central Market is closed and the other markets take over: Kong Ngie Tong Sang on Grote Combeweg beside the Palmentuin, Soeng Ngie in Paramaribo North, the Javanese Saoenah market, the De Tuin orchid market, the organic market at Clevia Park and the Kwatta market. By 10:00 it is over. For the afternoon: the Palmentuin, the Waterkant at sunset, the Blauwgrond warungs, five screens at TBL Cinemas next to Hermitage Mall, and with children the Alegria indoor playground at Keizerstraat 49 (daily 9:00-22:00, Sundays from 15:00).
Within an hour. Crossing the river to Commewijne is the classic weekend loop: Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, Peperpot nature park (go early for howler monkeys and sloths) and Frederiksdorp for lunch or a night. It turns a Saturday into a real day away without a five in the morning start.
A full day out. Colakreek for swimming in blackwater, Jodensavanne for the history, and Brownsberg with the Brokopondo reservoir as the big undertaking: 2 to 2.5 hours of driving each way, four-wheel drive, and in the rainy season not a normal car. These are the ones you give a whole weekend day rather than half of one.
Two rules make or break the weekend: the morning is the resource, and the Central Market is closed on Sunday. Rain is rarely a reason to cancel, since a shower usually lasts under an hour. And when you do not want to plan a weekend yourself, our tours are exactly one weekend solved, from the Sunday morning tour (€42, 4 hours) to the Brownsberg day (€95, 11 hours). A private day with your own driver and guide is quoted on request.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Paramaribo on a Sunday?
The Sunday markets are the answer: Kong Ngie Tong Sang and Soeng Ngie, the Javanese Saoenah market, the De Tuin orchid market, the organic market at Clevia Park and the Kwatta market, all morning affairs finished by around 10:00. After that the Surinaams Museum (Sundays 10:00-14:00, guided tour at 10:30) or the Palmentuin. The Central Market is closed on Sundays.
Is the Central Market open on Saturday?
Yes, and Saturday is the busiest day. The Central Market runs Monday to Saturday and is fullest between 07:00 and 11:00; on Sunday it is closed. Payment is cash in SRD, so bring small notes.
Where do you go within an hour’s drive of Paramaribo?
Commewijne, across the Suriname river: Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, Peperpot nature park (early for howler monkeys and sloths) and Frederiksdorp, where you can also stay the night. Our Commewijne day runs 7 hours at €75 per person.
Where can you swim near Paramaribo?
Colakreek is the default: blackwater, darkened by tannins from fallen leaves, with white sand beaches. Our day trip there runs 8 hours at €60. Further out lies the Brokopondo reservoir, which we combine with Brownsberg (€95, 11 hours, 2 to 2.5 hours of driving each way).
What do you do on a rainy weekend in Paramaribo?
A shower usually lasts under an hour, even in the long rainy season from late April to early August. For the longer spells: the Surinaams Museum (Tue-Fri 9:00-14:00), TBL Cinemas with five screens, Hermitage and Maretraite malls, and with children Alegria at Keizerstraat 49.