Suriname is a small country packed with surprises. If you visit, you’ll encounter everything from busy markets to peaceful plantations. One day, you might walk down a street lined with Dutch-stle buildings. The next, you may find yourself in a quiet village with coconut trees swaying in the breeze. The best part is that you can see it all at your own pace. You can rent a car to explore beyond the capital. The roads connect most major towns, making it easy to hop from one spot to the next. This Suriname travel guide will help you discover the top cities to include in your itinerary.
Suriname’s urban areas vary a lot in size, purpose, and culture. The northern coastal belt is the most developed region, while the southern and central parts are covered by thick tropical rainforest. Cities are often small by international standards, but they are filled with warm communities, lively markets, and traces of Dutch and Indigenous heritage. Each place has a unique character, whether it’s colonial architecture, riverside life, or modern trade. Here’s a list of the best cities to visit in Suriname:
The Presidential Palace of Suriname, located in Paramaribo’s historic center, stands as a symbol of the city’s colonial past. Paramaribo is the vibrant capital and heart of Suriname. It lies on the Suriname River, not far from the Atlantic coast. The city’s inner city is renowned for its Dutch colonial architecture and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you walk downtown, you’ll see wooden buildings with ornate balconies and European-stle façades painted in white. These colonial-era structures, including the Presidential Palace and Fort Zeelandia, give Paramaribo a unique charm.
Beyond the history and architecture, Paramaribo has a rich cultural diversity. The population is a melting pot of people with roots in Creole, Indian, Javanese, Chinese, African, and European cultures, all represented. With this mix of cultures, you can find a mosque and a synagogue standing side by side, as well as Hindu temples and churches around the city. The bustling Central Market is a must-visit to experience daily life. You can browse fresh tropical fruits, spices, and street snacks. After the market, many travellers enjoy relaxing at the Waterkant, where you can sit under palm trees and watch boats glide along the river.
If you’re a history lover, drop by Fort Zeelandia, a 17th-century riverside fort turned museum, to learn about Suriname’s colonial past. Nature lovers won’t feel left out either. Green areas surround the city, and you can take short trips to nearby rainforest parks. Brownsberg Nature Park is 2 hours and 30 minutes away. It has waterfalls and hiking trails in the jungle. It’s the lively starting point for most journeys and one of the top places to visit in Suriname.
Nieuw Nickerie is a laid-back town at the western edge of Suriname. It’s the second-largest city in the country and sits near the border with Guyana. Unlike busy Paramaribo, Nieuw Nickerie has a slower pace, with a broad main street and friendly locals often getting around on bicycles. This city is the rice bowl of Suriname. Drive through the area and you’ll see endless rice fields stretching towards the horizon. As you approach Nieuw Nickerie, you pass large polders (reclaimed farmlands) and canals, a reminder that this region supplies much of the country's food. It’s a refreshing scene of green paddies and water birds.
One of Nieuw Nickerie’s biggest draws is its closeness to nature. Just 20 minutes from the city is Bigi Pan, a massive swampy lagoon and nature reserve. Bigi Pan is a paradise for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. Many visitors arrange a boat tour into the Bigi Pan wetlands, where you can spot diverse bird species like herons, scarlet ibises, and even flamingos during certain seasons.
Back in town, Nieuw Nickerie has a few local sights. There’s a colourful market where vendors sell fresh produce and sometimes Guyanese goods. You can also take a stroll to the seawall (Zeeburg dike) on the coast. Standing on the dike, you’ll feel the strong ocean breeze and can literally look across the mouth of the river towards Guyana on the far side. It’s wonderful at sunset, when the sky turns orange over the water.
Lelydorp offers a glimpse of everyday life in Suriname, outside the tourist hotspots. It is officially the second most populous city in the country, though it feels more like a large town. Located 24 km south of Paramaribo, Lelydorp is often a quick stop for travelers heading to the interior or to the international airport. The atmosphere here is quiet and local. Don’t expect grand museums or big landmarks.
Driving through Lelydorp, you’ll notice pineapple farms and small orchid nurseries along the road. The surrounding district, Wanica, is known for its agriculture, so you might see stalls selling fresh fruits, such as pineapple, papaya, or coconut water, by the roadside. Lelydorp also has a few local markets and warungs (small family-run eateries) where you can grab traditional Surinamese-Indian curries or Javanese noodle dishes.
One highlight in the area is the Neotropical Butterfly Park, a sanctuary where you can walk among free-flying butterflies in a garden setting. It’s a lovely stop if you have children, as they can also see exotic insects and reptiles there. The town has quiet neighbourhoods and a few churches and temples that reflect the ethnic mix of the community, including Creoles, Javanese, and Hindustani.
Albina is a border town on the far eastern side of Suriname. It is located on the Marowijne River (also known as the Maroni), a wide, brown river that forms the frontier between Suriname and French Guiana. When you stand on the waterfront in Albina, you can look across to see the town of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni on the French Guianan side. The two sides are connected by small ferry boats that regularly cross the river, making Albina a key crossing point for travellers. The ferry ride takes only about 10-15 minutes, and you’ll see the lush green riverbanks and occasional pirogues (wooden boats) along the way.
As the capital of Marowijne District, it has a few government offices, a market, and some guesthouses. The town’s main street features shops and eateries that showcase both Surinamese and French influences. One of the interesting things about Albina is that it’s the jumping-off point for trips to Galibi Nature Reserve. From Albina, you can hire a boat for a 1 to 1.5-hour ride to Galibi, a protected beach area on the Atlantic coast. Galibi is famous for its sea turtles, especially the giant leatherback turtles that come ashore to nest between February and August.
Brokopondo is a town and district in central Suriname, best known for its impressive hydroelectric dam and reservoir. If you’re an adventure or nature traveller, Brokopondo likely figures into your plans, as it is the gateway to Suriname’s interior rainforests. The town of Brokopondo is small, but its name is famous because of the Brokopondo Reservoir (also called Brokopondo Lake or Afobaka Lake).
This vast lake was formed in the 1960s with the construction of the Afobaka Dam on the Suriname River. In doing so, a vast area of jungle was flooded, creating one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. As you reach the area, you’ll notice tree trunks sticking out of the water as far as the eye can see. These are the tops of drowned trees from when the valley was flooded, and they give the reservoir a surreal beauty, especially in the late afternoon light Brokopondo’s dam (the Afobaka Dam) was a major project that generates a lot of Suriname’s electricity. While you can’t go inside the dam, you can drive near it and stop at viewpoints that offer sweeping views of the structure and the vast lake behind it.
Moengo is a town with a backstory, nestled in the eastern part of Suriname. In the 20th century, Moengo rose to prominence as a bauxite mining town. It was one of the first and biggest mining centers in the country. Bauxite (the raw material for aluminum) was discovered here around 1916, and companies built up the town to house workers and facilities.
For decades, Moengo was a bustling company town, complete with segregated neighbourhoods during colonial times. Those days of mining wealth have faded. The bauxite mines eventually were exhausted, and operations ceased mainly by the early 21st century. But Moengo didn’t become a ghost town. Instead, it has been transforming itself into a cultural and artistic hub in Suriname.
Today, Moengo is known for its art initiatives and community projects. The most famous is the Tembe Art Studio and the Marowijne Art Park. The idea was to bring art to this remote town. International artists have come to Moengo for residencies, leaving behind sculptures and artworks that are displayed around town. Walking through Moengo, you might stumble upon creative murals, open-air installations, and even a small art museum – the Contemporary Art Museum Moengo.
Wageningen represents the country’s agricultural heartland. This small town is located in the Nickerie District and is renowned as the rice centre of Suriname. In the mid-20th century, Wageningen was established as a hub for mechanised rice farming. Dutch experts and farming families helped set up large rice plantations here, complete with canals, dikes, and modern equipment for the time. The town was named after Wageningen in the Netherlands, symbolizing the transfer of farming knowledge to Surinamese soil.
When you visit Wageningen, you will notice it’s very flat and open, unlike the rainforest-covered areas of Suriname. Surrounding the town are vast rice paddies that change color with the seasons. You might also see old irrigation channels and remnants of machinery, as rice farming has been the way of life here for generations. In its heyday, Wageningen had a thriving community with a large rice mill and even an airplane landing strip for crop dusters. There’s a main street with a few shops, a school, and a health center.
If you arrive in the late afternoon, the expansive skies and flat fields are ideal for sunsets. Bird watchers can also enjoy the area; wetlands near the rice fields attract herons, egrets, and other waterfowl that come to feed. It’s not unusual to spot birds of prey soaring above the fields looking for a meal.
Totness is a small coastal village that offers a peaceful peek into Suriname’s countryside. It is the main settlement of the Coronie District, located halfway between Paramaribo and Nieuw Nickerie along the coastal road. If you’re driving the length of the country, you will pass through Totness. This town has a unique place in Suriname’s history. Coronie District was settled in the 19th century by British immigrants for cotton planting, though those days are long gone. Today, Totness is known for its coconut plantations and open, undeveloped coastline.
As you approach Totness, you’ll notice lines of coconut palms stretching into the distance. The district’s sandy soil and salt-laden breeze are ideal for coconut trees, and Coronie has long been renowned for its coconuts and coconut oil production. You might even catch the sweet scent of copra (dried coconut) being processed if it’s the right season. The village has an old-time atmosphere. There are traditional wooden houses painted in pastel colours, some of which are raised on stilts in the classic Caribbean stle.
One popular stopping point is along the Atlantic coast just north of the village. There’s a beach where the water meets the land in a series of shallow lagoons and mudflats. It’s not a postcard tropical beach, as the water is more brownish due to river outflow and the presence of mangroves. You can walk along the quiet shore, watch wading birds hunt in the shallows, and enjoy the breeze.
Suriname’s cities offer numerous ways to explore the country. You can start in Paramaribo with its wooden homes and river views. Later, you reach calm towns like Nieuw Nickerie and Totness, where life moves slowly and the landscapes are wide and open. Albina shows cross-border life, while Moengo adds art and history. Each city has its own mood, making your trip feel rich and connected.
Rent a car in Suriname with Final Rentals to explore the cities that appeal to you. You can choose your pick-up point around Paramaribo, select from a wide range of vehicles, and receive instant booking confirmation. Pricing is transparent, rental terms are clear, and support teams operate at major airports. For extra convenience, you can also download the Final Rentals app on Google Play and the App Store.
