Moengo

Moengo was built as a company town for the bauxite mine that opened in 1916 and ran until the operation wound down, leaving a settlement laid out on a corporate plan with the works closed. Since the 2010s the artist Marcel Pinas has run a project there, turning buildings into studios and galleries and covering walls with murals, and the town now holds art festivals in the old industrial fabric.

What you actually see

• The murals - painted walls across the town from the arts project.
• The company plan - streets laid out for the mine rather than grown.
• The studios and galleries - buildings converted for the arts project.
• The industrial remains - what is left of the bauxite works.

When to go

The dry seasons, February to April and August to November, are best for the roads. Art festivals fall at particular times and are worth checking. The town is quiet otherwise.

Honest expectations

The town has emptied considerably since the mine closed and parts are run down. Outside festival times the arts project is quiet and access to studios depends on who is there. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Albina is east, and Paramaribo is west.