Paramaribo

Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname on the bank of the Suriname River, is one of the most distinctive and atmospheric cities in South America, its historic inner city a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its streets are lined with elegant Dutch colonial architecture rendered uniquely in white-painted timber, a graceful fusion of European style and tropical materials, presided over by the old Fort Zeelandia and the striking wooden cathedral. Above all, Paramaribo embodies Suriname's extraordinary diversity, where a mosque and synagogue stand side by side and Creole, Indian, Javanese, Chinese, Maroon and Indigenous cultures blend.

History

The name probably comes from a native village, Parmurbo in early Dutch sources, where Nicolaes Baliestel and Dirck Claeszoon van Sanen set up a Dutch trading post in 1613, and the French had a post nearby in 1644; all were abandoned before English settlers sent by Lord Francis Willoughby, governor of Barbados, founded a town here in 1650, guarded by Fort Willoughby. Around 1665 Paramaribo overtook the older settlement of Torarica, and in 1667, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, Abraham Crijnssen's squadron took it; the Treaty of Breda confirmed it as the leading town of the now Dutch colony, and the fort was renamed Zeelandia after the province that had paid for the fleet. Its population has always been mixed, with one of the oldest synagogues in the Americas, Neveh Shalom, and it grew after 1873, when people freed from slavery in 1863 could leave the plantations; the historic inner city has been a World Heritage Site since 2002 (Wikipedia, Paramaribo).

What you'll find

• The colonial old town - the white timber Dutch colonial buildings.
• Fort Zeelandia - the historic riverside fort and museum.
• The wooden cathedral - one of the largest wooden buildings.
• The mosque and synagogue - the symbols of the city's tolerance.

When to go

The drier periods, roughly February to April and August to November, are the most comfortable, avoiding the two rainy seasons; Paramaribo is hot and humid year-round. The city is the gateway to Suriname's vast rainforest interior and rewards a day or two exploring its unique architecture, culture and cuisine before heading inland.

Practical notes

Paramaribo is a small, hot, humid and somewhat faded tropical capital rather than a grand city, and some of its historic timber buildings are weathered, though this adds to the atmosphere; it is a base and cultural introduction rather than a place of blockbuster sights. As a genuinely unique tropical Dutch colonial city and a living mosaic of the world's cultures and faiths, though, Paramaribo is a fascinating and welcoming place.

Nearby

The Commewijne plantations, the rainforest interior and the coast are within reach.

Key facts