Werehpai

Werehpai is a group of granite boulders and shelters in the forest near Kwamalasamutu in Suriname's far south, and their surfaces carry hundreds of petroglyphs, faces, animals and geometric forms, found in 2000 by a Trio hunter and dated to several thousand years ago. It is the largest concentration of rock art known in the country. The site is managed by the Trio community, who guide all visits.

What you actually see

• The petroglyph panels - hundreds of carvings across the boulder surfaces.
• The shelters - the granite overhangs the carvings are cut into.
• The 2000 discovery - a site found by a Trio hunter and studied since.
• The community management - visits run entirely by the Trio of Kwamalasamutu.

When to go

The dry seasons, February to April and August to November, are the practical windows. Forest light is low under the boulders in any month. Flights to Kwamalasamutu are irregular.

Honest expectations

Getting there means a charter flight to Kwamalasamutu then a boat and a walk, arranged with the community well in advance. The carvings are faint in places and need pointing out. There is no infrastructure beyond the village.

Nearby

Kwamalasamutu is nearby, and the Brazilian border is south.