Surrounding the centrally located Onafhankelijkheidsplein (Independence Square) are the contrasting stately 18th-century Presidential Palace – open to the public November 25 only – and aging colonial government buildings. Behind the palace is the Palmentuin, a shady haven of tall royal palms where it's a pleasure to walk and escape the chaos of the city outside.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.15 MILES
Inside well-restored Fort Zeelandia, a star-shaped, 18th-century fort built on the site where the first colonists alighted, is the worthwhile Stichting…
Saint Peter & Paul Cathedral-Basilica
0.22 MILES
Commonly called 'the Cathedral,' this gorgeously restored building was designated a Minor Basilica by Pope Francis in 2014. It's said to be the largest…
0.44 MILES
The frenzied and fascinating central market is divided into distinct areas: the meat, fish, fruit and vegetable sections on the lower floor and a less…
3.51 MILES
Beautiful Peperpot Nature Park, about 10km from Paramaribo, stands in eerie dilapidation (with poorly maintained paths) across the Meerzorg Bridge. It is…
0.15 MILES
Inside the beautifully restored Fort Zeelandia, a pentagonal 17th-century fort built on the riverbank where the first colonists alighted, is the Stichting…
15.47 MILES
North of Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, Matapica is a tranquil and almost mosquito-free beach where sea turtles come ashore April to August. Tours generally reach…
0.55 MILES
The expansive Dutch Israeli synagogue, which famously sits side by side with the Caribbean's largest mosque on Keizerstraat, dates from 1716, when it was…
5.93 MILES
This open-air museum is inside one of the earliest surviving Dutch structures in Suriname, a fortress built at the confluence of the Suriname and…
Nearby Paramaribo attractions
0.04 MILES
Official residence of the President of Suriname, this fine white colonial house was originally built in 1730. It opens to the public on Suriname's…
0.13 MILES
The Palmentuin is a shady haven of tall royal palms, home to some tropical birds and a troop of capuchin monkeys.
0.15 MILES
Inside the beautifully restored Fort Zeelandia, a pentagonal 17th-century fort built on the riverbank where the first colonists alighted, is the Stichting…
0.15 MILES
Inside well-restored Fort Zeelandia, a star-shaped, 18th-century fort built on the site where the first colonists alighted, is the worthwhile Stichting…
5. Saint Peter & Paul Cathedral-Basilica
0.22 MILES
Commonly called 'the Cathedral,' this gorgeously restored building was designated a Minor Basilica by Pope Francis in 2014. It's said to be the largest…
0.44 MILES
The frenzied and fascinating central market is divided into distinct areas: the meat, fish, fruit and vegetable sections on the lower floor and a less…
0.55 MILES
The expansive Dutch Israeli synagogue, which famously sits side by side with the Caribbean's largest mosque on Keizerstraat, dates from 1716, when it was…
0.6 MILES
This is the biggest mosque in the Caribbean. The current building was completed in 1984.