Paramaribo lies six degrees north of the equator. Daytime temperatures sit around 30 °C in every month and nights rarely fall below the low twenties, so the question is never how warm it will be, but how wet. Suriname is outside the hurricane belt.
The four seasons
- Short dry season — roughly February to April. Sunny spells, occasional showers, everything green. A very good time for the city, Commewijne and the interior, and the start of the turtle season.
- Long rainy season — roughly late April to mid-August. Heavy showers, often in the afternoon, with May and June usually the wettest months. Travel continues as normal; rivers are high, waterfalls full and the forest at its liveliest. Peak turtle nesting.
- Long dry season — roughly mid-August to November. The most reliable weather and the most popular time to come. September and October are the hottest months. Late in the season rivers can run low, which slows boat travel upriver.
- Short rainy season — roughly December and January. Showers mixed with sunshine, and the liveliest time in the city because of the year-end celebrations.
The seasons are not sharply defined and have become less predictable; a dry-season week can be wet and the reverse. Rain usually comes as a downpour of an hour or two rather than as grey days.
Month by month
| Months | Weather | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| January | Short rains, warm | City life after New Year, lower demand |
| February–April | Short dry season | City, Commewijne, interior; turtles begin |
| May–June | Wettest months | Full rivers and waterfalls, turtles, few visitors |
| July–mid-August | Rains easing | Keti Koti (1 July), late turtle season |
| Mid-August–September | Long dry season, hot | Everything; busiest period |
| October–November | Dry, hottest | Brownsberg views, Independence Day (25 Nov); low rivers |
| December | Short rains | Year-end festivities and Owru Yari |
Sea turtles
Leatherback and green turtles nest on the beaches of Galibi and Matapica roughly between February and August. Green turtles tend to arrive first and leatherbacks peak around April to July; hatchlings emerge some two months after nesting. Outside these months a Galibi trip is about the Kaliña villages and the river rather than turtles.
Rivers and the interior
For the Upper Suriname River and Raleighvallen, water level matters as much as rain. In the rainy seasons boats pass the rapids easily and journeys are quicker. At the end of the long dry season, around October and November, passengers sometimes have to walk around rapids while the crew hauls the boat. Wildlife is seen all year.
Festivals worth planning around
- Owru Yari (31 December). The whole centre becomes a street party, and long strings of red firecrackers called pagara are set off before the shops at midday.
- Holi Phagwa (usually March). The Hindu spring festival, celebrated by everybody with coloured powder and water.
- Keti Koti (1 July). The commemoration of the abolition of slavery in 1863, with traditional dress, music and food around the Palmentuin and Independence Square.
- Independence Day (25 November). Parades and ceremonies on Independence Square.
- Divali, Eid and Christmas are all public holidays — a good measure of the country.
On public holidays museums, the market and many shops close, so check dates when you plan your city day.
So when should you go?
For the easiest travelling, choose February to April or mid-August to November. For turtles, come between March and July and accept some rain. For atmosphere, be in Paramaribo for the last days of December. And if your dates are fixed in May or June, come anyway: bring a rain jacket, start early and book tours with free cancellation.
