The Centrale Markt is a vast covered hall on the Waterkant, backing on to the river where the boats that supply it tie up. Everything Suriname grows, catches or cooks passes through: heaps of long beans and bitter melon, bundles of herbs, river fish and shrimp, bottled peppers, cassava bread, spices by the scoop.
It is not arranged for tourists and is all the better for it. Go early, go slowly, and go hungry.
Top things to do: Central Market
The ground floor
Fruit, vegetables, fish and meat. Look for the produce you will meet later on your plate: kousenband (yard-long beans), pomtajer (the root used for pom), antroewa, plantains, and the small, lethal yellow Madame Jeanette peppers.
Upstairs
The upper level sells clothes, fabrics, household goods and inexpensive souvenirs. It is also the place to look down on the whole hall for a photograph.
The Maroon market
A short walk along the Waterkant, the stalls often called the Maroon or herb market sell forest medicine, bark, calabashes, pangi cloth and remedies for troubles both physical and spiritual. Ask before you take photographs, and expect a no.
Eat
Food stalls in and around the market sell bara, baka bana, fresh juices and snacks to eat standing up. For a proper lunch, a roti shop is never far away — see the food section of the travel guide.
How to get to Central Market
- The market is at the western end of the Waterkant, about ten to fifteen minutes’ walk from Fort Zeelandia along the river.
- Many city bus routes start and end in the streets around it, and the small boats to Meerzorg in Commewijne leave from the landing nearby.
- Taxis know it as the Centrale Markt.
Insider tips
- Mornings from Monday to Saturday are the time to go; by early afternoon it is winding down, and it is closed on Sundays.
- Carry small notes in Surinamese dollars and keep your wallet and phone secure in the crowd.
- Wear closed shoes: the floor of the fish section is wet.
- On Sunday mornings look instead for the neighbourhood markets — ask your hotel which are running.
Tours: Central Market
GetYourGuide lists only a handful of Suriname tours. These are the real, bookable ones most relevant to Central Market:
Private tour from €799 per group Paramaribo: Heritage & Landmarks Private Guided Walking Tour
The one dedicated city tour of Paramaribo on GetYourGuide: a private five-hour walk through the UNESCO-listed inner city with a local guide, taking in Fort Zeelandia, the Palm Garden, the markets and the Waterkant, with a meal along the way. It is priced per private group of up to three, so it works best when you can share the cost.
- Fort Zeelandia, the Palmentuin and the riverside
- Markets and colonial landmarks with a local guide
- Private group, meal included
Day trip from €200 Commewijne Coffee and Plantation Heritage Tour, All Inclusive
A relaxed six-hour introduction to the plantation district across the river. The day starts with breakfast, continues with the history of Commewijne and a visit to the Katwijk coffee plantation for a tasting, and ends with a local lunch. Small group, with free cancellation at the time of writing.
- Breakfast at a café before crossing to Commewijne
- Katwijk coffee plantation with tasting
- Local lunch included, small group
