Para Bello: Suriname's Quiet Lake Escape in the Para Bauxite Country
A hammock, a still lake, and the hush of the interior ΓÇö half a day from Paramaribo.
Why Go
An old bauxite pit that nature reclaimed, Para Bello is where Surinamers go when they want to disappear for a day. No music, no menu, just water the color of black tea, savannah forest, and the sound of your own breathing swaying in a hammock.
The Experience
Follow the highway toward Paranam, cross the bridge onto Meursweg, and about six kilometers later you leave the tarmac for a sandy track that ends at the edge of Onverdacht. The 'lake' here isn't natural ΓÇö it's a flooded bauxite excavation connected to Para Creek ΓÇö but you'd never guess. Reeds fringe the banks, kids launch themselves from a wooden pier, and open-sided huts thatched with palm hold rows of hammocks strung tight between the posts. A rule enforced with polite firmness: no music. That absence is the whole point. You hear parrots, the slap of a canoe paddle, the occasional whoop from the zipline over the water. Trails peel off into the savannah forest for short hikes when the ground is dry, and the more adventurous can book a quad tour that carves out through the bush. Most visitors come for the day, spread a mat, wade into the tannin-dark water, and doze until the low sun turns the lake copper. A handful stay overnight in the basic cabins or sleep out in a hammock under the huts.
What to Try
Rent a hammock for a few dollars and claim a spot in one of the open huts before the Paramaribo day-trippers arrive around 11. Swim in the lake ΓÇö the water is soft, cool, and stains skin briefly gold from the leaf tannins. If you're up for it, book a canoe or the zipline over the water; quad excursions through the surrounding savannah and jungle are the splurge option and worth it if you want to see the wider Para landscape. Bring a book. You'll actually read it here.
Insider Tip
There is no food on site and no shop close by, so treat this like a picnic outing: stop in Paramaribo or grab something at A & D Food and Snacks on the way out, and load a cool box with drinks, roti, or bami. Cash only ΓÇö bring small SRD notes for the entrance fee, hammock rental, and cabin. Come on a weekday if you can; Sundays fill with local families and the quiet gets diluted.
The Practical Stuff
Open daily roughly 08:30ΓÇô18:00 for day recreation, with overnight cabin and hammock stays available. Located in Onverdacht, Para District ΓÇö about a 45-minute drive south of Paramaribo via the Paranam highway; a rental car (try one of the local outfits in the capital) or a taxi arrangement is essentially required. Entrance is a few euros/USD with reduced rates for seniors; hammocks and cabins are inexpensive. Bring: swimsuit, towel, insect repellent, sun protection, cash, water, and all your food. Facilities are basic ΓÇö toilets and cold showers only.
Pair It With
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — Para Bello sits down a sandy back road with no public transport ΓÇö pick up a car in Paramaribo for the morning and you can be lakeside by 10.
- A & D Food and Snacks Guide — There's no kitchen at Para Bello, so stock a cool box here on the drive down: warm roti, bami, and cold drinks travel well and taste twice as good in a hammock.
- 101 Suites Guide — A comfortable Paramaribo base for the night before or after ΓÇö Para Bello is best as a day trip, and you'll want a proper shower and a city dinner at the end of it.