Peperpot Nature Park hiking tour
Hiking and wildlife spotting in Commewijne, close to Paramaribo
Peperpot Nature Park reveals itself best the way that takes the longest: on foot. Along paths once walked by plantation workers, now overgrown and reclaimed by the forest. Every step turns up something else — a sloth looking down at you from the branches, a frog leaping clear, the smell of wet earth after rain. Around 40 per cent of all bird species in Suriname have been recorded here, but you only really notice that when you stand still and listen.
What the tour looks like:
- Walking through the rainforest — your guide knows every path, every tree and every animal that lives here. Along the way you stop for the local flora and fauna and the history of the former plantations the forest has since swallowed.
- Wildlife at close range — on foot you get closer than you would from a boat. Sloths at eye level, prehensile-tailed porcupines moving through the undergrowth, and monkeys watching you from the canopy.
- Morning or evening — two completely different experiences — the morning tour (08:00 to 12:00) gives you the park in full daylight, with the colours, the sounds and the life going on down on the forest floor. The evening tour (18:30 to 22:30) is another world. Paths that feel familiar in daylight become unfamiliar ground at dusk, as the night animals take over from the birds. After closing time the park can only be entered on a guided tour.
Good to know:
The paths can be muddy in the rainy season. Wear boots if you have them — if not, they can be borrowed on site. The same goes for a head torch.
Also available at Peperpot Nature Park:
Would you rather be on the water? Grietjebie also offers a kayak tour through Peperpot, with the same local wildlife guide and the same small group size.
The order and content of the activities may vary depending on weather or other conditions on the day. Your guide adjusts the programme where needed, always with your safety and experience in mind.
Highlights
The jungle at night, coming alive
Frogs, snakes and nocturnal animals that stay invisible during the day
Sloths, monkeys and porcupines
Close by, unhurried, and in their own habitat
Blood-colored Woodpecker and Arrowhead Piculet
Birds found almost nowhere else
Evening tour after closing time
When the paths change and the night animals take over the park
Photos
Grietjebie tip
Make sure you've eaten before the tour starts. There's a small snack at the end, but an empty stomach and an evening walk don't go well together. Book your pre-tour dinner in advance at Sutopia Resort, right next to the park.
Quiet enough to hear a sloth move
Morning or evening — that's how still it is here.
Practical Info
Address
Hadji Iding Soemitaweg 32, Commewijne
Atmosphere
Relaxed and wildlife
Duration
4.5 hours
Departure
Peperpot Nature Park entrance
Group size
Maximum 10 people
Price
From €50 per person
Reviews
Very enthusiastic guides, incredible how they managed to see lots of wildlife hidden in the trees. Very much recommend it!
(Astrid V) via Tripadvisor Reviews
Fantastic canoe excursion in Peperpot Lots of animals, snakes, frogs and birds spotted during our canoe trip. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides like Ashvin.
(ina) via Tripadvisor Reviews
27 December in de avond met gids Dwight het Peperpot park ingegaan. Het was waanzinnig! We kregen mijnwerkers lampen op en laarzen aan. 3 uur lang wist hij kleine ( spinnen) en grote ( apen, luiaard) beesten te vinden en te benoemen. Slangen, opposums, kikkers, vogels etc. Spannend en leerzaam. Zou het zo weer doen. Dwight was echt geweldig.
(Mrs K K) via Google Reviews
Mooie avondtour / wandeling gemaakt. Professionele gids met veel informatie. Aanrader om te doen.
(Rob D) via Google Reviews
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