Guide to Suriname scuba diving holidays

Suriname lies in northern South America, on the Caribbean coast. It is bordered by Guyana to the north, and French Guiana to the south. It is South America’s smallest country, but that doesn’t stop it having plenty to see. Tropical beaches, rainforest, mountains, wide rivers, laid-back colonial towns…Suriname is a great place to be. But what about the underwater world? Can you go on a Suriname scuba diving trip?

Suriname’s dive industry has not yet developed, and there are no registered dive sites in the country. Suriname is home to a healthy turtle population, and it’s definitely worth exploring its waters with a snorkel. But if you want to dive, you’ll need to travel just a little.

Suriname’s immediate neighbours are not dive hotspots either, but travel up to Venezuela, and you’ll find a wealth of diving opportunities. The Los Roques islands are the biggest draw, a protected marine park with lots islets and cays, coral reefs, huge marine walls, turtles and incredible numbers of fish. Los Roques is one of the world’s best examples of a completely untouched reef area.

There are other options too. You can stay on the Venezuelan mainland and dive from there, with reef and wreck sites all along the coastline. The coast along the Henri Pitter National Park is fantastic. You could also head further north to Trinidad and Tobago, an established dive destination with some great sites…and the world’s largest brain coral!

A Suriname scuba diving trip means being willing to explore a little. But that’s never a bad thing, especially when it means you can have days and days worth of world-class diving.