The Golden Eye of Suriname
From the top of the turn
Suriname is flat, wooded and low. There has never been a public vantage point high enough to see how the capital, the river and the old plantation coast fit together. At eighty metres, on a clear evening, they all sit in one frame.
Bearings and distances are approximate lines of sight from Nieuw Meerzorg; what is actually visible depends on weather and haze.
Eighty metres, in context
Paramaribo's skyline is famously low: timber, tile and two church towers. The Golden Eye clears all of it, including the bridge that frames the view.
The build, in order
Each stage below had to finish before the next could start, which is why the rainy seasons matter so much to the schedule.
February 2025
On 28 January 2025, Dolphins invites the public to suggest a name for Suriname's first Ferris wheel and receives 1,100 entries. The selection committee picks The Golden Eye of Suriname, submitted by Fazel Idu, who is honoured with SRD 25,000 at the opening of Dolphins Café on 27 February.
2025 – mid 2026
The support legs go up on the Meerzorg riverside. Progress is paced by the weather, named by the crew as the single biggest obstacle to the programme.
July 2026
The axle is lifted into place between the towers, the milestone everything else hangs from. From this point the rim sections and the cabins can be assembled around it.
Now — end of 2026
Rim assembly, cabin hanging, lighting and test rotations, then certification before the first paying guests. Opening is targeted for the end of 2026.
On camera
Raw footage from the site, posted as it happens. The full documentary follows once the wheel is finished.
More photos on our Facebook page.
Tickets
Planning a visit
Nieuw Meerzorg, district of Commewijne, on the east bank of the Suriname River, directly opposite Paramaribo.
Over the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge from Paramaribo, then right along the river. Buses and taxis run the Meerzorg route all day, and the ferry still crosses for anyone who would rather arrive by water.
This close to the equator the sun sets between roughly 18:30 and 19:00 all year. Ride just before it for the city in gold, then the bridge in lights on the way down.
Opening at the end of 2026
The opening date and ticket sales are announced on the official page. Follow it there and you will hear before anyone on the Waterkant does.
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