History

The plantation has a long history, which is still visible in the old plantation buildings surrounding the hotel. From the hotel, visitors can hike and bike through and around the nature park. It is also possible to explore the nature park directly from the hotel by canoe.

Around 1655, an English planter was the first to settle in this place and start growing sugarcane. In 1696, Simon van Halewijn arrivedin Suriname from the Netherlands. Shortly thereafter, Plantation Peperpot was founded. In Sranan Tongo, the plantation is known as pepre patoe.

At first tobacco was grown, but as early as 1702 they switched to cocoa and around 1720 to coffee. The coffee factory remained in operation for a surprisingly long time and was still in production until 1998.

A number of historic buildings remain to this day, including:

• The former director’s residence, which now houses two master bedrooms, one standard room and a restaurant with bar.
• The former officer’s house, the residence of the superintendent of the plantation.
• The Koffieloods (anno 1808), originally used as a drying and storage shed. Today it is an attractive restaurant as well as a special location for events and meetings.
• The coffee factory, the only former coffee and cocoa factory preserved in Suriname.

Together, these buildings form a tangible connection between past and present, in the middle of a green environment where nature, history and hospitality come together.

After the plantation period, the abolition of slavery and the subsequent phase of contract labor and expansion of scale in Commewijne, a new chapter began for Peperpot. In May 1974, the plantation was sold to the Surinamese government. In the years that followed, production gradually declined until finally the coffee factory closed its doors for good.

What followed was a quiet but impressive transformation. Where once there had been intensive work, nature was given room to return. This created a vast secondary forest known today as the Pepperpot Nature Park.

Maintenance and management of the area is supervised by the Suriname Cultural Society. In cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund, approximately 700 hectares of protected nature reserve have been designated. No more agriculture takes place on the plantation; the landscape is largely left to the rhythm and power of nature.

Today Pepperpot is a rare place where past and nature meet – peaceful, pure and full of life.

In the Peperpot Nature Park you can experience nature in an active and relaxed way. Walk or cycle through the green landscape, explore the creeks by canoe and be surprised by the rich bird life that makes this area so special.

For those who want to learn more about the story behind this place, a visit to the Peperpot Discovery Center is highly recommended. Since October 2015, the history of the plantation has been brought to life here through historical footage and clear explanations.

In 2010, the original plantation house and surrounding properties came into private hands. As of 2018, Peperpot was given a new purpose, with the development of hotel and restaurant facilities that bring together nature, history and hospitality in a respectful way. Thus, today Peperpot is a place where you not only stay, but also discover and experience.