Fort Amsterdam

This fortress is located on the spot down-town where the first Dutch soldiers settled in 1634 when they conquered the island from the Spanish. The stone version of the fortress still stands and now houses the goverment and the house of the gouverneur. The small Fort Church is still operational and houses a small museum.

Water Fort Arches

This fortress is also affectionately called the 'Boogjes' (small arches in Dutch), because of its architecture shaped like a thick wall with arched hollows. The arches now house many little restaurants where there is always something to do!

Riffort

The Riffort was build in the nineteenth century on the harbor entrance on the Otrobanda side. In the Second Worldwar a huge iron net was extended from this fortress to the Waterfort Arches accross the water to prevent German submarines from entering the deep harbor. The oil refinary further into the harbor that supplied the Allied Forces fuel was the intended target. Nowadays the fortress is used for much more peaceful purposes; shopping and dining!

Fort Nassau

The fourth fortress in the harbor area is the majestic Fort Nassau, located high up on a hill with a 360 degree view of the city and harbor. The Harbor Service co-ordinates the entrance and departure of large oil tankers, cruise ships and other vessels from this location. The fortress also houses a fancy restaurant that is renowned for its breath-taking view.

Fort Beekenburg

This small round tower is a landmark on the Caracas Bay peninsula. Build in 1703 after the model of a fortress on the Sont in Denmark it looks distincly different from any other fortress on the island. It was build to protect the second harbor of the island; Caracas Bay. It is a nice short hike up to the fortress.