Riffort - Willemstad, Curacao
Posted by: 
Raven
N 12° 06.309 W 068° 56.261
19P E 506781 N 1338181
Riffort is an old Dutch fort located on the outskirts of the historic Otrobanda district of Willemstad, the capital of Curacao. Originally built in 1828, it now houses a variety of restaurants and terraces as well as a shopping mall for tourists.
Waymark Code: WMGQX5
Location: Curaçao
Date Posted: 04/02/2013
Views: 18
Per a website hosted by someone identifying himself only as "Marko": (
visit link)
The Riffort lies at the entrance of the St. Anna Bay in the western Otrabanda district of Willemstad, on the Caribbean island of Curacao. Its name is sometimes also spelled as Rif Fort, and translates to 'Reef Fort'.
By the early 19th century, most of the fortifications on Curacao were in a state of neglect. A proposal to restore them caught the interest of King William I of the Netherlands, who in 1824 appointed Luitenant-General Krayenhoff to make a restoration plan for several of the fortifications in question.
Under the direction of Krayenhoff, two new forts were built between 1827 and 1829. The first one (called 'Waterfort') was placed on the eastern shore of the St. Anna Bay which cuts through the city, right on top on an old 1634 fortification meant to protect the outer banks of the city's Punda district. The Riffort itself was brand new, constructed on the opposite shore of the Bay by the outer banks of the Otrobanda district. Its location was strategically chosen to oversee the entrance of the bay from its western wall, the coast from its southern wall, and the former Rif Water from its eastern wall.
Once completed, the Riffort was completely bombproof and armed with 56 cannons, barracks, a powder magazine and a water tank. In front of the fort stood a small dome where a chain was kept which could be dragged all the way to the Waterfort on the opposite side of the bay, thereby sealing off the entrance to the harbor.
The fort lost its military purpose in the first part of the 20th century, at which point the grounds of the fort were used by a water company. During WWII, however, the fort was re-armed with two 37mm machine guns to protect the city from potential naval attacks. After the war, however, the fort once again lost its military importance and housed both government institutions and a police station.
The fort is nowadays used as a freely accessible tourist attraction and shopping mall, appropriately known as the Rif fort: see (
visit link) . Its grounds house a couple of restaurants, a few bars, and several shops within the old fort's inner walls.