CUR: Rif Fort

Gouverneur van Slobbeweg, Willemstad, Curaçao
Daily: 9.00am - 11.00pm

Situated at the mouth of Sint Anna Bay channel is Rif Fort, a fortification built under the order of King William I of the Netherlands in 1828. When it was serving its military purpose, it was equipped with a total of 56 cannons. At present, it functions as an open-air shopping area.

Standing in front of the entrance to the fort is a statue of Dr. Efrain Jonckheer, the first prime minister of the Dutch Antilles that comprises Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba.

Swaying in the wind~

One of those mandatory photos, I guess!

The fort that was built to protect the entrance of the Sint Anna Bay and the outer part of the Otrobanda quarter is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Let's climb the stairs to see the view from above.

Curaçao is famous for its colourful colonial houses.

There are over 50 stores within the vicinity of the fort, along with a few eateries.

Contrary to what I thought, the fort wasn't crowded.

To tell you the truth, I've never spent a single cent at a casino before.

Besides well-known brands along the likes of Guess, Mango, Tiffany & Co and Starbucks, but to name a few, there are quite a number of small shops selling souvenirs.

Ice cream is always desirable in such a sunny island!

That ceramic cow costs US$188.00 (~S$256.45)!

Let's see whether there were any cruise ships that afternoon.

The yellow stroke on the flag of Curaçao represents the sun that bathes the island.

Unlike the one that I took a photo with, that cannon looks real.

Curaçao has got a land area of 444 square kilometres.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that there was a cruise ship, which belongs to Madrid-based Pullmantur, docked at the pier.

Melon was dreaming of spending a night on a cruise ship someday.

Below are a few photos taken at the fort at night.

Eerily quiet...

I wonder why the fountain wasn't turned on during daytime.

Parking is free at Rif Fort.