Rif Fort

The Rif Fort is located at the entrance of St. Anna Bay in the western Otrabanda neighborhood of Willemstad, on the Caribbean island of Curaçao in the Dutch Antilles. Its name is sometimes also spelled Riffort and translates to Reef Fort.

In the early 19th century, nearly all fortifications on Curaçao were in a state of neglect. A plan to restore them caught the interest of King William I of the Netherlands, who in 1824 appointed Lieutenant-General Krayenhoff to develop a restoration plan. Under Krayenhoff’s leadership, the Rif Fort and the Water Fort across the bay were built in 1828/1829. The Rif Fort was constructed between the bay’s entrance, the coast, and the former Rif Water, to protect the entrance to St. Anna Bay and the outer neighborhood of Otrabanda.

When completed, the fort was bombproof and equipped with 56 cannons, barracks, a powder magazine, and a water tank. In front of the fort stood a small bombproof dome housing the chain used to seal off the harbor entrance.

Although I do not know exactly when the Rif Fort ceased its military function, the grounds were used by a water company in the early 20th century. In 1942, the fort was armed with two 37 mm machine guns. Later, it housed government offices and a police station.

Today, the Rif Fort is open to the public and has been transformed into a popular tourist shopping mall.

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