Fort Beekenburg, a fortress also known as “the Castle”, is situated at the Caracasbaai. It was built in 1703 by Nicolaes Van Beek, a Dutch WIC Director, to defend the Spanish Water.
The Spanish Water is a large bay and one of the few locations on the south coast of Curaçao to enter by ship and go ashore. For that reason this fortress was built there. During the 18th century the military at the fortress successfully prevented attacks by French and English armed forces as well as pirates. Dutch river clay stones, transported as ballast, were used to build this fortress. The main tower is like the rook in a chess game with an ingenious irrigation system and a reservoir to secure water supply to the fortress during periods of siege. In front of the tower is a hexagonal platform with battlements and merlons. A number of canons are still witness of the past.