Fort Kalamata

Fort Kalamata is a 16th-century Portuguese coastal fort located in Kayu Merah village, South Ternate District, Ternate City, North Maluku, Indonesia. Built in 1540 by Portuguese commander Fransisco Serao, it sits on the southeastern tip of Ternate Island facing Tidore Island. The well-preserved stone fort with four bastions is notable as one of the oldest Portuguese forts in the Maluku Islands and a key site illustrating the spice trade era and colonial history of Ternate.

Visitors can expect a compact, well-preserved stone coastal fort with four corner bastions, thick walls and open interior courtyard situated directly on the shoreline. The fort offers sea views toward Tidore Island and the surrounding coastline, with grassy grounds and restored walls suitable for walking, photography and sightseeing. Informational signage explains its Portuguese origins. The setting is open and exposed with little shade, and the site is typically quiet with few crowds.

Fort Kalamata was built in 1540 by the Portuguese under commander Fransisco Serao as a defensive outpost on the southeastern tip of Ternate Island. It was constructed to protect Portuguese interests in the clove trade and to monitor the strait between Ternate and Tidore Islands during the period of Portuguese-Spanish rivalry and conflicts with the Sultanate of Ternate. It is one of several Portuguese and Spanish forts built on Ternate during the 16th century.

The fort is a significant example of Portuguese colonial heritage in North Maluku and represents the early European presence in the Spice Islands. It is recognized as a cultural heritage structure and is valued locally as a historic landmark illustrating Ternate's role in the global spice trade and its layered colonial history.