Fort Amsterdam

Fort Amsterdam sits on a low hill above the fishing village of Abandze, begun by the English in 1631 as Fort Kormantin, the first English trading post on this coast, and taken by the Dutch in 1665 during one of the Anglo-Dutch wars, after which it was rebuilt and renamed. The name Kormantin travelled with the people shipped from here and survives in the Caribbean as Coromantee, a term used in Jamaica and elsewhere for enslaved people from this part of the coast. The fort is partly ruined, with walls, bastions and vaulted rooms standing and other sections collapsed, and the hilltop position gives a view along the shore in both directions. It is part of the World Heritage inscription on the Ghanaian forts.

What you actually see

• The ruined walls - standing bastions with collapsed sections between.
• Vaulted rooms - the surviving chambers within the structure.
• The hilltop position - the view along the coast from the fort.
• Abandze village - the fishing settlement below the hill.

When to go

November to March for the dry season. Mornings are cooler for the walk up the hill. The site keeps daytime hours with a caretaker guide.

Honest expectations

Much of the fort is ruined and unstable, and access to some areas is restricted or unsafe. Interpretation is minimal and depends on the caretaker. The approach track is rough. There are no facilities on site.

Nearby

Fort William at Anomabo lies west; Cape Coast is further along the coast.