Fort Island

Fort Island lies in the Essequibo and was the seat of the Dutch colony of Essequibo in the eighteenth century. Two buildings survive: Fort Zeelandia, a compact brick fort finished in 1744 with its walls and gun positions intact, and the Court of Policy building nearby, a brick hall of 1752 that served as the colony's government chamber and later as a church, now a small museum. They are among the oldest standing structures in Guyana.

History

Late in the 17th century Abraham Beekman, the Dutch governor of Essequibo, ordered a wooden fort built on what was then called Flag Island, while the colony's capital was still at Fort Kyk-Over-Al. Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande, governor from 1743, had the brick Fort Zeelandia built, finished in 1744, and the island became the capital of the colony; in 1752 the Court of Policy, its legislative body, got its own building here, now the oldest surviving non-military building in Guyana. The fort was badly damaged in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War. Fort and court were declared a national monument in 1999, are cared for by the National Trust of Guyana and are on the UNESCO tentative list, and the Dutch Heritage Museum opened in the court building in 2007 (Wikipedia, Fort Island, Guyana).

What you'll find

• Fort Zeelandia - a brick fort of 1744 with walls and gun positions surviving.
• The Court of Policy - a 1752 brick hall, the colony's government chamber.
• The museum - displays on the Dutch period inside the Court of Policy.
• The island - a small flat island in the middle of the Essequibo.

When to go

September to April is drier and the most comfortable. Boats run from Parika through the day but should be arranged for the return. Mornings are best before the heat.

Before you go

Boat hire is the main cost and prices should be agreed in advance. The site is small and takes an hour. Interpretation is limited and the museum keeps irregular hours.

Nearby

Parika is on the mainland, and Bartica is upriver.