Location: Jl. Benteng, Cilacap Sel. Cilacap Regency, Central Java 53211
Maps: Click Here
HTM: IDR 5,000 per person
Open and close: 08.00 – 16.00 WIB
Telephone: 0282-534481

The Dutch government had colonized Indonesia for 3.5 centuries which provided many stories and histories about Indonesia’s struggle to achieve and maintain this independence.

It can be seen that there are still many silent witnesses in the form of historical buildings in Indonesia.

One historical building for example is the fort that was used to defend the area led by the Dutch from attacks by freedom fighters.

Now buildings heritage This is one of the historical tourist areas that can be visited by tourists.

Historical stories and stories of the building heritage this also appeared in Pendem Fort in Cilacap, an area in the province of Central Java.

There has been a lot of information in the form of articles, papers on website or sites like wikipedia which presents the story of the origin and origin of the fort, its function and background.

Apart from historical stories, there are also mystical stories, myths and awesomeness of the fort, which is more than 1 century old.

This haunted story was even contained in a short video at youtube and became the location for otherworldly courage tests and Mister Tukul so that it attracts tourists who like mystery stories.

Moreover, there were reports that there were sightings of ghosts in the fort and there were also graves of warriors trying to fight the invaders.

This pretty scary place is certainly quite spooky and horo for those who don’t like ghost stories. Moreover, the fort was quite legendary among the people of Cilacap.

Getting to Know History

This Cilacap Pendem Fort is located in the coastal area of ​​Teluk Penyu, Cilacap Regency, Central Java.

In the past this building was a historical fort built by the Dutch colonial government in the 18th century or to be precise in 1816 and had a name namely Kustbatterij op de Landtong te Cilacap.

As mentioned, it was named Benteng Pendem because the building was partially buried in the ground.

This building was historically used for the Dutch East Indies government office and part of the Dutch Colonial defense headquarters.

This fort stands on an area of ​​about 6.5 hectares and the construction itself took about 18 years from 1816 which was then used in 1879.

This fort was once abandoned because it was covered in sand from the coast. This is because the location of the fort is close to the south coast of Cilacap.

In 1986, the manager who was taken over by the Cilacap Regency government was excavated and carried out renovations around the fort’s tourist area.

And now, precisely in 2020, Pendem Fort is one of the charms in the world of tourism in the city of Cilacap.

Previously in 1879, Pendem Fort was given a name Kusbatterij op de Landtong te Tjilatjap by the Dutch government which led the city of Cilacap.

This name has its own meaning, namely a fortress that is above the ground and juts into the sea resembling a tongue. This is due to its location near the beach.

This tourist attraction in Cilacap used to be used as a place to defend the coastline in the southern part of the island of Java.

This is because the city of Cilacap is close to the island of Nusa Kambangan and is strategically located and closed. The robustness of the building became increasingly strong when Japan entered Indonesian territory and then drove out the Dutch.

In 1942, Japan defended the fort and still functioned as part of the defense of Japan.

After World War II, the fort was finally taken back by the Dutch after Japan surrendered to the allies in this very terrible war.

Precisely in 1945 this fortress was finally abandoned by Japan due to Nagasaki and Hiroshima being bombed by the allies at that time.

Most of the Pendem Fort is still buried by the sand on the coast of Cilacap.

According to a statement from the Head of the Tourism and Culture Office of Cilacap Regency, the fort area which was buried by the land had not yet been fully excavated.

This is due to the huge need for funds and it also takes a long time to open all of these fortresses.

In addition, for the technical area and the building structure itself, it is necessary to further investigate whether it can be excavated and fully opened.

Given that this fort has been buried in the ground for a long time and it is not certain about the plans or maps of the fort. It is feared that dangerous things will happen when digging deeper.

Visiting Locations

To visit this fort is of course very easy. There are many roads and routes leading to this historical tourist area.

The fort, which used to be the headquarters of the Dutch army, was intended to block enemy attacks that often appeared in the southern sea area of ​​Java Island.

This fort of course supports other strongholds in Cilacap such as Cepiring Fortress, Klingker and Karang Bolong on Nusakambangan Island.

After falling into Indonesian hands, spot this was used as a fortress by the Loreng Bull from Central Java.

The Indonesian National Army or TNI finally made this fort as the main headquarters and also the barracks for the soldiers as a war training ground.

Pendem Fort has a building structure including several rooms with their respective functions and uses.

It is not yet clear what function this room is for. There are only a few rooms that are easy to identify and function. One of them is the army barracks and the detention room or prison.

In addition, visitors can also see and visit the fortress area and meeting rooms.

There is also a reconnaissance room, medical clinic and a warehouse for ammunition. Near the fortress there is also an officer room as well as a kitchen and storage area for other weapons.

Here, tourists can also get the mystery of the underwater tunnel or tunnel which is connected to the forts and caves near the Cilacap Pendem Fortress.

Unfortunately, some of these caves have been submerged with sea water due to the aging and leaking walls.

Not a few visitors took pictures and photos around the cave in the fort. This part of the underground tunnel leading to Nusakambangan is indeed one of the routes that is quite often the target of tourists.

There is also a door made of iron and padlocked here. No one dared to enter the area.

Because reportedly this door is the route to the island of Nusakambangan, part of which has been submerged in sea water. Therefore it cannot be opened.

There are many horror stories regarding spot this. One of them is in the prison room, which is often used as a place to hold prisoners in tight conditions and there is no air.

Then there is also the weapon room area where there are many first layer cannons to lure enemies who make it into the fort area. Unfortunately, there are already many puddles here.

In general, Pendem Fortress is not much different from other forts on the island of Java.

Has a solid shape and also a high wall to prevent enemies from entering. Then on the wall there is a cannon to force the enemy to retreat.

To enter the Pendem fort, tourists can travel by using a fishing boat for 15 minutes.

Usually the tariff for using the services of this fishing boat is only 50-100 thousand and can contain 10 people. Cheap enough, right?

While the entrance ticket to this fort is enough to pay a fee of 8 thousand per person. With these rates, tourists can enjoy the historical side of benten. The opening hours are starting at 8 am and will be closed at 6 pm.