Pendem Fort Cilacap, That Is Not Burried

Pendem means buried. There is a fortress in Cilacap named Benteng Pendem. Is this building buried under the ground? Yes, it was, but this fortress is an underground building.

The real name is Kustbatterij Op De Landtong Te Tjilatjap means a fort jutting out to the sea in Cilacap. The name indicated the location of Benteng Pendem which is in the Teluk Penyu area. This location is strategic and close to the sea.

Benteng Pendem has been built for 18 years. It was from 1861 until 1879, this fort is located in an area of 6,5 ha. We can see that this fort is a Dutch building from its thick wall and neatly arranged bricks.

This fort was used by the Dutch army until 1942, then, it is under Japanese control until 1945. At the end of the Japanese occupation in Indonesia, Benteng Pendem was taken over by TNI until 1965. After that, this fort was neglected, almost all the buildings were buried under the ground. This is why the people named this fort Benteng Pendem. Therefore, in 1986, this fort was managed and became a tourism object. Although some parts of this fort are still buried, the other part now can be seen and visited.

This fort was built to resist the attacks from the sea because of the ditch surrounding this area. This building has lots of space. There are barracks, prisons, armory, clinics, meeting rooms, gun shelters, guardrooms, accommodation rooms, and officer rooms.

Some people say that there is a tunnel under the sea through Nusakambangan, but it is not proven yet. The tunnel is still in the Benteng Pendem area and not connected to Benteng Klingker or Karang Bolong Fortress in Nusakambangan.

Nowadays, Benteng Pendem is open every day from 8.00 to 18.00. The entrance fee is IDR. 7.500 per person. If we visit this fort, we will not only learn about history. Here we will see deers that live freely in the fort area. Besides, we can explore this area using a duck boat.

Don't miss visiting Teluk Penyu which is closed to this area. Feel tired after walking around Benteng Pendem?  A glass of fresh coconut ice and mendoan will be a good choice. The other way is you can rent a boat to Nusakambangan to see another fort named Benteng Karang Bolong.