Ternate is a small, cone-shaped volcanic island in the North Maluku province of Indonesia. It isn’t likely to ever become a big vacation spot for tourists, but it has some interesting sights and history.

During the 16th century, Ternate was one of the most important kingdoms in the ‘Spice Islands’ of the Moluccas, and European powers fought over control of the spice trade here. Even today, this little island is still the main gateway to the North Maluku province.

If you ever happen to be passing through Ternate on the way to somewhere else in Indonesia, it’s worth checking out.

Here’s a travel guide for some of the best things to see and do on the island!

How To Get To Ternate Island

There’s an airport in Ternate (TTE) with direct flights from Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, Manado, and Ambon. If you’re coming from Bali, then you’ll need to transit in one of these places first.

You can shop for flights on Skyscanner, but it’s worth noting that all of the flights in Maluku tend to be a bit pricey by Indonesian standards since this area is only served by a few airlines.

Alternatively, you can take a boat from Halmahera to Ternate, which is what we did after hiking Mount Dukono. The speedboat ride from Sofifi harbor only takes about 45 minutes and tickets are reasonably priced.

Ternate Island Ngade Lake Maluku Indonesia

Ngade Lake is one of the most famous views on Ternate

How To Get Around The Island

It’s very easy to get around on Ternate (pronounced ‘ter-nah-tey’) because of how small the island is.

There’s a good paved road that wraps around the island in a circle, and it only takes about 1.5 hours to drive the whole loop. Some of the side roads can be a bit steep, like the road to Ngade Lake, but the main road is tame and flat.

You can rent a scooter from your hotel, or hire a private driver with a car. That’s what we did. Ternate also has the Grab app, which is convenient for short distance trips.

Tolire Lake Drone

Drone pic of another lake in Ternate, the Danau Tolire.

Best Things To Do & See In Ternate

• Tolukko Fort

The Tolukko Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1512 to control the spice trade in Ternate and the rest of the Maluku islands.

Throughout the years, it was controlled by the Portuguese, the native Ternate Sultanate, the Dutch, the British, and the Spanish.

You can visit the fort for a small fee and climb to the rooftop for views of Mount Gamalama. It’s a photogenic and interesting place to see.

Benteng Tolukko Fort Ternate Island Maluku Indonesia

Fort Tolukko

• Kalamata Fort

This is another colonial fort that was built by the Portuguese in 1540, and subsequently traded hands between the local sultanate and the other European colonial powers.

It’s located on the south side of Ternate, so it has nice views of the Tidore and Maitara islands across the sea, especially if you go up to the roof of the fort.
 

• Kastela Beach

This beach is one of the best sunset spots on the island, with a group of photogenic trees that looks kind of like the dancing trees in Sumba island.

We only watched the sunset here one time, but the colors were incredible!

Be careful if you wade out to the trees for a closer photo. The water is shallow enough, but I almost stepped on a sea snake that was swimming around the rocks.

Pantai Kastela Beach Sunset Ternate Maluku

Crazy sunset colors at Kastela Beach

• Ngade Lake

This lake has one of the most amazing views in Ternate, with the volcanic peak of Tidore island in the distance. A similar picture was featured on Indonesia’s 1,000 Rupiah cash notes.

The scenery was almost ruined by an ugly, silly bicycle zipline that was installed at the viewpoint, but thankfully it’s still possible to take pictures without it blocking the view.

They charge a fee for drone use, which we didn’t see until it was too late. There’s also a swing you can use for a small fee.

Ngade Lake

Ngade Lake with the neighboring Tidore island in the distance

• Tolire Lake

Tolire is a bright green volcanic lake at the base of Mount Gamalama. It was formed by a strong eruption of Gamalama in 1775 that killed 141 people and buried one of the nearby villages, creating this lake in the process.

According to local legends, Tolire is supposedly home to a white crocodile that guards the lake. We didn’t see any crocodiles when we were there, but the locals told us about how people have been attacked by them while fishing in the lake.

Tribun News shared a video in 2022 of a crocodile that was spotted in the lake, although no one knows how it got there, considering the steep edges of the crater.

We did see lots of lizards at the viewpoint, including the first iguana we’ve seen in Indonesia.

Danau Tolire Lake

Tolire Lake

Danau Tolire Lake Drone

Drone pic of the lake

• Tolire Beach

This is a cool beach with black sand from the volcano, and views of Hiri island in the distance. It’s very close to Lake Tolire.

We saw a big red crab scuttling across the beach, and he paused long enough for me to take a picture.

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