Fort Santiago de Cotta

A Coral Stone Fort Built In 1756 Against Sea Raids, Standing In The Middle Of A Working Port City That Nobody Visits · Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental

THE COTTA FORT WAS BUILT BY THE JESUITS IN 1756 OUT OF CORAL STONE, ON THE WATER AT OZAMIZ, FOR ONE REASON: MORO RAIDING FLEETS CAME UP THIS COAST AND THE TOWN NEEDED SOMEWHERE TO HIDE. It is small - a square of thick walls with bastions at the corners, a Spanish bronze cannon still on its mounting, and a chapel inside holding the image of NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL TRIUNFO DE LA CRUZ, which local people come to pray before. THAT IS THE WHOLE SITE AND IT TAKES TWENTY MINUTES. WHY IT IS HERE AT ALL IS THE INTERESTING PART: THE ENTIRE COASTLINE OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES IS DOTTED WITH FORTS LIKE THIS, built against the same raids over two centuries, and almost none of them appear in any account of the country written for visitors. OZAMIZ IS A WORKING PORT AND FERRY HUB, not a destination. Come early or late, because coral stone holds the heat and there is no shade at all, and read something about the raiding first, because the site explains nothing itself.

Cotta Fort, Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental, Philippines

OZAMIZ IS A FERRY HUB on the Panguil Bay crossing, reached by road from CAGAYAN DE ORO (roughly three hours), DIPOLOG or PAGADIAN, with a small airport that has limited service. THE FORT KEEPS DAYTIME HOURS WITH A MODEST FEE and is in the middle of the city, a short ride from the port. THE CHAPEL INSIDE IS ACTIVE and people come to pray before the image - visitors should behave accordingly. THE WALLS AND BASTIONS ARE WALKED in twenty minutes and there is little interpretation. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL nearby is the city's other stop. IT IS HOT AND THE FORT IS LARGELY UNSHADED - come early or late. Ozamiz is a working port city and should be treated as a stop rather than a stay. Check current travel advice for the wider region.

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