Ternate is a small, cone-shaped volcanic island in the North Maluku province of Indonesia. It isn’t likely to become the next big vacation island in the country, but it has some interesting sights and history.
A long time ago, the island of Ternate was one of the most important kingdoms in the pre-colonial ‘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, 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, or 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 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.
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 because of how small it is.
There’s a good paved road that wraps around the island, and it only takes about 1.5 hours to drive around the whole island in a circle. Some 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. Ternate also has the Grab app, which is convenient for short distance trips.
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 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.
Fort Tolukko
• Kalamata Fort
This is another colonial fort that was built by the Portuguese in 1540, and subsequently traded hands between the other colonial powers, and the local sultanate.
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 to the roof of the fort.
• Kastela Beach Sunset
This beach is one of the best sunset spots on the island, with a group of photogenic trees that looks kind of similar to 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.
Crazy colors at Kastela Beach
• Ngade Lake
This lake has one of the most amazing views of Ternate, with the volcanic peak of Tidore island in the distance. A similar picture was featured on Indonesia’s 1,000 Rupiah cash notes.
Sadly 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 small fee to use the swing.
Ngade Lake with the neighboring Tidore island in the distance
• Tolire Lake
This is a bright green volcanic lake at the base of Mount Gamalama. The lake was formed by a violent eruption of Gamalama in 1775 that killed 141 people and buried one of the nearby villages.
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 of a crocodile that was spotted in the lake in 2022, although no one knows how it got there, considering the steep edges of the lake.
We did see lots of lizards at the viewpoint, including the first iguana we’ve seen in Indonesia.
Tolire Lake
Drone pic of the lake
• Tolire Beach
This is a cool beach with black sand from the volcano, and views of Hiri island. It’s just a short distance from Lake Tolire.
We saw a big red crab scuttling across the beach.
Tolire Beach
Crab on the black sand
• Batu Angus
This is a small park where you can see a field of jagged black volcanic rocks that were deposited by Mount Gamalama.
It’s a reminder of how the volcano’s constant activity over the centuries has continued to shape Ternate island.
Gamalama has erupted dozens of times in recorded history, sometimes violently.
• Gamalama Volcano
At the center of Ternate island sits Mount Gamalama, an active volcano.
You can hike to the top, but it takes several hours starting from Moya. This is an active, smoking volcano, so climbing it isn’t without some risk.
If you have a drone and don’t feel comfortable climbing to the top of the volcano, then you can stop partway and still take some great pictures of the peak.
Mount Gamalama and Lake Tolire. Notice the smoke coming from the volcano.
• Sulamadaha Bay
This is a nice bay with turquoise water where you can go snorkeling, although the best fish and coral is further out from shore.
It’s a hidden bay, so the only way you can reach it is to park at the black sand beach and walk through the jungle for about 300 meters until you find the bay.
There’s also a second bay to the east, which is used as a harbor for going to Hiri island.
• Jikomalamo Beach
This is another popular spot for swimming and snorkeling. There’s no real beach to speak of, but it has nice views of Hiri island.
There are lots of warungs for buying snacks or drinks.
View of Hiri island from Jikomalamo
More Things To See Near Ternate
• Tidore Island
Tidore is the neighboring island of Ternate, and in pre-colonial times, the two were fierce rivals.
Like Ternate, Tidore was also a key player in the spice trade, and this attracted the attention of Spanish colonizers, who built the Taula Fort there to defend against the Portuguese.
The island of Tidore is approximately the same size as Ternate, although it’s shaped a bit different. You can easily go between the two with a 15 minute boat ride.
The main thing to do on Tidore is to hike to the top of Mount Kie Matubu for views of the whole area. It’s a moderate hike so plan on spending at least half a day on it.
• Hiri Island
If you make a short trip over to Hiri island, there’s a giant rock arch to see on the northwest beach, called Batu Balubang Gurabala.
The arch is pretty close to the shore, so you can walk out to it on the rocks when the tide is low. It’s a great photo spot.
Map Of Sights In Ternate Island
Here’s a map of some of the best things to see and do in Ternate and the surrounding islands.
Where To Stay In Ternate
- Villa Ma’Rasai – One of the nicest hotels in Ternate, with balcony views of the ocean and the volcano on neighboring Tidore island. They have a pool, restaurant, and included breakfast. If we go back to Ternate, this would be our first choice for a place to stay!
- Emerald Hotel – Midrange accommodation in town, with a restaurant and free breakfast.
- Kurnia Homestay – Budget friendly place with free breakfast, and the owner is friendly and helpful. This is where we stayed on our first visit to Ternate, and it’s a good option if you’re on a tight budget.
Room at the © Emerald Hotel
Balcony view at © Villa Ma’Rasai
Other Tips For Ternate
- ATM: There are lots of working ATMs scattered across the island, but they generally give 50k notes.
- Credit Cards: Most hotels and restaurants here don’t accept cards, so you’ll want to have cash on hand.
- Cell Service: We had good 4G data here with Telkomsel, but reliable WiFi is still rare.
- Electricity: Ternate has 24/7 electricity, so you don’t have to worry about outages.
- Religion: Ternate is Muslim, but we didn’t notice any excessive noise from the mosques during our stay.
- Malaria: According to this Lancet study from 2018, there’s been a major reduction of Malaria in Ternate and the surrounding areas, which is great. I’d still be careful and use mosquito spray when traveling here. We didn’t take Malaria pills.
- Where To Eat: Some hotels and guesthouses can provide food, otherwise there are lots of cheap places to eat in town, and they also have a KFC and Pizza Hut if you’re craving western restaurants during your stay in Ternate. We even ordered a meal from Solaria one evening and had it delivered to our guesthouse with GrabFood, which was super convenient.
Views of Tidore island from Ngade Lake
How Long To Stay
You can see all of the main sights of Ternate in a single day, since it’s a small island and everything is easily accessible by driving.
However, if you want to stay longer, then you could do day trips over to nearby islands like Hiri, Maitara, and Tidore.
Sunset at Kastela Beach
More Travel Guides For Indonesia
Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this travel guide for Ternate island in Maluku.
Don’t forget to check out my other blog posts for Indonesia before you go!
