Sunda Kelapa, also known as Pasar Ikan (Fish Market), is located in the far north of the mouth of the Ciliwung river. This is the Portuguese traded with the Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran in the early 16th century. The fish catch of the day was auctioned in the early morning at the old fish market. The street leading to it was lined with shops selling all sort of shells, dehydrated turtles, lobsters and everything else the seafarer might need.

Dutch domination of Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia began from this area, and the remnants of Kasteel Batavia, an old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company, can still be seen. Sunda Kelapa is at present a fisherman's wharf and an inter-island port. Tall masted Bugis schooners from South Sulawesi anchoring there offer one of the finest sights Jakarta has to offer. They belong to one of the last fleets of sail boats in the world and still ply the seas between the islands, as they did centuries ago, carrying merchandise.