Praia do Forte Sights

  1. Castelo do Garcia d'Ávila

    The Castelo do Garcia d'Ávila, dating from 1552, was the first great Portuguese edifice in Brazil. Today, it's an impressive ruin with great views. Desperate to colonize as a way to control his new territory, the king of Portugal had set about granting lands to merchants, soldiers and aristocrats. For no apparent reason, a poor, 12-cow farmer named Garcia d'Ávila was endowed with a tract of land that extended inland all the way to the state of Maranhão, with Praia do Forte as its seat.

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  2. Reserva da Sapiranga

    A turn-off from the road to the Castelo do Garcia d'Ávila leads down a dirt track to the Reserva da Sapiranga, where local student guides take visitors along trails skirting through 600 hectares of secondary Atlantic rainforest. Hikes range from 30 minutes to five hours, with one of the more popular hikes leading down to the Rio Pojuca (bring your swimsuit).

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  3. Tamar Project Station

    The extremely worthwhile Tamar Project Station is located on the beach next to the church and lighthouse. Tamar, an abbreviation for sea turtles (TArtaruga MARinha), is a highly successful nonprofit organization (Fundação Pró Tamar) dedicated to saving five species of sea turtles in Brazil.

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