Porta de Santiago

A quick photo stop but a must for anyone visiting Melaka, Porta de Santiago was built by the Portuguese as a fortress in 1511. The Dutch were busy destroying the bulk of the fort when forward-thinking Sir Stamford Raffles came by in 1810 and saved what remains today. Look for the 'VOC' inscription of the Dutch East India Company on the arch; ironically, this part of the fort was used by the Dutch after their takeover in 1670.

In November 2006, work on a highly controversial 110m revolving tower at a site near the tourist office, uncovered another part of the famous wall, thus halting further tower construction. Locals are thrilled that the sure-bet eyesore will be relocated, presumably farther away from the city's historic centre, and the archaeological site will be excavated and turned into yet another of Melaka's historical sites. Check with the miniscule Maritime Archaeological Museum on Jln Laksamana near the clock tower for the most authoritative and up-to-date news of the recently discovered wall.