Brazilians love to talk about how few wars their country has fought in. There was the war with Paraguay in the 19th century, and Brazil only made brief appearances in the two World Wars. The country didn’t even have a war for independence with Portugal – it simply declared a republic. Yet Brazil has a strong military, and it's on full display at the active Forte de Copacabana (instagram.com/fortedecopacabana, adult/child & senior R$10/5).
Built in 1914, directly into the rock on Copacabana Beach’s southernmost point before Pedra do Arpoador, the fort of Copacabana was one of Rio's premier defenses against attack. You can still see its original features, including walls that are up to 12m thick, and a couple of armored cupola domes holding Krupp canons. The fort also has a patriotic museum, showcasing memorabilia from 1889 (when the military exiled Princess Isabel after she abolished slavery) to the end of WWII in 1945. The museum is nothing special and information is only in Portuguese, but it’s worth checking out, if not only for the air-conditioning on a hot day.
The biggest attractions here are the views out across the full length of Copacabana and the two cafes outside, which, while pricey, offer sublime views of the beach. Confeiteria Colombo (11am-6pm Mon-Sat $$$) is a branch of the 1894 confectionary located in Centro and known for its bolos (cakes) and classic Brazilian dishes. A little further along, Cafe 18 do Forte (10am-7pm Tue-Sun $$$) serves more contemporary dishes.
