Fort of Santa Catarina

Built (from 1633) to defend the banks of the Arade River. Can be visited (free of charge), beautiful view of the marina, the Arade estuary, Praia da Rocha and the beaches on the other side of the river.

The Fort of Santa Catarina (also known as Fort of Santa Catarina de Ribamar) is a medieval fortification in the municipality of Portimão in the Portuguese Algarve. Considered one of the last Filipino military projects in the Algarve, the structure was built to protect the peninsula from pirates and privateers, as well as military invasions. Its construction is one of the better examples of the work of Alexandre Massai, a military engineer who toured the Algarve (between 1617 and 1621) to reinforce numerous military fortifications along the coast. See: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_of_Santa_Catarina_(Portim%C3%A3o)