A small star-shaped fort on the Itapagipe Peninsula north of the centre, built by the Portuguese in 1583 and considered one of the best surviving examples of 16th-century military architecture in Brazil. The location is part of the appeal — a stubby promontory at the entrance to a quiet inlet of the bay, with views back to the lighthouses on the other side of the harbour.
The fort is small and rarely busy. Combine with the Igreja do Bonfim and the nearby church of Nossa Senhora de Monte Serrat for an easy half-day in the Cidade Baixa.