The 1616 fort where Belém was founded, now a museum on the tip of the Cidade Velha promontory.
The fort sits at the westernmost tip of Cidade Velha, and the views from the ramparts cover the broad estuary in both directions. In the distance on clear days you can make out the outline of Marajó Island, the world's largest fluvial island, where the Amazon meets the sea.
The surrounding area has been tidied up in recent years, with a small plaza and a riverside promenade. It is a short walk from Ver-o-Peso and makes a natural starting or ending point for a walk through the old town.
A story
On January 12, 1616, Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco planted a fort on this narrow point where the Guamá River meets Guajará Bay, and called it Forte do Presépio — Fort of the Nativity. The city grew outward from this spot. The fort itself is small and squat, built more for watching the river than for resisting a serious siege. Inside is a museum of indigenous ceramics and early colonial history, including Marajó Island pottery dating back nearly a thousand years.