São João Baptista Fort

The current fort is a replica of a previous fort dating from 1730, built to protect the town from attacks and pillaging by pirates.

The Madeira Aquarium is installed within its walls.

The São João Baptista Fort is a replica of a previous fort dating from 1730. It was built to protect the town from the attacks and pillaging by pirates that were common at the time.
In 1998 the Town Hall of Porto Moniz acquired the ruins of the São João Baptista Fort. The restoration started two years later, with the administration not only preserving what was left of the former exterior walls, but also reusing the existing stones, restoring them to their original form.