The Santa Catarina Fortress was built in 1631 in order to defend the entrance to the Rio Arade, access point to urban areas from Portimão to Silves, against the incursions of piracy and the frequent actions of coastal looting carried out by pirates.
The building had a moat and drawbridge in front of the northern entrance, of which no traces remain today.
Inside the fortress is the chapel of Santa Catarina, named after the saint who was worshiped in the hermitage there.
From the 1960s onwards this fortress was gradually adapted to a leisure area, restaurants and cultural and recreational activities, being an excellent viewpoint from which you can see the cliffs of Ferragudo, Portimão, Praia da Rocha and the bay of Lagos.
The location also gives direct access to the beach and Portimão Marina.
Photo credits: Portimão Municipality
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