Barra Lighthouse

The Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra — popularly known as Barra Lighthouse — has guarded the entrance to the Baía de Todos os Santos since the colonial era. Portuguese colonizers established the first fortifications here in the 16th century to control the strategically vital harbor approach, making it one of the oldest lighthouses in the Americas. Protected as a Brazilian federal cultural monument by IPHAN, the fort now houses a small nautical museum dedicated to Bahia's seafaring history. The terrace beside the tower offers sweeping views over the Atlantic and the bay, and is a favored spot at sunset.