castelo da torre de garcia d'avila

Now in ruins, it was the house of a portuguese nobleman that owned these lands when portuguese first arrived in Brazil, Is a big palace with chapel and you have a fantastic view to the sea and palm trees. it was in a high place so they could see the enemy arriving.

As one of the first surviving Portuguese buildings it has lots of historic relevance. We stayed at the Eco hotel nearby and they provided a guide. There seemed to be no English info without this.A few facts that struck me. Highest point for long way, hence used as observation point to warn Salvador of approaching attacks.Built by a soldier who was given land to farm/ develop as long as paid taxes to Portugal. Continued to develop and gain more land, until at peak controlled 10% of what is now Brazil. Family kept it close over 10 generations. Was key centre for whaling trade, whales landed at the ruins at beach below, in the Eco hotel grounds.....

The castle is very interesting. However, there were no guides, no brochures, no guards... There was nobady that could explain to us what those ruins were one, who lived there and what happened!

When I wrote on this attraction recently I was surprised to find two separate threads in Tripadvisor, this one i.e. Castelo Garcia d'Avila and the less frequented thread with the official name "Casa de Torre Garcia d'Avila"Moreover the address seems to be somewhat confused therefore I post a picture of the route from downtown Praia do Forte to the site. As an aside all of the beach towns on this coast have there own name but the municipalities that govern them include a very large area with a separate name taken from the administrative center. Which in this case" Mata de Sao Joao" is well away from both Praia do forte beach and from the site of the attraction. see second map.

It is rare to find artifacts from european colonization of the americas in the 1500s, let alone a castle built with medieval techniques still standing! Granted the roof fell in in the 1930s but the castle is still largely intact and the chapel has been in steady use until recently, when preservation and archeological work began.The site is magnificent on the highest land overlooking the beaches to the south of Praia do Forte. The agency looking after it is to be congratulated for an excellent interpretive center at the entrance to the site. Restoration of artifacts pottery and the like are also displayed there.You can really get a feel for what it was like in its past.The entry price is reasonable R$10 and helps in the preservation project(senior's 50%:-)

This unique castle in Americas, started to built in 1552. It was one of the ways to the colonization of Brazil. There is a serious archeological work there, and good indications. The site is amazing, with tropical trees and a good view of the ocean.

You need to visit this house/castle in order to understand the history of this place. Very well preserved.

Interesting piece of history Brazilian history. When I was there I had no idea what the ruins were--tour guide probably mentioned it--but it was so much to see. Visually the place is stimulating, as if its inhabitants recently left the premises. For a four-hundred-year old castle the place is a in pretty good condition. July 2009.

Good site to visit. Recently renewed tourist infrastructure. It is really worth the visit. It's located outside town at 2-3 Km from village entrance. Area is well preserved and the visit is also informative.

this place has a historical value that even brazilians ignore: it still has remains of the building from the 16th century and that alone is of major importance: Brazil is only 500 years old!The view from the place is also amazing and that alone is worth a visit. I would recommend a book on the place or a traveller's guide (or just a print from the internet), because like many other touristic attractions in Brazil, it unfortunately does not have folders or videos in English.

you have to go, amazing history of these people. We went by car but there are groups going from the hotel I guess

I didn´t know this place before and I was really suprised to find something like this in the "brasilian wilderness"

If you go to Praia do Forte and if you like ruins, do not miss this.It's not actually a castle, it's the ruins of what was once a castle. We're talking about a castle built in the 16/17th century (initiated in 1551 and concluded in 1624) in the brazilian coast -- how about that!Still, there is no information in the ruins themselves. You'll only find some information about the place in the visitor's area, before the ruins.I got there in the end of an afternoon, which made the visit even more interesting due to the sunset light. Very few people there -- I think it's usually like this.Getting there:By car - as you pass by the city's portico (while entering Praia do Forte), take your right.If you're at the beach area without a car you may negotiate some kind of transportation. It's a long distance if you decide to walk from there.Cost was R$ 10 pp in feb/12.

Went there for the third time with my wife and her grandma, and I was really sorry to see that only one family, besides us, was touring around the place, that hosts a good visiting center and a parking lot for at least thirty cars.It's a little far from the beach - you need to go through a 2km red dirt road, in good conditions - but that alone can't be the reason for its emptiness.The ruins are very impressive for anyone interested in the Americas history. The building is reportedly the only "medieval castle in America" and from there Garcia D'Avila - its owner - ran an absurdly large property, spanning more than 1000km from Bahia to Maranhão. The construction began in 1551 and it is one of the oldest structures still standing in Brazil.The chapel was restored and the rest was preserved but kept as a ruin. The result is a beautiful contrast. The place is on top of a hill, surrounded by palm trees and allows great views from the upper floor, that covers a few kilometers of beaches.Since nobody was there, the bar was closed and the guides were available. The entrance is expensive, but I think it's a fair price to preserve the structure. Probably the insufficient adiversiting is responsible for the lack of visitors - But don't be afraid, the place is perfectly safe and well kept by its staff. I definitely recommend it as a glimpse a history in an otherwise "beaches-and-sun-and-relaxation" destination.I'm pretty sure it deserves to be at least in a tentative list to became a World Heritage Site, because of its importance to the colonization of northeastern Brazil in the mid 16th century.

Um castelo construido na época das capitanias hereditarias para se ver o que restou e como era a construçáo vale a pena ir com um Guia, o local é cercado de muito verde e bem preservado, vale a pena visitar.