This small, rectangular fort was built in the 18th close to the location of a previous fort dedicated to St Ignacio. This previous fort, located on a cliff, was destroyed when the cliff fell into the sea during the 1755 earthquake. This lead to the new fort being built further back than the one dedicated to St Ignacio. The presence of a fort at this site was necessary for protecting the tunny traps located througout the coast. The fort is now in ruins.
Baleeira fort was built around 1573 and was part of a group of forts that were around at the time of the Infante D. Henrique. In 1587 it was attacked by English ships lead by the corsair Sir Francis Drake. During this attack precious archives, as well as the Infante’s library, were lost. Currently only traces of the walls remain.
An extremely important set of megalithic monuments is located in the southern part of the municipality of Vila do Bispo. The megalithic concentration is composed of 80 menhirs and a wide spoil of artefacts. The building of menhirs is related to rituals and to the physical and spiritual cooperation of the people who settled in the coastal areas (zones without any natural defenses).
