Fort of São Marcelo

This circular stone fort rises directly from the waters of the Bay of All Saints just off Salvador's old port, its rounded walls earning it the nickname of the sea navel. Begun in the seventeenth century to defend the colonial capital, it served over time as a garrison, a customs post and a prison. Reached by boat from the commercial waterfront, it offers a rare view back toward the tiered city with the upper town rising behind. Its unusual round form makes it one of the most distinctive military structures on the Brazilian coast.