It is possible to have a good view of the So So Baptista Fort, which is located on the Berlengas archipelago’s largest island, from the shore of Portugal’s westernmost region. It is a marine protected area that has been inhabited by humans for a very long time.
The fort was constructed by monks during the Middle Ages as a bastion of defense to watch over the coastline. It is connected to the main land via a bridge made of stone. There were two major battles that took place in this region of the Berlengas Islands: the Turkish raids in 1655 and the Spanish fleet invasion in 1666. Both of these engagements took place here. 1847 marked the official end of the settlement’s existence.