The economic importance of tuna fishing (known as almadrava) in Beliche Bay led to the construction of a fortress which was mainly intended to protect the fishermen from attacks by pirates and corsairs.
We do not know exactly when the fortress of Santo António de Beliche was built; what we do know, is that it was already functional in the 16th century. Multi-sided and with a turret in the wall, the fortress also contains a number of structures inside; one of the most noteworthy of these is the cube-shaped chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine. In the style typically used for marabouts, it has a dome on top.
This fortress was badly damaged by the attack of the corsair Francis Drake in 1587 and by the 1755 earthquake. It was decommissioned in the 19th century and restored for tourism purposes in the 20th century.
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