Barra Lighthouse

The Farol da Barra stands inside the Santo Antonio da Barra fort, begun in the sixteenth century at the point where All Saints Bay meets the Atlantic, and the lighthouse itself dates from 1698, which makes it the oldest in the Americas. Inside is the Museu Nautico da Bahia, built around the wreck of the Portuguese ship Sacramento, which sank off here in 1668 and was excavated in the 1970s: cannon, navigational instruments, ceramics and personal objects recovered from the seabed. The point outside is where Salvador goes to watch the sun go down over the bay, and it is also a fixed reference of the city's Carnival, with the Barra-Ondina circuit running past. The sea around the base is rocky with small sheltered pools.

What you actually see

• The oldest lighthouse in the Americas - dating from 1698 inside the fort.
• The Sacramento wreck - objects raised from a 1668 sinking off the point.
• The bay mouth - where All Saints Bay opens to the Atlantic.
• The sunset gathering - the city's standard end-of-day spot.

When to go

September to March. Two hours, timed for late afternoon.

Honest expectations

The museum is small and mostly labelled in Portuguese. The point is very crowded at sunset and during Carnival is impassable. Swimming at the base is over rock. Watch belongings in the evening crowd.

Nearby

Porto da Barra beach is around the point; the Pelourinho is north through the city.