Baguia Fort

The fort at Baguia stands on a ridge in the eastern highlands below Mount Matebian, a Portuguese post built to hold the interior with walls, towers and buildings inside, restored under a government plan announced in 2014 and now used as tourist accommodation. The setting is the point: highland country with Matebian rising behind and terraced slopes falling away below. The road up from Baucau is long and winding. Portuguese control of the Timorese interior was thin and depended on posts like this one holding key ridges. The town below the fort remains small and remote.

What to look for

• The ridge fort - the Portuguese post holding the interior.
• The Matebian backdrop - the mountain rising behind the ridge.
• The terraced slopes - the cultivation falling away below.
• The highland setting - the country the fort was built to control.

When to go

May to November is the dry season and the road is best. The rains from December make the drive difficult. Mornings are clearest.

Practical notes

The road from Baucau is long, winding and rough in stretches. The fort is partly ruined with no interpretation. Facilities in the town are minimal.

Nearby

Matebian is above, and Baucau is northwest.

Key facts