Maubara Fort

The fort at Maubara sits right on the coast road west of Dili, a compact square work built by the Dutch in the seventeenth century and later held by the Portuguese, with walls, corner bastions and a courtyard looking straight out over the sea. A basket market runs beside it selling the woven work the district is known for. The beach is across the road. The Dutch held this stretch of coast briefly before the Portuguese took it back, which is why the fort is theirs and the town's later history is not. Maubara baskets are sold across the country and the market beside the fort is where they come from.

What you actually see

• The square fort - the compact seventeenth-century work on the shore.
• The corner bastions - the defensive points at the angles.
• The basket market - the woven work sold beside the fort.
• The sea frontage - the walls looking straight out over the water.

When to go

May to November is the dry season. The market runs most days. The rains from December make the coast road slower.

Honest expectations

The fort is small and largely empty inside. Interpretation is minimal. The market sellers are persistent.

Nearby

Liquiçá is east, and Balibo is west.