Fuerte San Miguel

The fort of San Miguel was begun by the Portuguese in 1737 on a low hill overlooking the wetlands near what is now the Brazilian border, taken by the Spanish, and changed hands repeatedly through the eighteenth century as the two crowns fought over this frontier. It was restored in the 1930s and is now a museum with a moat, ramparts, a drawbridge and period rooms, set in a park with native animals and a criollo horse stud.

What you actually see

• The star fort - stone ramparts, moat and drawbridge restored in the 1930s.
• The frontier history - a fort that changed hands repeatedly between Spain and Portugal.
• The museum rooms - period interiors and military equipment inside the walls.
• The surrounding park - native fauna and a criollo horse stud in the grounds.

When to go

Year round; the museum keeps daily hours and closes on some Mondays. Summer brings visitors crossing to Brazil. Winter here is wet and windy.

Honest expectations

Much of the fabric is 1930s restoration rather than original. The site is small and an hour or two covers it. It is far from the main coastal resorts.

Nearby

Chuy is northeast, and Santa Teresa is southwest.