São João Baptista Fort - Madeira Aquarium

The current São João Baptista Fort, situated in the lovely Porto Moniz village, on the astonishing Madeira Island, is a copy of a previous fort dated from 1730. Nowadays, in this refreshed building, with its original façade, is situated the very interesting Madeira Aquarium.

The original Fort was built in the 18th century, by the time when Porto Moniz was the most important disembarkation port in the northern coast of Madeira, and also the biggest attack and robbery target for pirates.
With the accessibility development all over the island, and the development of other towns, this port started loosing its importance: on the 19th century, the Fort was already abandoned.
In the end of the 20th century, the Fort ruins are bought and the space is renewed, receiving the Madeira Aquarium.

The Madeira Aquarium was inaugurated in September 2005, with eleven exhibition tanks that show off the several and diversified maritime habitats of the Madeira Archipelago, recreating distinct environments, where several species of fish, mammals and maritime invertebrate can be observed, all of them captured in the Madeira waters.
The equipment of the Aquarium includes a shop of souvenirs, an exhibition hall, a library with internet access, a coffee shop and a liqueur bar.