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Installed in the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, the oldest military building in Brazil, whose construction dates from 1534, the Nautical Museum of Bahia is unique of its kind in the entire state, gathering a valuable collection of underwater archaeological finds, a collection of navigation instruments and nautical signage, models, miniatures of boats of various origins and a permanent exhibition related to the geography, history, anthropology and culture of the Todos os Santos Bay, in addition to the maritime, military and administrative life of the city of Salvador, the country's first capital and its most important city for more than three centuries.



Built even before the city of Salvador, which dates back to 1549, the Santo Antônio da Barra Fort is a beautiful example of Portuguese military architecture from the 16th century. Its privileged location on the corner of the bay, from where you can see a beautiful view of the ocean, the elegance of its layout, as well as the grandeur of its internal spaces, attract the attention of all those who go there.



The building is undoubtedly the main attraction of the Museum, whose collection allows the visitor to have direct contact with the country's centuries-old history through the display of domestic utensils, coins, stamps, cylinders and war materials that were submerged for about 300 years and that ended up surfacing as a result of the first underwater research of its kind in the entire history of the country. Objects that allow the public to experience important aspects of the daily life of the first Brazilians and that together with the other pieces in the collection of the Nautical Museum of Bahia help to understand the presence, importance and meaning of the sea and marine life in the formation and development of Brazilian society.



In the Forte is the Farol da Barra, one of the best known postcards of Bahia in the world. The original lighthouse was installed in the fort in 1698, being the first in all of America. Whale oil fed lamps protected by glass that signaled to the navigators the entrance to the bay. Successive renovations transformed the original lighthouse in 1839, 1890 and 1937, when it was finally electrified.

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