Find out about the rich history of Armacao de Pera's churches and fort which is still standing today. Traveling in Portugal? Make sure that your itinerary has Armacao de Pera History noted properly in it. Once upon a time there were just a large number of fishing huts in an area of beautiful pristine beaches belonging to the fishermen fishing for Pera-tuna fish. Armacao means "fishing net" so the name literally means the fishing net for tuna. The tuna industry flourished in this area in the 15th century and in the 18th century.

The Fort of Armacao de Pera

A small fort was built here to protect the village from the invading corsairs and pirates. Bits of fortification still exist to this day. The base is still visible since is still intact and when visiting you can see the beachfront as well as the sea for miles. The gateway, which still exists, and faces the town is also still available to tour. There is a little church, the Church of St. Anthony, dating back to the 18th century that still exists in this fort.

Beach Scenery Among Historic Churches

Armacao de Pera grew from a fishing village into a town and it was only in the 1980s and 90s that it began to become 1 of the most popular tourist locations in Portugal. This happens to be when people found out that it had the longest beach in Europe. For the tourists who come here for a religious experience, one would want to look at the serene churches in the area around and in Armacao de Pera. The Church of Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes is inside the town of Armacao de Pera and dates back to the 16th century

Chapel of Our Lady of the Rock

The chapel of Our Lady of the Rock is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is recommended to visit because her wooden image that dates back to the early 16th century is located here. This tiny chapel has existed since before the 17th century. The chapel is on a cliff right above the Praia da Senhora da Rocha. There is another church dating back to the 18th century called the Pêra Church in the area.

Algarve Area

Apart from these churches, spiritual art and paintings of a very famous artist of the Algarve area, Rasquinho, are located in the Church of the Third Order of St. Francis. This church is located in Pera, near Armacao de Pera. Visitors should see the Chapel Of Bones at Alcantarilha where the ceiling and walls are covered with the skulls and bones of monks and believers.