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Fort Duque de Caxias (Forte Duque de Caxias), a working military base in the Leme area of Rio de Janeiro, is open to visitors.
Visiting
Visitors can climb up to the top of Morro do Leme to see a historic fort along with stunning views of the city. Adult admission is R$10 (as of July 2024). The fort is open daily except Mondays.
Walking Up
It takes about 20 minutes to reach the top of Morro do Leme and it’s not a difficult walk. If you’re lucky, you might spot monkeys on the way. The walk is through a protected natural area, which is a small remaining part of the Atlantic Rain Forest (Mata Atlântica).
At the Top
Once at the top, there is a historic fort museum which isn’t of much interest. I was able to walk through the hallways and see different parts of the fort. The fort was originally constructed in 1776 and was named Watchtower Fort (Forte da Vigia). It was built in response to a Spanish invasion of Portuguese-held Colonia del Sacramento, now in Uruguay. It was renamed Fort Duque de Caxias in 1935.
Views from the Fort
What’s great about visiting this fort is the views of Corcovado, Copacabana, Sugarloaf Mountain from above. It’s better not to go on a hazy day like I did.
