Built around 1720 within the walls of the fort and consecrated to Santo António, the little Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos is the spiritual corner of the seafront. A single rectangular nave of barely thirty square metres under a simple bell tower, it was wrecked by the 1755 tsunami and rebuilt by the community that depended on the sea it faces.
Inside stand a 17th-century image of Santo António, the fort's patron, and one of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos — Our Lady of the Afflicted — to whom the fishermen's families prayed against the dangers of the bay. White-walled and weathered, perched where the rocks meet the sand at the western end of the beach, it is one of those small Algarve buildings that carry more feeling than size.
Pair it with the fort wall beside it and the working beach below.
Highlights
- Single-nave chapel of c. 1720
- Built inside the fort, to Santo António
- Rebuilt after the 1755 tsunami
- 17th-century image of the patron saint
- On the rocks at the beach's west end
History & context
Raised inside the fort around 1720 and rebuilt after 1755, it has anchored the fishing community's devotion on this seafront for three centuries.
🗓️ Best time to visit
Late afternoon, with the fort and sunset on the promenade.
⏱️ Duration
15 minutes
♿ Accessibility
Small seafront chapel; level access, interior occasionally open.
Frequently asked questions
Is it open to visit?
Opening is occasional and tied to local devotion; the seafront setting and exterior are the draw, beside the fort wall.
Why two names?
Consecrated to Santo António as the fort's patron, it is also known as Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos — Our Lady of the Afflicted — from the fishermen's devotion.