# Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa, Portugal: what it is and when to go > Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa is a maritime fort in Santa Maria, Portugal. Interests: History. The best time to visit is March to October. In June there are 14 h 31 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 29. It has articles in 3 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/forte-de-sao-joao-baptista-da-praia-formosa/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-02 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Maritime fort in Santa Maria, Portugal · History - **Where:** Portugal - **Best time:** March to October. - **Nearest airport:** FNC Funchal, 896 km as the crow flies - **Coordinates:** 36.9515, -25.101 ## What it is and where Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa is a maritime fort in Santa Maria, Portugal. It has articles in 3 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Its coordinates are 36.9515, -25.101; the nearest main airport is Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC, Funchal), 896 km as the crow flies. How to get around Portugal (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.951496%2C-25.100995) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=36.951496%2C-25.100995) It is one of the [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/historia/) places in Portugal. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa is **March to October**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 9 h 44 | | February | Possible | 10 h 38 | | March | Best time | 11 h 43 | | April | Best time | 12 h 57 | | May | Best time | 13 h 59 | | June | Best time | 14 h 31 | | July | Best time | 14 h 18 | | August | Best time | 13 h 25 | | September | Best time | 12 h 13 | | October | Best time | 11 h 02 | | November | Possible | 9 h 59 | | December | Possible | 9 h 29 | In June there are 14 h 31 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 29. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to Portugal in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Portugal To enter Portugal there are 6 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Valid ID card (DNI) or passport”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Portugal checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Euro (EUR); plugs: Type C and F · 230 V · 50 Hz (the same as in Spain); emergencies: 112. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [GR1SMA Great Route of Santa Maria](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/gr01sma-great-route-of-santa-maria-stage-1/): Hiking route around the island · 1.1 km - [Church of Nossa Senhora do Bom Despacho](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/igreja-de-nossa-senhora-do-bom-despacho/): Church building in Azores, Portugal · 1.7 km - [GR01SMA Great Route of Santa Maria](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/gr01sma-great-route-of-santa-maria/): Hiking · 2.3 km - [Recreational Forest Reserve of Fontinhas](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/reserva-florestal-de-recreio-das-fontinhas/): Protected area · 2.6 km - [Recreational Forest Reserve of Valverde](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/reserva-florestal-de-recreio-de-valverde/): Recreational forest · 3.0 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Portugal guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/). ## More in Portugal: History - [University of Coimbra](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/universidade-de-coimbra/): public university in Coimbra, Portugal - [Belém Tower](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/torre-de-belem/): fortified tower located in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal - [Jerónimos Monastery](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/monasterio-de-los-jeronimos/): building in Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon District, Portugal - [Mafra, Portugal](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/palacio-nacional-de-mafra/) - [Estádio do Dragão](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/estadio-del-dragon/): football stadium in Porto, Portugal - [Batalha Monastery](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/monasterio-de-batalha/): building in Batalha, Leiria District, Portugal Every Portugal place under History, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/historia/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa? It is a maritime fort in Santa Maria, Portugal. It has articles in 3 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. ### When is the best time to visit Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa? March to October. In June there are 14 h 31 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 29. ### How do you get to Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa? The nearest main airport is Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), 896 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=36.951496%2C-25.100995) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Portugal is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Portugal map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [GR1SMA Great Route of Santa Maria](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/gr01sma-great-route-of-santa-maria-stage-1/), [Church of Nossa Senhora do Bom Despacho](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/igreja-de-nossa-senhora-do-bom-despacho/), [GR01SMA Great Route of Santa Maria](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/gr01sma-great-route-of-santa-maria/). The rest is in [the Portugal guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/781108569), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10284017), CC0. More about Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_of_S%C3%A3o_Jo%C3%A3o_Baptista_of_Praia_Formosa). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).