Situated on a hill overlooking The Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral , the Monte Forte (Fortaleza do Monte) was built by the Jesuits at the same time as the Cathedral in order to protect the churchmen of St. Paul Church from pirates. The fort later became a military base, equipped with facilities and ammunition for a two year siege. It was only used in this way once, to repel the Dutch from the island in 1622. Today, the Monte Forte area consists of a public park, observatory and museum and affords great views over Macau.

Opening hours: 6am to 7pm (May to September) and 7am-6pm (October to April).