Forte de São Filipe da Bertioga, Portuguese colonial fort in Guarujá, Brazil

Forte de São Filipe da Bertioga stood on Baleia Point at the foot of Armação hill, at the northeast end of Santo Amaro Island, in what is now Guarujá. Two structures followed one another: an armed timber house from 1552 and, from 1553, a stone fort with cannons. It was replaced on the same spot from 1765 by the Forte de São Luís da Armação.

The fort was built starting in 1552 following attacks on an earlier settlement, with completion and cannon installation finished in 1553 under Governor Tomé de Sousa. This construction marked a major step in securing Portuguese control over the coastal region.

The site is linked to Hans Staden, the German gunner who served in the first armed house from 1552 and later signed a two-year contract for the stone fort. The fort was later replaced on the same spot, from 1765, by the Forte de São Luís da Armação.

The site can be reached from the land and features informational signs along with optional guided tours to learn about the fort's defensive systems. It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes since the grounds are uneven and exploring the structures requires some walking around the area.

The German traveler Hans Staden witnessed the fort's early construction and left written accounts of the conflicts between European settlers and indigenous peoples of the region. His observations provide a rare first-hand view of daily life during this turbulent founding period.