Ponta Delgada — Cannons of São Brás
Uncover the cannons of São Brás: decipher pirate codes hidden in 16th-century fortifications to expose a corsair conspiracy threatening the Azores' stronghold.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1552, as pirate fleets ravaged the Atlantic, São Brás Fort rose in Ponta Delgada's harbor to guard the Azores with its thunderous cannons
Dive into Ponta Delgada's maritime epic, where the cannons of Forte de São Brás repelled Spanish fleets and the Portas da Cidade witnessed centuries of Azorean history.
Step into the shoes of Gonçalo Velho Cabral, captain-donatary and discoverer of the Azores around 1406, as you disembark in Ponta Delgada for a secret mission from King D. Maria I. Your task is to survey the defenses and riches of this historic city, "Cidade da Esperança e da Fé," against external threats. Over ~135 minutes of a 1.5 km journey, your phone becomes a window to the past: royal coats of arms animate on the Portas da Cidade, ghosts of 16th-century soldiers guide you between the walls of Forte de São Brás, and coded messages appear on the azulejos of the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Esperança. An augmented reality GPS treasure hunt that leads you through the heritage of the Azores, from the Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião to the Palácio de Sant'Ana. More than an outdoor escape game: an interactive visit immersed in 500 years of history, with anecdotes revealed at each stop and confidential sites that classic guides often miss.
Les lieux que vous découvrirez
Les vrais lieux que vous explorerez au fil de l'aventure. Énigmes en réalité augmentée à chaque étape.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
« City of Hope and Faith »— Official motto of the city of Ponta Delgada
The story that haunts this land
Your journey begins in Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral, Ponta Delgada's main square, named after the captain-donatary whose equestrian statue was inaugurated in 1870. This colonial administrative center, established as early as 1482, is surrounded by listed buildings from the 16th to 18th centuries, offering a glimpse into the city's foundations. It is here, facing the Portas da Cidade, a 13-meter-high Neo-Manueline triumphal arch built in 1782 by order of D. Maria I, that you will begin your investigation. These gates, restored in 1949 after World War II damage, marked the historic entrance to the fortified city in the 18th century, and their Portuguese royal and São Miguel coats of arms remind you of the Crown's power.
Continuing your path into the heart of Ponta Delgada, you reach the Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião. Founded in 1462, this main cathedral was rebuilt after the 1522 earthquake. Its Baroque facade, completed in 1638 with its two 30-meter bell towers, dominates the urban landscape. Inside, you will discover the tomb of Gonçalo Velho Cabral, the discoverer of the Azores, a Monumento Nacional Portugal classified in 1948. Not far, the Palácio de Sant'Ana, residence of the bishops of Angra since 1540, in Manueline style with its arcaded gallery, and its 2-hectare gardens open to the public since 1979, testifies to the ecclesiastical and political wealth of the region. It is here that the regional government of the Azores has been located since 1976, after a restoration following the 1831 fire.
Your investigation then leads you to the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Esperança, founded in 1541. This site houses the famous image of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres, central to an annual procession since 1843 that attracts 100,000 pilgrims. Its 16th-century Mudejar cloister, adorned with 18th-century azulejos, has been classified as an Imóvel de Interesse Público since 1953 and represents an essential part of the Azores' heritage. Walking along the quays, you arrive at the Forte de São Brás, a fortress built between 1550 and 1580 to defend the port of Ponta Delgada against pirates and Spanish invasions. Its 5-meter-high walls, extending over 1.2 hectares, were reinforced in 1591, when its cannons repelled the Spanish fleet of 18 ships during a decisive naval battle for the historic city of the Azores.
The Forte de São Brás, home to the Azores Military Museum since 1984, exhibits cannons, turrets, and historical uniforms, offering a complete immersion in Ponta Delgada's military history. This Monumento Nacional Portugal allows you to grasp the strategic importance of São Miguel island. Finally, your journey concludes at the Museu Carlos Machado, housed since 1878 in the former Convento de Santo André (16th century). This museum, founded by the naturalist Carlos Machado, holds an archaeological collection of 20,000 Azorean prehistoric pieces. The convent building, with its adjoining church dating from 1501, was opened to the public in 1930 after significant restoration work, solidifying its role as a guardian of Ponta Delgada's history for families and enthusiasts.
Throughout this walking thematic circuit, you have followed in the footsteps of figures like Rui Gonçalves da Câmara II, captain-donatary of São Miguel from 1490 to 1535, and D. João IV, King of Portugal, whose military ties with the Azores were crucial. This interactive visit of Ponta Delgada has revealed not only the city's defensive history but also its rich cultural and religious heritage. Each monument, from Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral to Portas da Cidade, and the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Esperança, has unveiled a facet of the "Cidade da Esperança e da Fé," a true UNESCO Biosphere Reserve through its history and nature. This Ponta Delgada treasure hunt offers a deep understanding of São Miguel island and its importance in Portuguese history.
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Revolutionary fortifications
Discover the military innovations that transformed the Azores into an Atlantic fortress
Naval strategy
Understand why the Azores became the key to the Portuguese maritime empire
Secret plans
Reconstruct the lost military documents of the fortification genius
When military art met genius
Following the engineer who saved the Portuguese empire
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience.
Did you play les canons de sao bras? Check the email you received after your game to leave a verified review.
Your turn to play
Dive into Ponta Delgada's maritime epic, where the cannons of Forte de São Brás repelled Spanish fleets and the Portas da Cidade witnessed centuries of Azorean history.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
Other escape games in Portugal
View Portugal→More destinations, tours & urban treasure hunts across the country
Explore other cities in Portugal
Angra do Heroísmo
UNESCO and Atlantic stopover — Terceira's heroic city
Horta
The painted marina of navigators — mythical Atlantic stopover at the foot of Pico
Funchal
The fennel city — Columbus, Churchill and the Atlantic levadas
Cascais
The fishing village where the Portuguese monarchy ended
Sintra
Byron's "glorious Eden" — romantic palace and Moorish castle
Óbidos
The fortress-town given as a dowry — white ramparts and ginjinha
