Catedral de São Sebastião

It's hard to miss the city's legendary cathedral and best-known architectural icon, an eclectic hodgepodge of building styles jutting skyward from the centro histórico. Construction on the ethereal house of worship began in 1931 but wasn't completed until 1967—a whopping 36 years of blood, sweat and tears. Its fairy-tale spires are especially impressive when seen from the beach illuminated at sunset.