You could spend a great deal of time simply hunting down the many forts of Goa. Jose Nicolau da Fonseca, writing in the 1870s, lists 20 of them and then adds that there are other minor ones, “..those of Colfa in Salcete; of Uguem, Doromarogo, Canacona, and Collem… and of Baga…” One way of handling this embarrassment of fortresses is to divide them by location.
Start with the Bardez ones, then move on to Salcete and finally keep a day or two for your own discovery. We’ve listed the guns that once barked from the ramparts of these forts. None are left in situ — you’ll have to use your imagination to reconstruct those days.
Aguada Fort
Built in 1612 by the Portuguese viceroy Ruy de Tavora
District: Bardez
Location: South of Candolim
Distance from Panjim: 20 km west
Guns: 79
The best known fort in Goa, built on a long peninsula that extends into the sea, derives its name from a spring (agua = water) within the fort that once provided water to ships. The cistern here could hold more than two million gallons of water. Aguada was one of the many Portuguese ports where ships would stop to acquire a cartez (permit) for a price. The cartez assured Portuguese ‘protection’ from the dreaded sea raiders in the Arabian Sea. The fort’s strategic location made it the first line of defence for the onetime trading port of Old Goa.
The fort, at present, houses the central jail — the largest in Goa. Many of its inmates are foreign tourists arrested on drug charges. The four-storeyed lighthouse within its walls was constructed in 1864 and was lit by an oil lamp (replaced with an electric one in 1976). Its beam is said to have revolved every seven minutes. The lighthouse was also home to a gigantic bell retrieved from amongst the ruins of the St Augustine Monastery at Old Goa, which now hangs in Our Lady of Immaculate Conception church at Panjim. From the top of the lighthouse, you can see the Raj Niwas, which was once the Fort of Cabo.
Just outside it stands the Church of St Lawrence, Goa’s patron saint of sailors. His statue (holding a model of a ship) presides over the simple altar. St Lawrence Feast is celebrated on the 10th of August, after which the port is supposed to be safe for sailors. To its north is a harbour for local ships. Lighthouse entry 4-5 pm
Cabo Palace Fort
Built in the 16th century by the Portuguese, to guard the entrance to Goa harbour
District: Bardez
Location: Opposite Fort Aguada, on the south headland of the River Mandovi
Distance from Panjim: 10 km south-west
Guns: 4
The fort gets its name from its position on the headland. Cabo is the Portuguese word for Cape. Thus it also has the most panoramic view of the Indian Ocean towards the west, the Bay of the River Mandovi and Fort Aguada in the north and the Mormugao port.
The Cabo Palace fortress began with the construction of a small chapel to Our Lady of the Cape or Nossa Senhora da Cabo in 1541. But it was only in the 17th century that the eighth governor, Dom Estevao da Gama, proposed some fortifications at the site to guard the entrance to both the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. A Franciscan monastery built here was used as official residence of the governor of Goa from 1594 to 1918. It is now the Raj Bhavan. Entry For Sunday mass only
Reis Magos Fort
Built in 1551 and 1707; a Bahmani fort rebuilt by the Portuguese
Location: On the right bank of Mandovi
District: Bardez
Distance from Panjim: 5 km west
Guns: 33
The building of the fort of Reis Magos (literally, The Three Magi who visited baby Jesus) in Bardez began in 1551 and was completed in 1554 during the reign of Viceroy Dom Afonso de Noronha. Before the arrival of the Portuguese, it was a Muslim stronghold, controlled by Adil Shah of Bijapur. The fort was expanded on a number of occasions and re-erected in 1707. The Gaspar Dias Fort — named after the man on whose land it stood — once faced it across the river. It has since vanished.
Known as the Royal Fort, it was where political prisoners were jailed, after it outlived its use as a defence fort. Post the 1961 liberation of Goa, the fort became a sub-jail, where undertrials were lodged. The lock-up was shut down in July 1993. The steep pathway to the fort, blocked by a corroded gate, is covered with weeds and bushes. Symbolically, a pair of handcuffs has been used to lock the gate. Entry 9:30pm to 5pm
Chapora Fort
Built in 1717 by the Portuguese on the ruins of an earlier fort built by Adil Shah District Bardez
Location: On the southern headland of the River Chapora
Distance from Panjim: 30 km north-west via Mapusa
Guns: 9
Little is left of this fort except for the outer periphery, but the view from here is very special. This is the Goa of the picture postcards: two beaches (Vagator and Anjuna), a river, the sea in varying shades of blue, the sky above, red soil and swaying palms. Be discreet, don’t disturb the couples seeking an escape from the intimacy of a small state where everyone knows everyone.
The fort changed hands several times. The Portuguese had built it on the ruins of Adil Shah’s Shahpur Fort; they lost it to Shivaji’s son, Sambhaji in 1684. In 1717, the Marathas withdrew and the Portuguese rebuilt the fort. In 1739, the Marathas recaptured Chapora and held it for two years. When the Portuguese got it back, it had lost its strategic importance. In 1892 they abandoned the fort. Entry Sunrise to sunset. Great place to shoot scenic pictures
Fort Cabo da Rama
Built by the Sundas
District: Canacona
Location: Main road
Distance from Panjim: 72 km south via Betul
Guns: 21
Cabo da Rama was used by various rulers until the Portuguese took it over from the Raja of Sunda in 1763 and rebuilt it. However, it held no strategic or practical importance for them. The British occupied it twice between 1797 and 1802 and then again from 1803 to 1813. Thereafter, it appears to have been used as a prison till 1955. Nicolau da Fonseca notes that there were two freshwater springs in the fort: one had its origins in a gold mine, the other in a sulphur mine.
Though the church within the fort is still in use, little else remains. However, the view from the headland is breathtaking. According to a legend, the fort has derived its name from Lord Rama who stayed here for a while during his exile along with his wife Sita. Entry Sunrise to sunset
Corjuem Fort
Built in 1705 by the Portuguese on the site of a fort built by the Bhonsales
District: Bardez
Location: 4 km north of Pomburpa, along the River Mapusa near Aldona
Distance from Panjim: 30 km north-east via Chorao Island
Guns: 8
The Portuguese seemed to have done this quite frequently. First they laid siege to a fort, then they conquered it, rebuilt it and finally abandoned it. However, this probably had more to do with the way they perceived the threats to their Estado da India. The Corjuem Fort was abandoned in 1834. A well is all that remains inside. Entry Sunrise to sunset
Terekhol or Tiracol Fort
Built in the 17th century by Maharaja Khem Sawant Bhonsale
District: Pernem
Location: On the northern tip of Goa, on a hillock overlooking the Arabian Sea and the River Tiracol
Distance from Panjim: 60 km north-west
Guns: 12
Turned into a heritage resort, the stony fort is painted yellow and sparks in the sun. Since the fort still houses the active Church of St Anthony, you can visit and climb the battlements. After the Portuguese took it from the Bhonsales, they rebuilt the fort in 1764.
In 1825, Dr Bernardo Peres da Silva, a Goan governor-general, used the Tiracol Fort as a base for an armed rebellion against the Portuguese. They lost and the Portuguese took over the fort once again. Entry Free Timings Try to get there during the day or the guards might get huffy. Open all days Cameras Free.
To stay here, call Tiracol Fort Hotel (Tel: 02366-6227631, Tariff: €130-170). It has seven sea-facing rooms, a restaurant and a bar, accepts credit cards. The rates are inclusive of breakfast and dinner.
Rachol Fort
Built in 1576 by the Portuguese on the site of an earlier Bahmani fort
Location: East of Salcete, 7 km north-east of Madgaon, and located on the left bank of the Zuari River
District: Madgaon
Distance from Panjim: 55-60 km south-east
Guns: 100, but reduced to 65 in 1832
The Vijayanagara ruler Krishna Rao got hold of this one in 1520 and the Portuguese got hold of it soon after. It was repeatedly attacked by the Muslims and the Marathas, which may explain why you don’t see much of the fort, though if you spend a day hunting you might bump into some bits of the old wall. However, it is worth visiting because of the beautifully restored Church of Nossa Senhora de Neves and the seminary. This is also where India’s third printing press was set up by Thomas Stephen’s SJ, the press that printed the Kristapurana, the first translation of the Gospels into Marathi. Spectacular views. Entry Sunrise to sunset; church open 7-11 am and 5-7 pm