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Aguda Fort in Goa
Location: 18 Kms. from Panaji.

A spring within the fort provided water supply to the ships that called there, giving it the name "Aguada" (meaning 'water' in Portuguese). On the northern side, it provides a harbour for local shipping. The fort, at present, houses the central jail. A 19th century built lighthouse is Situated inside the fortress.

Immediately south of Candolim, a long peninsula extends into the sea, bringing the seven-kilometre white sandy beach to an abrupt end. Aguada Fort, which crowns the rocky flattened top of the headland, is the best-preserved Portuguese bastion in Goa. Built in 1612 to protect the northern shores of the Mandovi estuary from Dutch and Maratha raiders, it is home to several natural springs, the first source of drinking water available to ships arriving in Goa after the long sea voyage from Lisbon

Cabo Raj Niwas Or The Cabo Palace in Goa
Significance: Residence Of The Governor Of The State.
Location: Opposite Fort Aguada.

Built in 1540 AD opposite Fort Aguada on the south headland of the river Mandovi, the Cabo (the Portuguese word for cape) Palace fortress housed the Franciscan monastery, which later (1594 AD) became the official residence of the Governor of Goa.

Holding the most panoramic view one can witness in Goa with the Indian Ocean towards the west, the Bay of the river Mandovi and Fort Aguada on the north and the busy port of Mormugao.

Remaining unhabitated and isolated for centuries, it is believed some human habitation must have been present over here but because of its enclosure in a dense wilderness, no signs of earlier settlements found.

The beauty, solitude and uniqueness and well-planned features are some of the main attractions of the Cabo. A small Chapel was constructed at the very end of the mansion dedicated to Our virgin lady of The cape (Nossa Senhora do Cabo). It also served as a landmark for the seafarers.

The Construction Of The Fortress
The exact date about the first construction of the fort is not known but in a recently discovered note dated 30th June 1541, there was a proposal to locate a Franciscan priest at the chapel, which already existed.

In 1540, the eighth Governor, D. Estevao de Gama, proposed the idea of constructing some fortifications at the mansion site to guard the entrance to both the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. The Cabo was converted into one of the best equipped and important fortresses over the years.

Making Of The Monastery
In the meantime, the chapel caught the attention of the Viceroy D. Matias d Albuquerque (1591-97) who became one of its committed devotees. He was a protector of the reformed Franciscan friars known as "Recollects". The Viceroy decided to rebuild the chapel and also constructed a monastery beside it. He paid all the expenses involved in its construction. He even imposed a condition that the Franciscans would look after the chapel and if by any chance they have to leave the place, it would be handed over to the archdiocese for proper maintenance.

The foundation of the monastery was laid started of on 5th February 1594 by Bishop de Santa Maria and was completed within the period of six months only, exactly on 14th July 1594. The whole construction was done with laterite stones, which is available at the site. The Cabo is on a rock of laterite and it was extracted from the rocky peninsula on the spot. The pits formed from the extractions of stone were then covered to form cisterns to which rainwater was carried via the sloping roofs of the edifices. This provided excellent storage tanks for water. This system was also carried out in various other forts present in Goa.

The Present Raj Niwas
The Cabo Palace is now known as the Raj Bahavan, the official name given to the residence of the Governors of the States In India. It is also counted among the finest residences of Indian Governors and is indeed the oldest as no other residence of a Governor of a State in India had its origin to over four hundred years in the past.

The official reception area consists area consists of a large hall called the Darbar Hall, used at the time of receptions and swearing in ceremonies and other official occasions. The Dining room has a seating capacity of over 30 persons. The living quarters of the Governor and his family are on the same floor. A glossy verandah runs along the entire portion overlooking the Mandovi Bay and the Arabian Sea giving one a feeling of being on a ship's deck.

There are three suites and seven double rooms for guests. The offices of the Governor, his secretariat and staff are located on the ground floor in a separate annex.

Collectibles Within The Palace
The Raj Bhavan has a fine collection o Bohemian chandeliers, Chinese porcelain, silver and furniture. The most remarkable are the beautiful pieces of antique Chinese porcelain presumably manufactured in Canton.

Chapora Fort
Chapora fort was built by the Adil Shah of Bijapur on the southern headland of the Chapora River. It was also known as "Shahpur" and is now mostly ruined. It has a commanding view of the Vagator beach and is near to Anjuna beach.

The red laterite bastion, crowning the rocky bluff, was built by the Portuguese in 1617 on the site of an earlier Muslim structure. Deserted in the 19th century, it lies in ruins today, although the views up and down the coast from the weed-infested ramparts are still superb.

Mormugao Fort in Goa
This fort near the internationally famous Marmagoa Harbour was built to protect the harbour Situated near the Vasco da Gama town. Its work started in 1624.

It covered an area of six miles in circumference, contained towering bulwarks, three magazines, five prisons, a chapel and quarters for the guard. It had 53 guns and a garrison with 4 officers, and was an important fortress on the western coast. Unfortunately, except the chapel and a portion of the boundary wall, little is left of this fort

Teracol Fort in Goa
Location: North Of Arambol, Canacona District, South Goa.

North of Arambol, the sinuous coast road climbs to the top of a rocky, undulating plateau, then winds down through a swathe of thick woodland to join the river Arondem, which it then follows for 4km through a landscape of vivid paddy fields, coconut plantations and temple towers protruding from scruffy red brick villages. The tiny enclave of Terakol, the northernmost tip of Goa, is reached via a clapped-out car ferry from the hamlet of Querim, 42-km from Panjim,

The Fort
It was a key Portuguese fort for the defense of Goa, on the north side of the estuary of the Teracol River, the most northern boundary of Goa. Hyped as one of the state's most atmospheric historic monuments, it turns out to be little more than a down at heel country house recently converted into a low-key luxury hotel. Decorative turrets and dry moat with commanding views of the estuary and ocean mark the fort.

If ones visit coincides with the arrival of a guided tour, one may get a chance to look around the gloomy interior of the chapel of St. Anthony, in the fort's claustrophobic cobbled square; at other times it's kept locked. The Chapel also has a classical late Goan facade.

How To Get There
By Road The few visitors that venture up to Teracol tend to do so by renting a motorbike and heading back at the end of the day to the relative comfort of Calangute or Baga. If one runs out of fuel, the nearest service station is at Arambol. One of GTDC's daily tours from Panjim comes up here, as does one daily Kadamba bus from the capital; alternatively, the 7.00 am bus from Siolim, on the Chapora river, pulls in at the Querim ferry an hour later.