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by bombayteddy
Mumbai, India
April 14, 2006
From journal Fort Aguada Beach Resort --- home on the beach!
by MichaelJM
Nottingham, England
April 8, 2006
We travelled through busy villages and past some exclusive and expensive looking beach resorts before climbing the hill to a prominent church. Our guide took us to the edge of the hill to view a superb view across the river and out to sea. He pointed out a large coastal settlement; it looked idyllically situated until he explained that this was Goa’s prison - a prison with a reputation for not having any successful escapees. It is housed in the lower fort, which was built to ensure a safe haven for the Portuguese navy. Just below the church was an amazing, modern dwelling – it appeared to be a bungalow but in reality there were several stories built into the rock. An exclusive and doubtless extremely expensive home, known locally as "Jimmy’s Palace" for someone who likes great views and their privacy. As we left this small viewpoint our guide told us that this was a "lover’s meeting place," but due to a recent outbreak of crime people were not permitted to cavort there after dark. Guess that severely limits its usage!
A short journey along the coast and we reach the old Lighthouse, built in 1864 and only decommissioned in 1976 when the "new" lighthouse was built. Fort Aguada is alongside the lighthouse and admission is free. It was built in1612 by the Portuguese as part of the major defences. We learnt that "Aguada" means water in Portuguese, and in the fort there’s an underground water storage tank capable of holding 2,376,000 gallons. There’s a fairly impressive moat around the fort and the bastions and gun powder room are all still intact. It was certainly a great design as this was the only fort that proved to be impregnable during the 450 years of skirmishes that took place in this region.
But best of all is the 360º view that you get from the summit of the fort – views right across to Calangute beach in the North, the Arabian Sea to the west and the Nerul River to the South. And despite the fact that this is a tourist attraction there are numerous places where you can take in the view and enjoy your own company.
From journal A Day's Sightseeing in Old Goa
by sridharpandu
Chennai, India
January 1, 2003
As our taxi approached the fort, touts rushed towards the car yelling and wanting to know whether we were interested in going on a dolphin-spotting trip. We just ignored them and went on to enjoy the beach.
The Taj resort, which is right on the fort, is sheer opulence. We watched a man indulge in some skiing before we clicked some snaps and drove off to see the Aguada fort.
From journal Getaway GOA