Aguada Fort - which is at the top of 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 Maharatha invaders, it is made
picturesque with several natural springs. These springs were the
only source of drinking water available to ships arriving in Goa
after the long sea voyage from Lisbon. On the north side of the
fort, a rampart of red-brown laterite juts into the bay to form a
jetty between two small sandy coves.
Old Goa - is located nine km east of Panajim and is famous
for its churches and cathedrals. The Archaeological Survey of
India has given some of the old buildings a facelift by
converting them into museums maintained. The spiritual heart of
Christian Goa, Old Goa has been given World Heritage Status by
Unesco for its extraordinarily grand churches and convents.
Vasco Da Gama - is on the narrow western tip of the
Mormugao peninsula, overlooking the mouth of the Zuari River.
Acquired by the Portuguese in 1543, the port town of
Vasco-Da-Gama - popularly known as Vasco - was formerly among the
busiest ports on India's west coast. It remains a thriving and
key shipping centre, with container vessels and iron-ore barges
crowding the river mouths. Vasco is Goa's most cosmopolitan
city.
Dudhsagar Waterfalls- Measuring a
mighty 600m from head to foot, the famous waterfalls at Dudhsagar
on the Goa-Karnataka border, are some of the highest in India,
and a spectacular sight. It attracts a steady stream of visitors
from the coast into the rugged Western Ghats. After pouring
across the Deccan plateau, the headwaters of the Mandovi River
form a foaming torrent that fans into three streams, then
cascades down a near-vertical cliff face into a deep green pool.
The Konkani name for the falls, which literally translated means
"sea of milk", derives from clouds of foam that gathers at the
bottom when the water levels are at their highest. Overlooking a
steep, crescent-shaped head of a valley carpeted with pristine
tropical forest, Dudhsagar is also set amid breathtaking scenery
that is only accessible on foot or by train.
Anjuna beach - attracts a motley crowd of tourists. It is
famous throughout Goa for its Wednesday flea market and has
retained an undeniable charm.
Dona Paula beach - Situated
9 km west of Panjim, it is nestled on the south side of the
rocky, hammer-shaped headland that divides the Zuari and Mandovi
estuaries. This former fishing village is now a commercialized
resort.
