Fort Aguada

Built to defend and protect Old Goa from potential invasions, Fort Aguada is that the largest and therefore the best-preserved Portuguese bastion within the state. It had been built between 1609 and 1612 to protect against the Marathas and therefore the Dutch forces that wanted to determine their reign. Its strategic location limited the entry into River Mandovi and also to protected Old Goa from enemy attacks. Among the foremost fascinating highlights of the fort may be a large cistern that would store over 20,00,000 gallons of water and a powerful citadel.

A four-storey lighthouse, inbuilt 1864, sits prettily on the premises, and is believed to be the oldest of its kind in Asia. During the initial days, the lighthouse emitted light once every seven minutes that was reduced to each 30 seconds in 1834. The lighthouse was ultimately abandoned in 1976. The fort has been named after a freshwater spring located inside it that when provided water to arriving ships. Though the fort has lost its earlier grandeur, a number of the buildings are still intact and are converted into a jail . Tourists can reach the hilltop fort either from a 4-km-long road from Sinquerim Beach or a 2-km steep footpath. Aguada Fort may be a fine example of Portuguese construction and engineering and is that the best preserved Portuguese fort in India. it’s said that so well built and fiercely armed was this fort that it never fell into enemy hands. It also boasts of a secret passage which was utilized in the days of war and emergency.