Goa has a rich historical legacy that many don't know about. A living testimony to this historical legacy is the famous forts of Goa. Not only are they popular tourist attractions but they also provide vital historical information to historians and archaeologists. The forts of Goa tell dramatic tales of history to those who visit and even today one can feel the mystical air of the rich historical legacy lingering here. Though most of the forts are almost in ruins, the concerned authorities preserve it and take care of it.

Forts of Goa are as follow:

Aguda Fort

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.

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

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.

Arvalem Caves or Pandav Caves (Fort)

Arvalem caves is in Bicholim Taluka Approximate 45 Km from the city Panjim. This caves are know as " "Pandav Caves".

Aravalem Caves Excavated in the laterite hill consisting of two major caves and a residential cambers. The first phase of excavation includes three shrines(triple shrine). The first cave of the triple shrine on the north-west side is a square chamber having pitha in the centre, enshrined by a linga like shaft of schistose provided in its visible top form as a disc or circular, perhaps standing for solar disc. The rectangular part below the disc-top contains an inscription “sambapuravasi ravi” a name of donor in early part of the 7th century A.D. characters. This indicates syncretisation of siva and surya and matches with the name of donor. The central shrine with a similar pitha, enshrined by a linga with visible cylindrical top and square bottom which would conveniently recall the early usage at ellora, elephanta etc.

The third shirne on the south-east side had a similar rock out pitha also having similar shaft with the inscription, which assumes the form of a spearhead, a possible representation of kartikeya. It seems to be reasonable to assume the combination of saiva, kaumara and surya cults displayed here in the same manner as the southern pandyan caves.

The second phase cave is provided by a pillared façade, fairly well finished and contains a rock-cut laterite pitha platform, in the centre of which is found a linga shaft with visible cylindrical part. A part from the above cave shrines there is one mare at the extreme corner of north-west with a similar pitha enshrined by a linga with inscriptions on the shaft in the last quarter of the 6th century A.D. Brahmi Charaters