Alorna Fort

Alorna Fort also known as Halarn fort is one of the oldest forts in Goa. It is situated 30 kilometers from the town of Mapusa. It was constructed by the Bhonsles of Sawantwadi in the 17th century, to defend against the Maratha attacks. From there, one can get a good view of the surrounding river and land.

The fort is currently in ruins and filled with wild vegetation.

Corjuem Fort

Corjuem Fort is a fortress situated 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the village of Aldona on the island of Corjuem, Goa. It was a military fortress for the defense of Portuguese India. It is smaller than the other forts in Goa, but it gives a good view of the surrounding river and land.

Corjuem Fort is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Panjim.

Rachol Fort

The ruins of the Rachol fort lie close to the famous Rachol Seminary, about 7 kms from the town of Margao. Of the fortress itself, only a single gateway remains in existence, straddling the road which leads to the seminary.

The imposing fortress once encircled the hill on which the Seminary stands today. The dried-up moat can still be seen in places. The Muslim Bahmani kingdom built the fortress at the height of its power.

However, the Hindu Vijayanagar kingdom under King Krishnaraya, captured it from the Sultan of Bijapur, Ismail Adil Shah, only to cede it to the Portuguese in 1520 in exchange for military help against the Muslims.

The Rachol fort remained in Portuguese hands over the years, defending the area against Muslim and Hindu attackers, including a siege by the Maratha King Sambhaji in 1684. At the peak of its power, it had as many as 100 guns on its ramparts, helping it to hold the Maratha armies at bay for months.

As the Portuguese empire in Goa expanded with the New Conquests, the guns found new areas of deployment and the fort fell from favour and was finally abandoned. The fort soon fell into a state of disrepair and nothing remains of it today except the stone archway which spans the road and the old moat around the hill.

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Reis Magos Fort

Reis Magos fort, surrounded by sturdy laterite walls studded with typically Portuguese turrets, was erected in 1551 to protect the narrowest point at the mouth of the Mandovi estuary. The fort formerly accommodated viceroys and other dignitaries newly arrived from, or en route to, Lisbon, and in the early eighteenth century proved a linchpin in the wars against the Hindu Marathas, who were never able to take it. The bastion was used as a prison and is not open to the public.

Terekhol Fort

Often mis-spelt as Tirakol or Tirakhol, situated on the Terekhol River, this fort lies on the northern tip of Goa. Maharaja Khem Sawant Bhonsle, the Raja of Sawantwadi, built this fort in the 17th century. It was then rebuilt in 1764 after the Portuguese Viceroy Dom Pedro Miguel de Almeida captured it. However, Terekhol was legally incorporated into Goa only in 1788.

42 kms from Panaji, Terekhol fort stands at the northern most tip of Goa’s shoreline, on a hillock overlooking the Arabian Sea, at the mouth of river Terekhol.

The Cabo De Rama Fort

Inside the Cabo de Rama Fort, there is the church of Santo Antonio which is in excellent condition and is still used by devotees. The white church and the black fort provide a photographic picture of stark contrast. People come here to pray and just enjoy the mystical atmosphere of the fort. Cliffs drop steeply to the sea provide a panoramic outlook of the surrounding areas, at the western side of the fortress. The fort provides majestic views of the entire length of Colva beach and the Canacona stretch.

The Chapora Fort

Chapora Fort, located in Bardez, Goa, rises high above the Chapora River. Before the Portuguese arrived in Goa in 1510, this location was the site of another fort. The fort changed hands several times after Portuguese acquired Bardez. Trying to end the Portuguese rule in Goa, Prince Akbar joined his father’s enemies, the Marathas in 1683 and made this place his base camp. It became the northern outpost of the Old Conquests. After the Portuguese recovered from an encounter with the Marathas, they strengthened their northern defences and provided shelter to the people there.