Aguada Fort, Goa

Lighthouses fascinate me. They have too much to offer. As if the sea on one side and land on another was not enough, these guardians in the darkness offer unmatched view of the landscape from a high point that by design has to be visible from afar. The spiraling staircases take you to an alien looking gigantic torch that rotates. Very few lighthouses are open for tourists - the three most facinating ones I have climbed are the one in Mahabalipuram, Kovalam and Diu Fort. Unfortunately the one in Aguada Fort is not open and many a photogenic views have been bereaved from innocent tourists.

Lighthouse, Aguada Fort 

We arrived at the gates of Aguada Fort on a busy Sunday morning and immediately fell for it. The height at which this fort is built, commands a farside view of sea and of Goa. We could only see the closed lighthouse within and imagine what views are possible at the top. We decided to make to most of the situation at hand and started to navigate the walls of the fort. At the far end with the direct view of sea was a corner that demanded photograhps to be taken. We abided. Walking on the narrow walls of the fort was thrilling enough , we ended up doing it with crowd moving both ways and overtaking each other at a height which would break your bones if you fall.

Sea View from the walls of Aguada Fort

We came at the other end of the fort which was near the lighthouse and decided to hit the Sinquerim Beach nearby. Another idea was to have coffee at Taj Aguada but it was quickly shot down on cost concerns. Sinquerim is the first of many beaches the build the coastline of this side of Goa, ending at Baga Beach where we stayed. We could have walked for an hour on the cool beach under lukewarm sun but we had our scooty to take back. Hence we decided to take a break at a nearby hut on the beach itself.

Sinquerim Beach, Goa

The coconut trees providing enough shadows, we had a great time with fresh juices and cool morning sea breeze to take in. It was time to go back to our resort and plan for the second half of the day. On our way back, we decided to stop at a famous bakery shop called Infantria on Calangute Beach Market. The bakery was really good and we had a nice outing before we settled back at the resort. Evening was planned at the beach only.