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North Goa Beaches
CHAPORA : Crouched in
the shadow of a Portuguese fort on the opposite, northern side of the headland
from Vagator, Chapora, 10 K.M from Mapusa, is busier than most north coast
villages. Dependent on fishing and boat-building, it has retained independent
of tourism. Tucked away under a dense canopy of trees on the muddy southern
shore of the river Chapora's estuary, it lacks both the space and the white
sand. Vagator is on the doorstep, Anjuna is a short ride to the south and the
ferry crossing at Siolim-gateway to the remote north of the state is barely 15
minutes away by road which leads to Chopdem, Morgim, Mandarem & Terekol.
Chapora's chief landmark is its Old fort, easily reached from Vagator. The
red-laterite bastion, crowning the rocky bluff was built by the Portuguese in
1617. Now the fortress lies in ruins, still one can see the heads of two
tunnels that formerly provided supply routes for defenders of Muslim tombstone.
From the fort are the superb views from the bastion's weed infested ramparts,
which took not to Morgim and Mandarem beaches and south towards Anjuna. Direct
buses from Panjim arrives three times daily and every fifteen minutes from
Mapusa with departures until 7 p.m.
SIOLIM : On the banks of
river Chapora barely fifteen minutes away by from Chapora is Siolim. There are
limited social bars and cafes to hang out. Accommodation is tin apart from
guesthouses along the main road, most of the places to stay are little houses
in the woods, most of them are rented out for the whole winter to long-stayers.
Ferry crossing at Siolim is the gateway to the remote north Goa which operates
every 15 mints.
CHOPDEM : On the banks of river Chapora to the
north is Chopdem. There are limited social bars and cafes to hang out.
Accommodation is thin apart from guesthouses along the main road, most of the
places to stay are little houses in the woods, most of them are rented out for
the whole winter to long-stayers. Ferry crossing at Siolim is the gateway to
the remote north Goa which operates every 15 mints.
MORGIM : A
seemingly endless expanse of soft white sand stretches north from, rounding a
rocky headland where the local fishing fleet is beached, after which it widens
and empties completely. The car ferries to cross the river Chapora from Siolim
will get you here.
MANDAREM : 3 K.M from Morgim is Mandarem,
with its palm-fringed dunes and acres of space is perfect. Apart from the odd
fisherman or tourist buzzing along the hard sand at low tide, the only sign of
life are a couple of makeshift cafes serving tea, soft drinks and rice. The
accommodation here about lies a couple of K.M north of Mandarem, in the
scattered village of Asvem.
ASVEM : Few Kmt., from Mandarem lies
Asvem sheltered in the shaded of a palm grove. There are limited social bars
and cafes to hang out. Accommodation is thin apart from guesthouses along the
main road.
ARAMBOL : Of the fishing settlements dotted along the
north coast is Arambol, 32 km Northwest of Mapusa is remotely geared for
tourism. If you are happy with basic amenities this is the most appealing
village in this area. Beyond an idyllic, rocky bottomed cove the trail emerges
to "Paradise Beach" a broad strip of white sand hemmed in on both sides by
steep cliffs. Behind it a small freshwater lake extends along the bottom of the
valley into the thick jungle. Fed by the boiling hot springs the lake is lined
with sulphurous mud. Buses to and from Panjim pull into Arambol every half hour
until noon, and every ninety minutes thereafter.
QUERIM : Querim
is at least three miles long and half a mile wide. Every evening fishermen
emerged in the estuary in their dugout canoes. The incredible thing about the
estuary is the bird life that can be seen like kingfisher, brown eagles and an
endless list of wading birds. This is a bird lovers paradise.
TEREKOL
: The very northern part of Goa Terekol is wild, beautiful, unspoiled and
totally uncommercialised and is one of the last idyllically peaceful spots in
Goa. North of Arambol, the sinuous cost read climbs to the top of a rock,
undulating plateau, then winds down through a swathe of thick woodland to join
the River Arondem, which is then follows for 4 k.m through a landscape of vivid
paddy fields and coconut plantations dotted with scruffy red-brick Villages.
The fort, which was captured by the Portuguese in 1776 with St.Anthony's church
in the middle, is set spectacularly on the hilltop. From the battlements one
can look across to Querim Beach. To cross the Terekol River takes twenty
minutes on an ancient Goan ferry operates every 30 mints.
REIS MAGOS : The coastal road veers inland to a small market crossroad.A Hindu tree
shrine, 20 mts., before this marks the turning to Reis Magos, 3 K.M., west of
Betim Bazaar. Reis Magos Church was built in 1555. Historians believe the
original church was constructed on the ruins of an old Hindu temple and the
bas-relief lion figures flanking the steps at the ends of the balustrades lend
credence to the this theory, being a typical feature of Vijayanagar temple
architecture in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Two viceroys of
Portuguese are buried inside the church. The centrepiece of the church's
elaborately carved and painted recedes, behind the high alter is a
multicoloured wood relief showing the Three Wise Men - or Reis Magos, after
whom the village is named . Each year this scene is re-enacted in the Festa dos
Reis Magos held in the first week of January during Epiphany. Crowning the
sheer-sided headland immediately above the church, Reis Magos fort was erected
in 1551 to protect the narrowest point at the mouth of Mandovi estuary. These
days the bastion surrounded by sturdy laterite wall studded with typically
Portuguese turrets is used as a prison and not open to the public but you can
climb up the steep slope to the ramparts for the view over the river.
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