Tiracol Fort

Tiracol Fort stands on a rocky headland at the very northern tip of Goa, where the Tiracol River meets the Arabian Sea. The fort was built by Maharaja Khem Sawant Bhonsle of Sawantwadi in the 18th century and was captured by the Portuguese in 1746, after which it was rebuilt. It became part of Goa's territory even though the village around it lies on the far bank of the river from the rest of the state. Inside the walls stands the whitewashed Church of St Anthony, still used by the small local Catholic community. The fort holds a place in the freedom movement because satyagrahis from India entered it and raised the Indian flag here during the 1950s campaigns against Portuguese rule. Today the fort has been converted into a heritage hotel, so access to the interior can depend on the property. Visitors still come for the sweeping view across the river mouth to Querim Beach and the coastline running south. Reaching it was historically by ferry from Querim, which adds to its end-of-the-road feel. It is worth the trip as a combined outing with the quiet northern beaches of Pernem.