Vagator and Chapora

Overview

Chapora Fort stands on a hill above the Chapora River, about 10 km from Mapusa, and the cliff beaches of Vagator curve away beneath it, in Bardez taluka of North Goa district. Vagator is about 22 km from Panaji. The mix of a ruined fort, a river mouth and rock-backed sand suits anyone who wants a walk with a view, and temperatures of roughly 17 to 35 C from November to February make the climb to the fort practical.

The fort dates to 1617 and is built of red laterite. Its walls follow the slope of the hill, with bastions and a narrow gate, and two tunnel entrances can still be seen. It served first as a border watchpost for Portuguese territory. The Maratha ruler Sambhaji took it in 1684, and it passed between the Marathas and the Portuguese until 1741; the Portuguese abandoned it for good in 1892. Little more than the walls survive, but the view takes in Anjuna and Vagator to the south and Morjim across the river. The fort became widely known through the film Dil Chahta Hai.

Vagator beach lies on Caisua Bay, a crescent along the Chapora river basin. A headland with a car park divides it into Big Vagator and Little Vagator, and Ozran beach lies beside them. Rock cliffs rise over the water, and at Little Vagator the bars and clubs on the cliff are a popular spot for the sunset. Parasailing and dolphin trips are offered from the beaches.

Chapora is a different kind of place, a fishing hamlet at the foot of the fort, with a pale beach, dark lava rocks and a river that runs out to sea beside Morjim. It is the working side of this stretch of coast, while Vagator is where most visitors stay.

Frequent buses run from Mapusa and from Calangute to Vagator and stop near the fort. The nearest railway station is Thivim on the Konkan Railway. Anjuna lies next door to the south and has its own page.

Known for

Laterite hill fort dating to 1617 above the Chapora River