Standing on the headland overlooking the mouth of the Mandovi River, Fort Aguada occupies a magnificent and successful position, confirmed by the fact it was never taken by force. A highly popular spot to watch the sunset, with uninterrupted views both north and south, the fort was built in 1612, following the increasing threat to Goa’s Portuguese overlords by the Dutch, among others.
One of the great advantages of the site was the abundance of water from natural springs on the hillside, making the fort an important first watering point for ships just arrived from Portugal; the spring also gave the fort its name – agua is Portuguese for ‘water'. Like Reis Magos and Cabo Raj Bhavan, the British occupied the fort in 1799 to protect Goa from possible French invasion.
Today visitors flock to the bastion that stands on the hilltop – though when compared with the overall area surrounded by defences, this is only a fraction of the original fort. To get to the hilltop fort, take the 4km winding road that heads east from Sinquerim Beach and loops up around the headland. Otherwise there’s a steep 2km walking trail to the fort that starts just past Marbella Guest House. You can also walk out to the sea level fort walls at Sinquerim along the road past the Taj Hotel.