Chapora Fort

Chapora Fort stands on a hill above the mouth of the Chapora River in Bardez, overlooking Vagator Beach. An earlier fort on the site dated to the Adil Shahi period, and the Portuguese rebuilt it in 1617 to guard the northern frontier of their territory. The fort changed hands during conflicts with the Marathas before being abandoned in the 19th century. Today only the laterite outer walls survive, enclosing a grassy hilltop, but the views are the real reward. From the ramparts visitors can see Vagator and Morjim beaches, the river estuary and the open sea. The fort became widely known in India after it appeared in the 2001 Hindi film Dil Chahta Hai, and it is still often called the Dil Chahta Hai fort. It is especially popular at sunset. Chapora Fort is worth the short climb for one of the best panoramas on the North Goa coast.