Chapora Fort

The Portuguese rebuilt Chapora in 1717 on the site of an earlier Muslim fort, on a headland where the Chapora river meets the sea, laterite walls following the hill edge with bastions and tunnels cut for escape to the water. It was abandoned in the nineteenth century and is now a shell: walls, gates and empty ground inside, with no roofed buildings. What people come for is the position, looking north over the river mouth and Morjim, south along Vagator and Anjuna, and west to the open sea, which makes it the standard sunset spot on this coast. A Hindi film shot here in 2001 made it a fixture on domestic itineraries.

History

An Adil Shahi fort called Shahpoora stood here, and after the Portuguese took Bardez the site changed hands several times; the Marathas made it a base camp in 1683, and the Maharaja of Sawantwadi held it for two years. The Portuguese returned in 1717 and repaired it extensively, adding bastions and a tunnel to the shore and the river bank, the Bhonsles took it in 1739, and in 1892 the Portuguese abandoned it completely (Wikipedia, Chapora Fort).

Highlights

• The laterite walls - the ruined circuit following the hill edge.
• The coast view - the Chapora river mouth, Morjim and Vagator below.
• The escape tunnels - cut passages toward the water, now blocked.
• The sunset crowd - the ramparts filling in the late afternoon.

When to go

November to February; sunset is the busiest hour by far. Mornings are quiet and better for the walk up. The monsoon closes the beaches below and the path is slippery.

What to expect

The fort is entirely ruined with nothing to see inside beyond the view. Sunset crowds are heavy and noisy. The climb is short but rough underfoot, and there is no shade or facilities.

Nearby

Vagator and Anjuna lie south; Morjim is across the river.

Key facts