Fort Aguada

Fort Aguada was built by the Portuguese in 1612 on the southern peninsula of the Mandovi river estuary, 18 km from Panaji. The name comes from the Portuguese 'agua' (water) — the fort enclosed a freshwater spring that supplied passing ships with fresh water for the long Atlantic-Indian Ocean crossings. At its peak it was the largest Portuguese fortification in Goa and one of the most strategically important on the western Indian coast. The fort's surviving structures include the central bastion, the moat, the freshwater cistern (still partially full), and the lighthouse. The original 1864 lighthouse was Asia's first four-storey lighthouse and ran on castor oil for 12 days at a stretch; the current 1976 lighthouse is taller and operates electrically. The lower section of the fort houses the Aguada Central Jail (decommissioned 2015 and now a museum). Sinquerim Beach, with the Taj Holiday Village resort, lies directly below.