Cabo De Rama Fort, Goa: 6 Interesting Things To See

A lot of people tend to head to North Goa where most of the tourist sites are. South Goa for me has always been quieter and more laid back. It is the place that I call home and the part of Goa that I feel most comfortable with, I guess.

That being said, like so many travelers around me, I have been guilty of not exploring my backyard. That’s why we set out recently to explore a prominent location in history called Cabo de Rama fort in Goa. The fort may not be extremely popular, but it is pretty and certainly worth the visit if you want to visit an offbeat location.

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Location Of Cabo De Rama Fort

The Cabo de Rama fort is located in South Goa. If you are looking for popular spots in the vicinity, then Canaguinim and Agonda would be places I would talk about. The fort is located approximately 30 kilometers from Margao, 51 kilometers from Vasco da Gama, 65 kilometers from Panjim and 76 kilometers from Mapusa.

You do need some form of transport to get there. I am not sure about the bus situation, but we drove there since we had our own vehicle. Another alternative is taking a cab which can get really expensive or renting a bike.

Cabo De Rama Fort Entry Timings

One of the main things that I look for before heading anywhere are if it is opened throughout the day. No sense going on a long tedious drive to find the gates closed. Luckily for us Cabo de Rama fort in Goa has decent entry timings. Run by the Directorate of Archives Archaeology in Panjim, the fort is open everyday from 9 am to 5:30 pm and has no entry fees.

History Of Cabo De Rama Fort

I looked around for some information regarding the fort and sadly I can up empty handed. Other than a few signs that warned people not to vandalize, there was nothing. That meant that I had to come home and do a bit of research. I guess it boils down to the fact that I love to know more about a location and I just hate to tell you that it is just a pretty place.

Cabo de Rama changed many hands. Constructed by the Soonda rulers, Cabo de Rama fort transferred to the Portuguese hands in after their arrival in Goa. The Portuguese then used it to defend Goa against any invading forces.

I must say that Cabo de Rama sounded like an interesting name for a fort. So I did a little research. Cabo in Portuguese means ‘Cape’. ‘De’ is ‘of’, which I already knew. Rama is a Hindu God. Legend states that the Hindu God Rama and his wife lived here during their exile from Ayodhya. You can find the roots to this legend in the Hindu spiritual text called the Ramayana.

Attractions In Cabo De Rama Fort

If you take a look at the photographs on Google maps, you will find yourself rather unimpressed. It is a small desolated fort in the south and hardly worth going to. At least that is what most people would feel and at 36 weeks pregnant I was inclined to chuck it from my list of places to explore too.

Something however made me change my mind and we embarked on our journey only to find that there were numerous attractions in Cabo de Rama fort that you could check out. I was a bit cautious and did not explore the fort as thoroughly as I should have because of two reasons: it was raining and everything was slippery.

Risking a fall when I was in the last weeks of pregnancy was not wise. So I took the more easier paths and did what I could. Let’s take a look at the attractions that the fort has to offer.

1. The Cannons

Just as you enter the fort, you will be greeted by two cannons randomly placed under the arched entrance. No… They aren’t very well displayed but they do capture your attention because of the contrast they make with the yellow background wall. If you haven’t seen an old cannon before, this may interest you. It also gives you an overall understanding of how the fort was protected.

2. The Wall

The fort has a thick wall which can be accessed via steps from different locations. While not all parts of the wall provide a view, it is impressive and certainly worth the effort. I did not climb all the sections because the moss had made it slippery and I did not want to risk a tumble but I will definitely be going back to explore some of the other parts of the wall when I’m not heavily pregnant.

3. St. Anthony’s Church

A glimpse of St. Anthony’s Church in Cabo De Rama fort.

The St. Anthony’s church inside the Cabo de Rama Fort in Goa is rather iconic for a number of reasons. It is the first thing that your eyes focus on when you enter largely because it is well maintained despite being situated in the middle of the ruins of the ancient structure. The church is currently still in use.

4. Cabo De Rama

One of my favourite photographs of the cliff side at Cabo de Rama

As I mentioned before, Cabo de Rama means ‘Cape of Rama’. The Cabo de Rama fort has a number of spots where you can catch a glimpse of the sea beating its way against the rocks below. The view is impressive and the fury of the sea during the monsoons took our breath away. It was rather hard to look away.

5. The Hike To The Beach

One of the things that I really wished that I could have done was the hike from Cabo de Rama fort down to the beach below. While the hike did not look too difficult, the mix of the rain, moss and steep decent was a bit too much for me to manage. Like the wall of the fort, it remains one of those things about the Cabo de Rama fort in Goa that I would like to go back to explore.

6. The Moat

One of the things about the Cabo de Rama fort in Goa that I noticed only after exiting it was the moat. The moat that surrounds the fort doesn’t immediately come into focus as you walk towards the entrance. I think this is largely because we tend to focus on seeing what is within the walls.

The moat however is worthwhile stopping and looking at because of how deep it is and how well it has been constructed. From what I could see, the moat is currently not filled and the ancient bridge that leads across to the fort is the only way in.

Cabo de Rama Fort in Goa is a gorgeous offbeat destination that attracts just a few tourists. I somehow found the fort very intense during the monsoons. It was almost as if you could both feel and see what the fort had weathered over the past couple of centuries.

Have you been to Cabo de Rama fort in Goa? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below.