These 5 lesser-known destinations in Goa will make you visit it again

Goa has always been a part and parcel of our lives, either in movies, literature or music. It has innumerable places to visit, some famous and some not so famous, but all equally beautiful. Here are some of the lesser known destinations of Goa you must visit next time when you go there.

There is something about Goa which is eternally refreshing, either ephemerally in the moving images, one finds in mass media or in the boundless memories of our visits there.

Goa has always been a part and parcel of our lives, either in movies, literature or music.(Unsplash)

Who can ever forget its intriguing calmness in the backdrop of the Shyam Benegal movie Trikal, or the exuberance of Sid, Sameer and Akash in declaring the true spirit of a new millennium in Farhan Akhtar’s debut movie, Dil Chahta Hai? Or amidst a cool backdrop in which Dr Jehangir Khan’s fatherly assurances drives away the multi-layered struggles of youth in Dear Zindagi?

Goa has always been a part and parcel of our lives, either in movies, literature or music. It has innumerable places to visit, some famous and some not so famous, but all equally beautiful. Here are some of the lesser known destinations of Goa you must visit next time when you go there.

1. While in Goa, you will seldom find any tourist talking about the Cabo De Rama Fort, a lesser-known but breathtakingly beautiful place, with the main structure lying in ruins now. It is a fort which was captured by the Portuguese from the local rulers there and then refurbished with their modern defences of canons and other armaments of that time. It is situated in South Goa and the drive to the fort is heavenly. The place has a beach too and equally beautiful. There is also a beautiful church inside the fort. A local legend about this place is that Lord Rama along with Sita resided here for some time during their exile.

Entrance to the Caso De Rama Fort.

2. Aldona village in North Goa is one of the most beautiful villages in the world. It is the perfect place to experience the Goan hinterland with its classic rural setting. The village also has the beautiful St. Thomas church with its towering presence and sublime white facade.

3. Close to Aldona village, around four km away, is another fort of Goa – called the Corjuem fort, situated on an island of the same name on the Mapusa River and accessible through a cable bridge. Though smaller in size, the view from this fort all around is mesmerising. There is also a very interesting legend associated with this place. According to it, a Portuguese woman who had dressed up as a man to travel the world, ended up here disguised as a soldier after travelling to several places. However, her true identity was soon discovered. But never to give up so easily, she supposedly married the fort commander himself and thus survived the day.

4. A lot of people might have visited Arambol beach situated in the extreme North of Goa, but not many would venture further and visit the beautiful lake there which is generally called the Sweet Water Lake or the Fresh Water Lake locally. This lake is one of the most beautiful spots in Goa and it can only be visited by foot. One has to get down to Arambol beach and go further north where amidst lush greenery, beautiful low lying hills and coconut groves, lies this secluded lake. One can relax here, hike up the hills or take a bath at the lake. It is a popular spot with a lot of foreign tourists.

5. One of the most underrated places in Goa is the village where the above mentioned Shyam Benegal film ‘Trikal’ was shot – Loutolim, in the South of Goa. The house which has been used in the movie with all its eerie surroundings is the ancestral home of the late cartoonist Mario Miranda. Loutolim is another village which has a rich Portuguese heritage amidst lush green vegetation, with a verdant horizon and the tranquillity of classic village life. It is definitely worth a visit.

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