Fort Aguada

Candolim, Goa, India

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Fort Aguada in Goa was built by the Portuguese between 1609 and 1612 as a strategic military base to guard against Dutch and Maratha attacks and to protect their colony.

The name "Aguada" means fresh water, derived from a freshwater spring inside the fort that supplied water to the ships docking there. It is situated at the southwestern tip of Bardez on the shore of the Mandovi River, overlooking the Arabian Sea. The fort is a large and imposing structure made of laterite stone with thick walls, high ramparts, a moat, and bastions capable of mounting around 79 cannons.

One of its key features is a large water cistern capable of storing over 2 million gallons of freshwater. Inside the fort, there is an important 19th-century lighthouse, once critical for guiding ships approaching Goa from Europe. The fort also has secret passageways, a gunpowder room, and a section that served as a safe berth for Portuguese ships.

Later in history, under Portugal's Salazar administration, parts of Fort Aguada were used as a prison.