Quiet North Goa enclave separated by river, with a Portuguese fort above the Arabian Sea.
Tiracol sits at the very tip of North Goa, a quiet enclave separated from the rest of the state by the Tiracol River. Most people come for the fort — a small but striking Portuguese structure perched on a headland with sweeping views over the Arabian Sea and the river estuary below.
The fort was originally built by the Maratha king Khem Sawant Bhosale in the early 18th century. The Portuguese captured it in 1746 and left their mark with the small whitewashed chapel of St Anthony inside the walls. The setting is dramatic and the views are among the best in Goa.
The long sandy stretch of Querim Beach lies immediately across the river mouth on the Goan side, while just across the river in Maharashtra the red-sand beaches and Ganapati temple at Redi are easily reached by ferry and worth the short detour.
Guide
Getting There
Tiracol sits at the very northern tip of Goa, about 42 km from Mapusa and an hour and a half by road. There are two routes: drive up the coast via Arambol and Querim and cross the river on the small flat-bottomed car ferry that runs from Querim jetty to Tiracol jetty every twenty minutes during daylight, or take the slightly longer inland route via the road bridge near Patradevi on the NH66 and approach the village from the Maharashtra side.
There is no public bus that reaches Tiracol village itself. The nearest dolmus stand is at Querim (a 20-minute walk from the ferry jetty, served by buses from Arambol); from there the ferry handles the last leg. A taxi from Anjuna or Arambol is the easiest option for a day trip and shouldn't take more than half a day round trip with a leisurely lunch.
