Located mid-way between the beach of Betul and Agonda, Cabo da Rama is Goa’s southernmost fort, in Canacona taluka. Named after the hero of the Ramayana the present fort dates to 1763, when it was re-built by the Portuguese after their victory over the Raja of Sonda. The original fort, however, was built by local ruler, many years before the arrival of the colonisers.
Today the remains of the structure are in ruins. Only the pretty St. Anthony’s church inside the compound is well preserved and still in use.
The long and lonely drive up to the Cabo does have its rewards however; the journey passes through some beautiful Goan countryside, with views of the gentle Ghats in the distance offering a particular pleasure.
The western wall of the fort, built along a cliff that fails far below into the sea, affords captivating views of the deep blue ocean bordered by groves of bright green. Abandoned cannons arranged along parts of the ruined wall face the vast expanse of empty land and sea beyond, an evocative reminder’s of the Cabo’s past glory.
Used as a prison till 1955, the fort’s only inmates now are soaring birds, acrobatic monkeys and, rarely, adventurous tourists.