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The Countryside Heaven Of the fishing settlements
dotted along the north coast, only Arambol 32-km northwest of
Mapusa, is remotely geared to tourism - albeit in a very low-key,
low-impact fashion. If one is happy with basic amenities, the
village offers two very fine beaches and a healthy dose of peace and
quiet. Parties are occasionally held here, drawing revellers |
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across the river from Anjuna and Vagator, but
these are rare intrusions into an otherwise tranquil, out of the way
enclave.
Beaches Of Arambol
Modern Arambol Beach is scattered around an area of high ground west
of the main coast road, where most of the buses pull in. From here,
a bumpy lane runs downhill, past a large school and the village
church, to the more traditional end of the village, clustered under
a canopy of widely spaced palm trees. The main beach lies 200m
farther along the lane. Strewn with dozens of old wooden fishing
boats and a line of tourist café bars, the gently curving bay is
good for bathing, but much less picturesque than its neighbour
around the corner.
The smaller and less frequented of Arambol's two beaches can only be
reached on foot by following the stony track over the headland to
the north. Beyond an idyllic rocky-bottomed cove, the trail emerges
to a broad strip of soft white sand hemmed in on both sides by steep
cliffs.
A Freshwater Lake
Behind the surrounding of the second beach lay a small freshwater
lake extends along the bottom of the valley into a thick jungle.
Hang around the banks of this murky green pond for long enough, and
one will probably see a fluorescent yellow human figure or two
appear from the bushes at its far end. Fed by boiling hot springs,
the lake is lined with sulphurous mud, which, when smeared over the
body, dries to form a surreal, butter coloured shell.
Nearby, in the woods immediately behind the lake, other members of
the lunatic fringe have taken to living in the branches of an old
tree; the scene resembles a cross between Lord of the flies and
apocalypse now.
Places to see
Terecol Fort : North of Arambo Beach Goa ,
the sinuous coast road climbs to the top of a rocky, undulating plateau,
then winds down through a swathe of thick woodland to join the river
Arondem, which it then follows for 4km through a landscape of vivid
paddy fields, coconut plantations and temple towers protruding from
scruffy red brick villages. The tiny enclave of Terakol, the northernmost
tip of Goa, is reached via a clapped-out car ferry from the hamlet
of Querim, 42-km from Panjim,
The Fort
It was a key Portuguese fort for the defense of Goa, on the north
side of the estuary of the Teracol River, the most northern boundary
of Goa. Hyped as one of the state's most atmospheric historic
monuments, it turns out to be little more than a down at heel
country house recently converted into a low-key luxury hotel.
Decorative turrets and dry moat with commanding views of the estuary
and ocean mark the fort.
If ones visit coincides with the arrival of a guided tour, one may
get a chance to look around the gloomy interior of the chapel of St.
Anthony, in the fort's claustrophobic cobbled square; at other times
it's kept locked. The Chapel also has a classical late Goan facade.
How to reach :
By Road
Road: Buses to and from Panjim pull into Arambol every thirty
minutes until noon, and every ninety minutes thereafter, at the
small bus stand on the main road. A faster private minibus service
from Panjim arrives daily opposite the Chai (tea) stalls at the
beach end of the village.
Local Transport
Boat: Boats leave here every Wednesday morning for the ninety-minute
trip to the Anjuna Flea Market. Tickets should be booked in advance
from the Welcome Restaurant by the beach, which also rents out
motorcycles. The post office, next to the church, has a Poste
Restante Box; to change money, however, one will have to head for
Vagator, as Arambol's State Bank Of India has no foreign exchange
facility.
India-Vacations.net offers online information and booking your Arambol
Beach Goa Tour.
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