Fort Tiracol

Fort Tiracol, formally the Fortaleza da Santíssima Trindade, sits on a hillock on the north bank of the Terekhol River where it meets the Arabian Sea, near Tiracol village in North Goa. A ferry from Querim, 42 km north of Panaji, reaches it. The Raja of Sawantwadi, Khem Sawant Bhonsle, is believed to have first built it in the 17th century with a chapel, a barrack and 12 guns. In November 1746 the Portuguese viceroy Pedro Miguel de Almeida defeated the Sawantwadi fleet in the river and took the fort, which was extensively revamped in 1764.

Rebels held it in an 1825 uprising, and it was badly damaged and later rebuilt. On 15 August 1954 satyagrahis opposed to Portuguese rule occupied it and raised the Indian flag for a day. Portuguese control lasted until December 1961. It is now the Fort Tiracol Heritage hotel. In its courtyard stands the Church of St. Anthony, where Mass is said on Sundays and an annual feast is usually held in May.