"ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴄᴀɴᴀᴄᴏɴᴀ: ᴀ ꜱᴇᴄʟᴜᴅᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴀꜱᴛᴀʟ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɢᴇ"
Canacona's aboriginal population, the Kunbis (with Gaonkar or Velip as their surnames) live in areas around Gaondongri, Cotigao, Chapoli (the site for a new dam), Assali, Kulem, Khola and Agonda. Besides the Kunbi, there are also their tribal-priestly counterparts, the Velips.
One giant banyan (Ficus) tree is located just beyond the Vaishnavite Partagal math, a religious centre at Partagal-Canacona. Closeby is the banks of the Talpona river. Some put its age at 2,000 years old, and say its shade could encompass around a thousand people.
Sacred groves -- ancient, protected forests -- are numerous in interior Goa. Kamat sees the one at Morpila (in Canacona's neighbouring Quepem taluka) as the "most interesting of all". It protects the source of a mountain stream.
Chandranath hill is another topographically-interesting feature. It comprises two hillocks of near-uniform contour height. One hillock is 300m and the other is 350m high. Scientists suggest a meteorite fell on Chandranath mountain during the pre-historic period. 'Chandrashila', the iron-meteorite worshipped in the temple, further adds to the mystery of this place.
South Goa's straight coastline -- of a peculiar linear shape -- stretches from Majorda to Betul, just north of the Canacona-Quepem coast. This could be a much "younger" coast (around 6,000-15,000 years young) compared to the rest of the Goan coast, and is a "trekker's dream-stretch".
Canacona's beach belt, 'discovered' only after the 1990s, is among the most scenic. Palolem is a freaky recreation of an east-meets-west Goan beach, with a rich variety of exotic food and accommodation to cater to the international palate.
Beyond the better-known Palolem and Agonda, there are nearly 20 lesser-known (or even hidden) beaches. So what if you don't find hotels or restaurants there, the idea is fine if you want to escape from it all. In some cases, the road to the beach is nothing but a narrow track.
Canacona and neighbouring Quepem are rustic areas, with only small towns in the area. These are not the place to go shopping, though Palolem has a growing number of touristy outlets.
Mallikarjun Temple, 2.5 km away from Chaudi on the main-road leading to Karwar (take road going left) is where devotees head for advice from the oracles, interpreted on where flower-petals drop.
Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary is located within this area.
Parthagal math is a five centuries-old monastery.
Dolphin-watching and fishing trips are what attract foreign visitors to the area.
Palolem, Agonda and the more deserted Cabo de Rama Fort are current hot-favourites. The first two are still not overdeveloped beach-villages. Cabo de Rama is a place for scenic views of the coast. You need your own transport to reach these places, since public buses are few and far between.
Loliem has a couple of centuries-old 'hero' stones, etchings on stone to record historic events of the time dating back many centuries. This village's statue of Betal, possibly a pre-Hindu deity, itself goes back to the seventh century if not earlier, according to cultural-historian Phaldessai. Canacona has a total of four Betal deities, according to him.
Canacona's contribution to Goan tourism is the idea of beach-huts—temporary beachside thatched huts built on coconut trees usually above ground level, right on the beach, during the fair weather (October–May) season.
Some places nonetheless manage to come out of this trap quite effectively.
Dilip Gaitonde's Palolem Beach Resort, bang on Canacona beach, offer a range from different cuisines.
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