The workaday indifference to the annual invasion of Westerners
is most evident on the main street, lined with as many regular
stores as travellers cafes and restaurants. It's unlikely
that Chapora will ever develop into a major resort, either.
Tucked away under a dense canopy of trees on the muddy southern
shore of a river estuary, it lacks both the space and the
white sand that have pulled crowds to Calangute and Colva.
The Pit Stop
If one has one's own transport however, Chapora is a good
base from which to explore the region: Vagator is on the
doorstep, Anjuna is a short ride to the south, and the ferry
crossing at Siolim --gateway to the remote north of the
state - is barely fifteen minutes away by road. The village
is also well connected by bus to Mapusa, and there are plenty
of sociable bars and cafes to hang out in. Apart from the
guesthouses along the main road, most of the places to stay
are long stay houses in the woods.
Chapora Old fort
Chapora's chief landmark is its venerable Old Fort, most
easily reached from the Vagator side of the hill. At low
tide, one can also walk around the bottom of the headland,
via the anchorage, and the secluded coves beyond it, to
big Vagator, then head up the hill from there.
Eating Out
Finding somewhere to eat in Chapora is easy: just take
a pick from the crop of affordable little cafes and restaurants
on the main street. The popular Welcome, halfway down, offers
a reasonable selection of inexpensive and filling seafood,
Western and Vegetarian dishes, plus relentless reggae and
techno music, and backgammon sets. The Preyanka, nearby,
is in much the same mould, but has a few more Indian and
Chinese options. If one is suffering from chilli burn afterwards,
Scarlet Cold Drinks and the Sai Ganesh Café, both
a short way east of the main street, knock up deliciously
cool fresh fruit milkshakes.
How to Get There
Road:
Direct buses arrive at Chapora three times daily from Panjim,
and every fifteen minutes from Mapusa, with departures until
7.00 pm. Motorcycle taxis hang around the old banyan tree
at the far end of the main street, near where the buses
pull in.
