Canacona is a city and a municipal council in South Goa district in the state of Goa. It is located in Southern part of Goa. Its capital is Chaudi. Canacona serves as the entrance gate for many southern tip beaches of Goa. The city is one amongst the five talukas that form the southern Goa. Canacona is surrounded by the taluka of Quepeum in the north and Sanguem in the north east. Karnataka lies to its south while the Arabian Sea lies in the western portion.
According to the history of the taluka it formed a part of the Soonds Kingdom, which was a part of the Vijaynagar Empire. Later Hyder Ali of Mysore walked in and annexed a portion of Soonda kingdom. It was during this time that the king of taluka was forced to give away the rest of the portion to the Portuguese as he had no successor. Thus according to the Treaty of 1791 Canacona was thus merged into the state of Goa in the year 1794.
The word Canacona is a distorted version of Konkan. The later word was derived from the Sanskrit word Konvapuram. According to a legend, the province of Canacona during the early times was enveloped with thick forests and made up a perfect place for the meditating sages. Once, a learned sage by the name of Konovmuni made a hut for himself and resided here. By his presence the land became sanctified and came to be known as Konvapuram.
As a tourist destination, Canacona came into limelight in the 1990`s. The city of Canacona boasts some of the state`s most striking scenery. The city is located against a backdrop of the jungle-covered Sahyadri hills which is an extension of the Western Ghat range. Its coastline is bordered by a string of pearl-white caves and sweeping beaches.
Tourist Spots in Canacona
There are many tourist spots in Goa that binds its tourists in this place. There are a quiet a decent number attractions in Canacona. There are many religious places that are often visited by devotees. The famous temples in Canacona are Shree Sanusthan Gokarn Parthagali Jeevotham Math. The city is also bordered by many beaches like the Pololem Beach and the Cavelosim Beach. The Catigo wildlife sanctuary is also situated in Canacona which houses variety of birds and animals. The sanctuary is a great delight for the wildlife enthusiasts. The Agonda Fort is also located here which was built by the Portuguese to secure their territory. The city of Canacona is well connected to the other places by road as well as through rail.
