Canacona is an administrative region in the district of South Goa, Goa state, India.
Canacona is one of the six subdivisions (talukas) that constitute the South Goa district. It is bounded on the north by the taluka of Quepem, on the northeast by Sanguem, on the south by the state of Karnataka, and on the west by the Arabian Sea. The town of Chaudi is the administrative headquarters of the taluka of Canacona.
The name Canacona is a corruption of the name Konkan. The area was one of the districts of the former Kingdom of Soonda, itself a remnant of the former Vijayanagara Empire. When Soonda was invaded and partially occupied by Hyder Ali of Mysore, the heirless Raja ceded the remaining parts to Portugal; and these were incorporated into Goa as the districts of Quepem, Sanguem, and Canacona. In the recent elections, Kishen Naikgaunkar got elected as the President of the Canacona, and Samba Naik Desai got elected as an Attorney.
Canacona was incorporated into Goa in AD 1794. Like most of Goa, the culture of the district reflects an Indo-Portuguese fusion, yet Canacona experienced less Lusitanisation than the central Velhas Conquistas (Old Conquests) of Goa.
Transport
The Canacona railway station of the Konkan Railways is located at the center of the district, close to the tourist attractions of the coast. The railway junction of Margao to the north is the closest major rail station. Buses from Bombay may terminate at Panaji (Panjim), but some go on to Margao. The Canacona bus stand opened in 2004 is considered by many to be among the best designed bus-stands in India. Highway Route NH17 from Bombay to Goa connects Chaudi to Margao and Panaji. The newly constructed Canacona bypass in November 2019 NH 66 highway named after Manohar Parrikar the bypass named after him "Manohar Parrikar bypass" as it was his and many people dream. It shortens 10 km of distance from old highway of 18 km and this bypass is of just 8 km connecting mashem to char rasta which can be completed the distance in couple of minutes with the scenic coastal view. The scenic coastal road connects Navelim, Chinchinim, Assolna, Betul, and Canaguinim.
Additional Konkan Railway station in Cancona started functioning in 2013 in Loliem which is the southernmost village in Cancona right on Goa-Karnataka border.
Maps
FallingRain Map
Tourism
Tourism is rather human-scale, people-friendly and relatively more-affordable than other parts of Goa. Away from the coast, Canacona and its neighbouring district of Quepem have a number of off-the-beaten-track destinations and unusual festivals.
The tourism industry, which developed first in central Goa, did not develop in Canacona until the early 1990s. Much of the tourist infrastructure here is run through small-scale local initiatives.
In Goa, generally, locals have mixed feelings though about the impact of tourism on the region, with views increasingly pointing to the environmental degradation and social distortions due to the growth of this sector; however, the discussion remains largely academic, with few people directly involved in the field being influenced by the debates. Canacona was relatively left untouched by tourism until the early nineties as it was not easily accessible by public transport and the local economy wasn't enterprising enough to cater to tourists. Incidentally there was just one restaurant in the main street of canacona where one could expect the local meal during the day in the eighties.
Tourist attractions
Canacona's beach belt, 'discovered' by tourism only after the 1990s, is among the most scenic. Palolem is a milder recreation of an east-meets-west Goan beach, with a rich variety of exotic food and accommodation to cater to the international palate. Polem is another beach situated at the south of Canacona which too is popular among tourists.
But beyond the better-known Palolem and Agonda, there are nearly a dozen-and-half lesser-known (or even hidden) beaches. Some are just tiny strips of sand. Vaturem and Xendrem are secluded beaches. Quepem's narrow sea front has a two or three beaches, known for their picture-postcard quality.
The most prominent Hindu institution of Canacona, and indeed of all Goa, is the Parthagali Math ("Portuguese Hindu Mutt") - a five centuries-old ashram and cult headquarters built in a mix of Portuguese and Hindu architectural styles. Besides, there are famous Hindu temples at Zambaulim and Fatorpa. Also the Mallikarjun Temple, Shristhal built by the Kshatriya samaj is very beautiful and known for its versatile festivals.