Amthane Dam at Bicholim, serenity of calm waters
To go to the Amthane dam, the Assonara bus stop is a good starting point to get to the dam, from where it is a 15-minute ride away and around 8 kms away. There are no road signs to get to the Amthane dam and google maps is quite reliable.
The dam gets its name from the village it is located in and the ride through the many villages to get to it, reveals another side of Goa. These villages are not of what a tourist has typically in mind, when they think of local Goan villages. There are no Portuguese style huge houses, with balcaoes here. There are no sprawling gardens in front of houses. Instead one will find the most humble dwellings, totally one with the nature, in its abundance around them.
The best time to visit the place would be during the monsoons as the dam is most likely to be filled to its capacity. The Amthane dam is mostly frequently by local Goans and is not typically on the tourist map maybe because it takes an effort to get to it. But once there, it is serenity that takes over.
The 1997 completed dam has a length of around 250 meters and the height at 25 meters. The narrow gauge of the dam is not really meant for vehicles and it is really better to walk on to get a view and photo shots of the dam. A splendid view of the Sahyadri range is visible on the horizon.
There is no police outpost, or security or cleaning staff at the spot. The area is litter, plastic, bottles as well as garbage free.
The locals are skeptical of visitors thronging the place carelessly. There have been reports of tourists not paying attention to warning signs of not venturing into the waters, and the potential presence of crocodiles, as recent as April 2021, thus ending in tragedies.
It is possible to club this visit of Amthane dam with the Harlane (Alorna) Fort that is situated less than 10 kilometers away in the village of Alorna, Bicholim.
