Heart shaped quarry at Marmugao
The Mormugao taluka holds the lone Dabolim airport, the Vasco Harbour, the Vasco da Gama Railway terminal and the bus terminals at the city for outstation travel. One can say it is indeed the connection of Goa to the rest of the world. The heart shaped lake lies here, but actually it is not a lake at all.
The taluka is the smallest in the state and perched high on the coast line and there are lovely scattered viewpoints to see the ocean from various spots. One such point is the well-known ‘heart shaped lake’. On the Verna airport road, one has to turn in at the Bogmalo junction and drive upto the Chicolna bus stop. Take the road bang opposite and just go straight down the road passing the Indian Coast Guard Campus till you reach a dirt track.
If you are in a four-wheeler there is only upto a point you can go. It is preferable not to take the car right upto the last possible stretch, as the area is also an area for bird watching and the silence is encouraged. Beyond a certain point you will have to walk it out but if you can maneuver your two wheels with some skill, you can take it right to the viewing spot.
You will come to a fork junction in a few meters. The upper dirt track will lead to a spot from where one could view the fairly well known ‘heart shaped lake’. However, this vantage point from where one could look down and see the entire heart shaped water body is now privately owned and there is no access to a view from the top. But truth be told, it is technically not a lake but more of a quarry with somewhat a shape of a heart, maybe sea water seeping in.
However, the other narrow pathway on the left hand side goes for around 500 meters downward towards an open space. This is a viewing point of the Arabian sea. Though, on google map that area is marked as Syam beach, the locals themselves have not heard of the name. They say it is just the extension of the Bogmalo and Hollant beaches.
While there is no access to a beach here, the view of the sea is splendid and worth a trek here. There is the lovely Pequeno island in the horizon. Just being in the moment is enough here. It was totally garbage free at my visit. The locals frequent the spot for some quiet time.
I would not recommend going here alone specially in the dark for safety reasons as it is otherwise quite an isolated spot.
