Aravalem, a nondescript village in North Goa near Sanquelim town is not on every tourist’s radar. But here’s our recommendation. Make time to get there. The village can make for a nice afternoon outing, especially because of the two jewels in this otherwise dusty village’s crown.
On reaching there, the first place to visit is the waterfall, where water cascades from a height of 50 mts. It’s a site of religious significance so please do help in keeping the sanctity of the site. The best time to visit the falls is the monsoon season, but the cool and quiet of the tree-shaded valley and the mild jostling of the waterfall, would work well for those who seek some calm any time of the year.
While the waterfall may not be as majestic as Dudhsagar water falls located in South Goa, the Aravelem caves however are a different class altogether.
Legend has it that the caves were carved into rock by the Pandavas, when they were living in exile.
However, science dates them back to 6th century AD. The caves have five compartments and some Shivalingas. What’s interesting also is a large statue of the Buddha in the vicinity.
How to get there: Buses ply from Panaji to Sanquelim every few hours. The site of the caves is en-route. Alternately one can opt to hire a taxi or bike to commute to the historical site and back.
