Goa What to see

What draws people to Goa? Many different things... For the foreign visitor, it's the sunny climate, the sea, the sand. Domestic tourists find Goa a charming mix of the East and West. A few years ago, the 'Business Today' magazine named Goa one of India's "ten most global non-corporate brands". Goa was well known to 44 percent respondents from seven mainly-Western countries. "The former Portuguese colony enjoys tremendous global recall, being more a household name in Stockholm or Copenhagen than in Surat or Ludhiana," it added. Obviously, it's the beaches that are the main draw here. But there's much more to see and do.

Coastal Goa :-
Goa's biggest draw is no doubt its beaches sprawled over a 100 km of coastline. Foreign tourists come here for the sun, the sea and the exciting entertainment options. They find Goa an interesting mix of cultures. Its green carpet - even if diminishing - and friendly locals are some of the added draws.

Coastal Goa is where much of the entertainment scene - from wild raves to nightclubs - is located. This is also where an unbelievable range of global cuisine is available. Central Goa's coast (Bardez, Tiswadi, Salcete and Mormugao talukas) has a longer tourism tradition and greater infrastructure, but visitors are also lured to the relatively new beaches in Pernem (extreme North Goa) and Canacona (extreme South Goa).

In this zone, or close to it (often within 10-20 km), lie many other attractions including informative art centres and small museums, entertainment complexes, boat cruises, shopping centres and charming shrines.

BEACHES AROUND PANJIM
Other prominent beaches are along the liswadi taluka (in central Goa, where the capital Panjim is also located), Mormugao and Salcete.

• Miramar
• Dona Paula

BEACHES AROUND NORTH GOA

• Baga

CALANGUTE - CANDOLIM

• Reis Magos, Bardez
  On the river banks of the Mandovi, the village of Reis Magos is home to a church built in 1555, one of the first in the sub-district of Bardez. In early January each year, the Feast of Three Kings is celebrated here. Nearby is the Reis Magos Fort, under construction for some time now.

SINQUERIM
Home to Goa's first major five-star hotel (Taj Aguada), a scenic fort (Fort Aguada) and the place where Commonwealth leaders held their 'retreat' in 1983 (Taj Holiday Village), Sinquerim has quite a few attractions apart from its beach. In addition, a road going in the opposite direction from the fort takes you to the palatial bungalow of businessman Jimmy Guzdar and, at another part of the hill there are a couple of lighthouses.

ANJUNA

VAGATOR & CHAPORA

• Chapora Fort
  Chapora is known for its early 17th-century Portuguese fort, from where you can get an enchanting view of the nearby beaches. Although built by the Portuguese, the fort fell twice into the hands of the Marathas. It was eventually abandoned in the 1890s.

BEACHES AROUND PERNEM
Pernem, Goa's extreme north coastal sub-district, is home to beaches such as Morjim, Asvem and Mandrem. Northernmost is Tiracol, whose geography suggests it should have been part of the adjoining state of Maharashtra. Its quaint fort is today a heritage hotel. Pernem is both the name of a small town, and the mainly rural sub-district lying around it. The town is home to one of the larger railway stations along the Konkan Railway track. One can also see the Deshprabhu family mansion here, together with other small but scenic temples that dot the countryside.

• Morjim Beach
• Mandrem and Asvem Beach
• Arambol (or Hermal) Beach
• Terekhol Fort and Village
  If you cross the river by ferry, into what seems like Maharashtra, you land in a tiny overland pocket of Goa called the Terekhol village. At the hilltop is a small Portuguese-built fort and chapel. Earlier run by the GTDC (at lower rates), the fort is now run by private management. Below the fort is the village from which one can access the nearby beaches and villages of coastal Maharashtra, or delve into the famed Malvani fish-based cuisine.

BEACHES AROUND VASCO

• Bogmalo

BEACHES AROUND SALCETE
Salcete, the taluka or sub-district along ihe southern central coast, is rich in beaches. This is part of the white-sand beach stretch rated by an early-1970s UNDP study as potentially one of the ten best beach-stretches in the world. This beach spans around 30 unbroken kilometres, from Sancoale in the north to the Mobor Peninsula in the south. Margao lies somewhat in the middle of this beach-belt, 5 km eastwards. Hence the city serves as a strategic base station for the many beaches nearby.

• Velsao, Arossim, Utorda, Majorda
• Betalbatim
• Colva
• Benaulim
• Varca, Fatrade, Cavelossim, Mobor
• Betul

BEACHES AROUND CANACONA
Palolem and Agonda, Patnem and Rajbag are some of the beaches in the extreme south of Goa's Canacona taluka. Look around and you might spot an amazingly quiet and secluded beach here. Like the extreme north of Pernem, Canacona, too, was only very recently discovered by tourists.

• Cabo de Rama Fort
  Before reaching the beaches of Canacona, if you take the coastal route you can see the Cabo de Rama Fort (Cape of Lord Rama) dating back to pre-Portuguese limes. It was occupied by British troops and also used as a prison before the end of colonial rule. It is surrounded by a moat and has a small chapel inside.
• Agonda
• Palolem

Urban Goa :-
Urban Goa is where all the action is. Picturesque beaches, splendid churches, art and culture - this is where you will find it all.

• Panjim
• Old Goa
• Margao
  Goa's busiest town - and its second largest - is not just the commercial capital of the state. Some call it the Athens of Goa and it's also known as the city of many temples. When the Portuguese took over Margao and other parts of the 'Old Conquest' in the mid-16th century, it is believed to have already been a flourishing town. Hindu belief has it that Margao was one of the early seats of Aryan settlers in Goa.
• Vasco Da Gama and Mormugao
• Mapusa
• Ponda

What to Eat in Goa :-
Feni is synonymous with Goa. Feni-brewing skills have been honed by Goa's former Portuguese rulers who brought the cashew into Goa. Cashew-apples go to waste in neighbouring states, and in the fruiting season, one can get a strong smell of semi-fermenting apples being transported specially from Maharashtra into Goa, at locales close to the border.

Village Goa :
Goa's heart is in its villages. Goans have for long lived mostly in the villages which are usually neat and clean, friendly and good value-for-money, and have great charm and character. Goa is home to a number of fascinating villages such as Chandor in Salcete, a one-time former capital of pre-Portuguese Goa. Don't miss the Braganza mansion in Chandor.
The popular villages worth visiting include Assolna, Benaulim, Britona, Cortalim, Curtorim, Goa Velha, Molem, Usgao, Reis Magos, Savoi Verem and Shiroda. Aldona in Bardez is the locale of some scenic homes, and there is an unusual bridge over to Khorjuvem Island where the local fort is located.
Goa has a number of completely rustic villages as well. For instance, Agassaim, Arpora (now part of the growing tourism belt), the green village of Assagao, Betul in Salcete (where the river Sal meets the Arabian Sea), Colvale, Fatorpa (known for its syncretic Hindu-Catholic religious festival), Loliern, Mandrem (a traditional village popular with tourists), Nachinola, Nagoa (in Bardez), Nerul, Parra, Poinguinim, Salvador do Mundo, Santo
Estevam, Tivim, Zambaulim and a number of other villages hidden off
the highways.

• Divar and Chorao Island
• Dona Paula
• Loutolim
  Loutolim in Salcete is another village with grand mansions, including the home of the well-known cartoonist, Mario Miranda. Ancestral Goa, a miniature village depicting traditional lifestyle, is an artist's creation. It has been called a theme park focussed on local culture. Its creator Maendra Alvares has now begun on a library for the study and research of Goa's history, culture, art and environment. Alvares, along with his wife Maureen, also started Goa's first son-et-lumiere (sound and light).

Goa Interior :
This is another face of Goa, but a dramatically different one. Interior Goa doesn't fit into the tourism-generated stereotype of beaches, churches and east-meets-west mix. While central coastal Goa was forcibly conquered by the Portuguese, the interior was acquired mainly by a treaty in the 18th century. So, colonial influences and religious conversions have had vastly differing impacts. Interior Goa has a large mining belt, inspiring nature, splendid temples (and a few mosques), delightful Goan-Hindu food, spice plantations, sacred groves and sanctuaries.

• Arvalem Caves
  The 1500-year-old Buddhist-carved Arvalem Caves are 9 km south of Bicholim town. These caves are built in a typically Buddhist style with the sanctuary at the northern end and the vihara at the southern end. Steeped in mythology, these caves are believed to have been a place of refuge for the Pandavas (legendary heroes of the epic Mahabharata) during their exile. The shafts of the carved lingas (phallic structures representing Lord Shiva) found inside the cave complex bear resemblance to those at the famous Ajanta and Ellora Caves. Nearby are the Arvalem Waterfalls. Aravalem, Bicholim
• Pansimol Rock Art
  In Sanguem taluka in Prila village (which adjoins Quepem), Pansimol, come 72 km from Panjim, is home to rock art believed to date to the Stone Age ,Situated on the banks of the Kushavati River, this site sometimes gets submerged during the monsoons. Pilla village, Sanguem taluka

• Palacio do Deao
  In Quepem, 14 km from Margao, the Palacio do Deao is a 200-year-old mansion on the banks of the scenic Kushavati river. It was built in 1787 by a Portuguese nobleman Jose Paulo, who was also the founder of Quepem and the Dean of the church. Beautifully blending Indian and Portuguese architecture, the mansion has been restored to its former glory. It is known for its stunning garden with its pond, loggia, vases and other stone ornaments, and a belvedere. Groups can enjoy Indo-Portuguese lunches and dinners, but an appointment has to be taken.
  Opposite Holy Cross Church, Quepem Open: 10.30am to 7.30pm
• Dudhsagar Waterfalls
  Dudhsagar Waterfalls, impressive in the monsoons, are about 10 km from the Collem railway station, on the eastern border of Goa, and accessible by train. If you are willing to pay more jeeps can also get you there over the 14-km stretch through the Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary. One of the highest waterfalls in India, the water falls from a height of 2,000 feet, creating a surreal mist at the bottom. The view from the top of the falls is breathtaking, especially at dawn. Visitors can stay at Margao and plan a day trip to the falls. 60 km from Margao, along the Goa-Karnataka border
• Spice Plantations
  Spice plantations are growing in popularity with the tourists. Pascoal Spice Village is near the village of Khandepar, 8 km northeast of the Ponda NH 4A. Sahakari Spice Farm on the Ponda-Belgaum Road at Curti offers spice tours and a village-style lunch on a banana leaf which is quite popular with tourists. Another interesting spice farm is the Parvati Madhav Plants Park Plantation in the Keri village of Ponda, some 30 km from Panjim.
• Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary & Molem National Park
  Goa's wildlife sanctuaries lie in the interior. Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and the Molem National Park are located along the northeastern border at Molem. It is about a 90-minute journey from Panjim (60 km away), along the Panjim-Belgaum National Highway. This sanctuary is spread over 240 square km of forest and Western Ghats. Visitors can book Department of Tourism cottages and dormitories.
  Sanguem taluka (53 km from Panjim)
• Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
  Bondla is 52 km from Panjim and 36 km from Margao. The smallest of Goa's three wildlife sanctuaries, it has a mini-zoo, a deer safari park, gardens, wildlife and nature trails.
  It can be reached via Ponda (20 km) or via Molem
• Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
  Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, about 76 km from Panjim, lies in Canacona located on the extreme southern tip of Goa, 3 km off the Panjim-Mangalore National Highway 17. The five-century-old Jevottam Partagal Math, a place for Vedic studies in an impressive and peaceful setting, is alongside the sanctuary. Near Poinguinim, Canacona
• Chorao Bird Sanctuary
  Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is on the western side of the Chorao Island, in the Mandovi river, not far from Panjim. The Sanctuary is home to a variety of birds, animals and crocodiles. Permission is needed from the Chief Wildlife Warden to visit the area. Transport is dependent on the local boatmen. Chorao Island, Tiswadi
  

Magical Molem
Apart from veteran birders, few are aware that Goa is one of the great birding hotspots in India. To most people Goa is all beaches, sun and fun, with glorious food. All of this is undoubtedly true but should you have a sudden urge to see the Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger, catch the first flight to Dabolim and head straight to Molem, now referred to as the Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary. Once there, go directly to the charming Backwoods Camp, run by Leio de Souza and two partners, and within ten minutes you will have stunning views of this enigmatic bird.

Around Goa
More beaches. Spectacular temple architecture. Wildlife tourism. The wonders of nature. Ayurveda massages combined with tourism. Some of India's most delicious food. All this and more lies in Goa's backyard. Goa is, in part, bordered by Maharashtra - known for its scenic and rustic beaches apart from its delicious Malvani fish-based cuisine. The other adjoining state is Karnataka, home to exciting wildlife, and an amazing touristic diversity. Take your pick. There's plenty to choose from.

• KARNATAKA
  Surrounding Goa on its east and south is Karnataka's Uttara Kannada District, which is covered by one of India's largest natural forests and is filled with hills, valleys and perennial rivers, This is a heavy rainfall area, gifted with diversity and richness in its plant and animal life. It's a scenic place, packed with history.
• MAHARASHTRA
  Maharashtra's 720-km coastline extends from Dahanu and Bordi in the north to Goa in the south. Check out some of these locations that attract visitors, including many from Goa.