A series of rusty cliffs and headlands bursting out of thickets of greenery help to give Vagator and charming Chapora one of the prettiest settings on the north Goan coast. It’s this back drop, rather than the beaches (which are largely forgettable) that have made these two little villages the centre for the wild, outdoor [...]
South Goa includes territory from the provincial town of Margao (Madgaon) all the way to the border with the state of Karnataka. This area includes destinations such as Colva and Benaulim down to the popular resort of Palolem.
Panaji (also known as Panjim) is a town of shades; the pastel shades of the buildings, romantic shades of the Mediterranean, excitable shades of Latin America and noisy shades of India. It’s a town utterly unique to the sub-continent, yet for most travellers it tends to be a quick after thought to a Goan beach [...]
Palolem is the most southerly of Goa’s developed beaches and was once the state’s most idyllic. Nowadays its beauty is very much dependent on your point of view. For those who believe a beach cannot be paradise without a decent selection of cheap restaurants and hotels, a dose of nightlife and plenty of likeminded people [...]
Gazing at Old Goa today it’s hard to believe that this fallen city was once able to stand up to Lisbon and demand, ‘Who’s the man?’. But back in the 1500s and with a population exceeding that of Lisbon and London, that’s exactly what Old Goa was able to do. However the good times didn’t [...]
In North Goa, Panaji, also know as Panjim, is a quiet achiever offering a glimpse into small town life for those who decide to hang their hat here for a spell. From here you can explore the still-Portuguese flavoured town of Old Goa, with its World Heritage listed churches and convents. The market town of [...]
The capital of Salcete province, Margao (also known as Madgaon) is the main population centre of south Goa and is probably the busiest town in the state. If you’ve just arrived from the cities of ‘real’ India then the first thing that will strike you is how clean and tidy Margao is. Even though there [...]
The colourful market town of Mapusa (pronounced ‘Mapsa’) is the main population centre in the northern talukas (districts) of Goa. There’s not much to see in Mapusa, aside from a raucous Friday market (8am-6.30pm) that attracts hordes of vendors and shoppers from all over Goa. Unlike the Anjuna market it’s a local event where people [...]
Those who haven’t visited Goa tend to imagine it as some kind of Indian Costa Brava but with more cosmic karma and, thanks to this image, many people vow never to set foot there. However, Goa, like everywhere in India, is never quite what you expect. In places the infamous hash-fuelled days of Goa’s golden [...]
The beaches of Candolim and Sinquerim (below Fort Aguada) are popular with charter and upmarket tourists. The pace is a little less frenetic than at Calangute and Baga up the coast. Independent travellers are rare here, most of the hotels being favoured by package-tour operations. The beach at Fort Aguada is notable for its rocky [...]