Things to do in Mapusa
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Mapusa Market
The Mapusa market goes about its business daily, except Sundays, but really gets going on Friday mornings. It’s a raucous affair that attracts vendors and shoppers from all over Goa (and interstate) with an entirely different vibe to the Anjuna market. Here you’ll find locals haggling for clothing and produce, and you can also find antiques, souvenirs and textiles. So significant is the market locally that the town’s name is derived from the Konkani words map meaning ‘measure’ and sa meaning ‘fill up’, in reference to the trade in spices, vegetables and fruit that’s plied here daily.
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Friday Market
The market town of Mapusa (pronounced ‘Mapsa’) is the largest town in northern Goa, and is most often visited for its busy Friday Market which attracts scores of buyers and sellers from neighbouring towns and villages, and a healthy intake of tourists from the northern beaches. It’s a good place to pick up the usual slew of embroidered bedsheets and the like, at prices far lower than in the beach resorts.
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Casa Bela
A windowless remnant of a mahogany-clad era, the dingy Casa Bela is a good place to escape the Mapusa blather and sip silently on a cold Kingfisher (Rs25). The service is surly, but this only enhances the slightly bizarre charm of this little scrap of days gone by. There’s a simple menu to help wash down the drinks.
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C
Hotel Vrundavan
An all-veg place bordering the Municipal Gardens, this is a great place for a hot chai and a quick breakfast. Dip your pau (fluffy white bread roll) or puri (deep-fried, puffed-up bread) into a cashew nut bhaji (small curry) for just Rs10, or try the tomato version for a more modest Rs9.
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D
Bertsy Bar & Restaurant
Perfect for a quiet drink and some privacy while you're waiting for a bus. Bertsy's is a relatively spacious hole in the wall that offers a chance to get away from the city fumes. Its tinted door doesn't look too inviting but it's surprisingly wholesome on the inside. Look for the red-brick entrance.
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E
Ruchira Restaurant
On the top floor of Hotel Satyaheera, this place is very popular with tourists and is widely deemed one of Mapusa’s best restaurants, serving Indian and Continental dishes. Though the views alone make a visit worthwhile, beware the occasional slightly bewildered, lacklustre service.
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Pub
Don’t be put off by the dingy entrance or stairwell; this place is great for watching the milling market crowds over a cold beer or long glass of feni. Eclectic daily specials (Rs108) include roast beef and goulash with noodles.
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G
Other India Bookstore
A little hard to find: go up the steps on the right as you walk down Mapusa Clinic Rd, and follow signs. This friendly and rewarding little bookshop is at the end of a dingy corridor.
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Heera Snacks & Ice Cream
A decent place for a quick drink or ice cream in a pleasant sort of garden. Located at the roundabout, it's a stone's throw from the station but a world away in atmosphere.
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Golden Oven
For some clean and shiny comfort, duck into this bakery, which is a civilised respite from the chaos of the market.
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Hotel Ruchira
For a classy feed go to Ruchira, which Mapusa locals (but few others) consider fine dining.
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Tequila Restaurant
This is a low-key rooftop restaurant serving Goan and other Indian dishes.
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