Panaji
If you’re interested in gazing at the clear winter night skies over Goa, the local branch of the Association of Friends of Astronomy has a public…
Must-see attractions in Panaji & Central Goa
Panaji & Central Goa
A less-touristy alternative to the Ponda region spice plantations, this relatively remote farm is about 30km from Margao on the road to Colem. As well as…
Panaji
To the west of the Municipal Gardens, the grassy Azad Maidan won’t win any prizes at a flower show. Its centrepiece is a small pavilion (whose Corinthian…
Panaji
This pillar at the centre of the Municipal Gardens was once topped by a bust of Vasco da Gama, the first Portuguese voyager to set foot in Goa in 1498,…
Panaji
The road to Miramar from Panaji runs through the Campal district. Just before you reach the Kala Academy are the strollable riverside Campal Gardens, also…
Church of Our Lady of Compassion
Divar Island
This hilltop church (also called Our Lady of Piety) combines an impressive facade with an engagingly simple interior. The ceiling is picked out in plain…
Panaji & Central Goa
This small butterfly sanctuary, 5km north of Ponda, is home to more than 100 species of free-flying butterflies (it’s not enclosed) in a small patch of…
Kristu Kala Mandir Art Gallery
Old Goa
This gallery, sandwiched between the Church of St Francis of Assisi and Sé Cathedral, is located in what used to be the archbishop’s house, and contains a…
Panaji & Central Goa
This well-touristed farm, just 2km from Ponda near the village of Curti, also has elephant rides and elephant bathing in the small river, but these…
Panaji
Panaji’s central square is the leafy Municipal Gardens, also called Church Square (Largo da Igreja). The Ashokan Pillar is at the gardens’ centre.
Goa Science Centre & Planetarium
Panaji
Kids and families will enjoy the Goa Science Centre & Planetarium in Miramar, with an outdoor park, hands-on interactive displays, 3D movies and a…
Panaji & Central Goa
About 7km east of Ponda, Pascoal offers bamboo river-rafting and cultural shows, along with farm tours and lunch.
Panaji & Central Goa
On the westernmost point of the peninsula stands an old fortress, Cabo Raj Bhavan, nowadays the official residence of the governor of Goa. Plans to build…
Old Goa
Perhaps the best way to arrive in Old Goa is the same way that visitors did in the city’s heyday. Approaching along the wide Mandovi River, new arrivals…
Ruins of the Church of St Augustine
Old Goa
Standing on Holy Hill (Monte Santo) is perhaps the most mournful memorial to Old Goa’s fallen might. All that’s left today of the Church of St Augustine…
Panaji & Central Goa
About 3km south of Goa Velha, at the south end of the small village of Agassim, is the Church of St Lawrence, a plain and battered-looking building that…
Panaji
This modern, technicolor temple is not particularly imposing, but it’s worth a look inside as it was the first Hindu shrine established in the city during…
Old Goa
Next to the Convent of St Cajetan, this freestanding basalt doorway, atop five steps, is the only remains of the grand palace of Goa’s 16th-century Muslim…
Panaji & Central Goa
The Safa Shahouri Masjid, Goa’s oldest remaining mosque, is on Ponda’s northern outskirts. Built by Bijapuri ruler Ali Adil Shah in 1560, it was…
Panaji & Central Goa
Aside from the beautiful views afforded from the roof terrace of Pilar Seminary, a few kilometres north of Goa Velha and 12km southeast of Panaji, it is…
Panaji
Tiny Jama Masjid, barely 100m south of the Municipal Gardens and built about two centuries ago, is easy to miss. The exterior of the mosque is plain, its…
Old Goa
This 17th-century former church later served as a convent. It's not currently open to the public.
