Sights in Goa
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Polem Beach
Goa’s southernmost beach, ranged along a beautiful small bay, is seldom-visited but makes a fine spot for a seaside stroll or a picnic on the deserted sands, with a beautiful view of a cluster of rocky islands out towards the horizon. Tourist development hasn’t yet made it as far as Polem, and the beach retains a decidedly local feel, with a handful of fishermen bringing in their catch to the northern end and nothing much else to keep you company except scuttling crabs and circling seabirds. For a fishy lunch so fresh it’s still dithering, stop at the Kamaxi Hotel among the palms, run by the eccentric local Laxaman Raikar. He also stocks Kingfisher, if you’re in need of s…
reviewed
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Cabo da Rama Fort
A fort, named after the god Rama of the Hindu Ramayana epic fame, has occupied this bluff guarding the mouth of the Sal River for centuries, and came into Portuguese possession in 1763. Used as a prison until about half a century ago, there’s not much to see these days, though the drive through thick coconut forests is a real treat, and it’s without doubt a windswept and melancholy spot with a couple of cold-drinks stalls at the entrance, a luxury the poor Portuguese surely never had.
reviewed
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Aswem Beach
A wide stretch of quiet beach backed by a rather lacklustre village strip, the quiet Aswem sands are popular with long-staying foreigners and play host to an annually changing parade of beach-hut accommodation and beach-shack restaurants. Though some stretches of the beach are becoming distressingly grubby, development here is generally low-key, swimming is usually safe, the sands are quiet, and the vibe, very mellow.
reviewed
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Cola Beach
Faded signs from the main coastal road direct you down to hidden Cola Beach. Park, and hike down over the headland to get to this quiet, picturesque cove equipped with just one rustic beach-hut operation and a whole lot of blissful solitude.
reviewed
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A
Chapel of St Sebastian
Aside from its general old-world charms, Fontainhas is notable for being home to the pretty Chapel of St Sebastian, built in 1818. This small whitewashed church at the end of a lovely lane contains one of only a few relics remaining as testament to the Goan Inquisition, which terrorised the state’s population for more than two centuries. A striking crucifix, which originally stood in the Palace of the Inquisition in Old Goa. Christ’s unusual open eyes are said to have been conceived to strike fear into the hearts of ‘heretical’ suspects brought before the Inquisitors, and awaiting their usually grisly fate. Following the end of the Inquisition in Goa in 1814 – due to an A…
reviewed
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Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary lies a stone’s throw from Molem and, with an area of 240 sq km, this is the largest of Goa’s four protected wildlife areas; it also encompasses the 107-sq-km Molem National Park. Unless you’re on a guided tour, however, you might also have problems actually gaining access to the park’s quiet, shady, unmarked trails. In theory, tickets are available at the Forest Interpretation Centre, 2km before the park entrance, close to Molem town. In practice, though, there are usually only a couple of bewildered-looking men sitting about, who will have enough trouble interpreting your request to purchase a ticket, let alone finding the keys to the p…
reviewed
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B
Basilica of Bom Jesus
The Basilica of Bom Jesus is famous throughout the Roman Catholic world. It contains the tomb and mortal remains of St Francis Xavier who, in 1541, was given the task of spreading Christianity among the subjects of the Portuguese colonies in the East.
A former pupil of St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, St Francis Xavier embarked on missionary voyages that became legendary and, considering the state of transport at the time, were nothing short of miraculous.
Apart from the richly gilded altars, the interior of the church is remarkable for its simplicity. Construction began in 1594 and was completed in 1605. The focus of the church is the three-tiered marb…
reviewed
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Cabo Raj Bhavan
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 a fortress here, to guard the entrance to the Mandovi and Zuari Rivers, were first proposed in 1540 and, although the 16th century had become the 17th before work on the fortress began, a chapel was raised on the spot almost immediately. The fortress was subsequently completed and the chapel extended to include a Franciscan friary. The fort itself, though equipped with several cannons, was never used in defence of Goa, and from the 1650s was instead requisitioned as a grand and temporary residence for Goa’s lucky Archbis…
reviewed
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Archaeological Museum
Part of the Franciscan monastery at the back of the Church of St Francis of Assisi is now an Archaeological Museum, housing some lovely fragments of sculpture from Hindu temple sites in Goa, and some Sati stones, which once marked the spot where a Hindu widow committed suicide by flinging herself onto her husband’s funeral pyre. Also here you’ll find two large bronze statues: one of the Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões, which once stood more prominently in the central grassy area of Old Goa, and one of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese conqueror and first governor of Goa, which stood in the Azad Maidan in Panaji, before being moved here after Independence.
reviewed
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Museum of Christian Art
Adjacent to the Convent of St Monica, this museum contains a collection of statues, paintings and sculptures, most of it transferred here from the Rachol Seminary. Interestingly, many of the works of Goan Christian art made during the Portuguese era, including some of those on display here, were produced by local Hindu artists; this might explain a tiger-skin-wrapped John the Baptist, fitted out in the style of Hindu god Shiva. Among the other items on show are richly embroidered priest vestments, a number of devotional paintings and carvings, a portable Mass kit for travelling priests, and a fair amount of silverware, including crucifixes, salvers and crowns.
reviewed
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East Wing
At the East Wing, prepare for a shock. Owned by the Pereira-Braganza family, descendants of the other half of the family, it’s shabby and decaying. Paint peels from windows; ceilings sag; antiques are mixed in willy-nilly with a jumble of cheap knick-knacks and seaside souvenirs. The only high point here is the small family chapel, which contains a carefully hidden fingernail of St Francis Xavier, and even this – the chapel, not the fingernail – is beginning to show signs of neglect. You’re unlikely to see a more stark architectural contrast at such close quarters for quite a while. It’s a moving, if somewhat melancholy, experience.
reviewed
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Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
About 9km east of Palolem, and a good day trip, is the beautiful, remote-feeling Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa’s second-largest sanctuary and easily its most accessible, if you’ve your own transport. Don’t expect to bump into its more exotic residents (including gaurs, sambars, leopards and spotted deer), but frogs, snakes, monkeys insects and blazingly plumed birds are in ample supply. Marked trails are hikable; set-off early for the best sighting prospects from one of the sanctuary’s two forest watchtowers – though heed the park warden’s recent warning: ‘Don’t climb too high, madam, for ladder is under repair.’
reviewed
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East Wing
Owned by the Pereira-Braganza family, descendents of the other half of the family, it’s as shabby and decaying as the other is still grand. Paint peels from windows; ceilings sag; antiques are mixed in willy-nilly with a jumble of cheap knick-knacks and seaside souvenirs. The only high point here is the small family chapel, which contains a carefully hidden fingernail of St Francis Xavier, and even this – the chapel, not the fingernail – is beginning to show signs of neglect. A starker architectural contrast at such close quarters you’re unlikely to see for quite a while, and it’s a moving, if melancholy, experience.
reviewed
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Palácio do Deão
About 8km southeast of Chandor, in the busy small town of Quepem, stands the Palácio do Deão. This recently renovated 18th-century palace, just opposite the Holy Cross Church, was once the home of the town’s founder himself, and sits on the banks of the small Kushavati River, a tributary of the Pareda River. Plans are afoot to create a cultural centre here, but for now the house and its beautiful, serene gardens make a great place to visit. Call ahead to book a tour or arrange a delicious Portuguese-inspired lunch or afternoon tea on its lovely terrace.
reviewed
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Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Panaji’s spiritual, as well as geographical, centre is its gleamingly picturesque main church, built in 1619 over an older, smaller 1540 chapel and stacked like a fancy white wedding cake to the southeast of the ragged municipal gardens. When Panaji was little more than a sleepy fishing village, this place was the first port of call for sailors from Lisbon, who would clamber up here to thank their lucky stars for a safe crossing, before continuing to Ela (Old Goa), the state’s capital until the 19th century, further east up the river.
reviewed
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Goa State Museum
An eclectic collection of items awaits visitors to this large, though not bursting-at-the-seams, museum, in a strangely uncentral area southwest of the Kadamba bus stand. As well some beautiful Hindu and Jain sculptures and bronzes, there are a few nice examples of Portuguese-era furniture, some ancient coins and quirky antique lottery machines. The gruesome star exhibit for most, however, is the elaborately carved table and high-backed chairs used by the notoriously brutal Portuguese Inquisition in Goa during its reign of terror.
reviewed
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Convent & Church of St Francis of Assisi
One of the most interesting buildings in Old Goa, the church interior contains gilded and carved woodwork, a stunning reredos (ornamented screen behind the altar), old murals depicting scenes from the life of St Francis and a floor made of carved gravestones - complete with family coats of arms dating back to the early 16th century.
The church was built by eight Franciscan friars who arrived here in 1517 and constructed a small chapel, which was later pulled down and the present building was constructed on the same spot in 1661.
reviewed
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Utorda Beach
A clean, if slightly characterless stretch of beach, Utorda makes for a pleasant afternoon. Approach via sandbag stepping stones and rickety bridges over a series of fairly stagnant pools, and take your pick from a ragtag bunch of beach shacks, most of which come equipped with sunbeds. Like Arossim and Velsao further north, the pretty coast is offset by the hulking Zuari Agro chemical plant, but it’s nevertheless popular with holidaymakers from the surrounding swish resorts, and comes equipped with a functioning lifeguard.
reviewed
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West Wing
The West Wing belongs to one set of the family’s descendants, the Menezes-Braganças, and is filled with gorgeous chandeliers, Italian marble floors and antique treasures from Macau, Portugal, China and Europe. The elderly, rather frail, Mrs Aida Menezes-Bragança nowadays lives here alone, but will show you around with the help of her formidable assistant. Between them, they struggle valiantly with the upkeep of a beautiful but needy house, whose grand history oozes from every inch of wall, floor and furniture.
reviewed
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Varca Beach
Varca, a seemingly endless palm-backed strip of sand (punctuated here and there by the grounds of a luxury resort or a whitewashed Christian shrine), is quiet, calm and almost entirely hawker-free, making it easy to find a quiet spot all to yourself. Outside the resorts, one good access point is the portion known as Zalor Beach; follow signposts from Varca village, near the church. ‘You are being watched, ’ declares a final sign when you arrive, ‘No spitting or abusing children.’
reviewed
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Sé de Santa Catarina
Construction of the Sé de Santa Catarina, the largest church in Old Goa, began in 1562 and though the building was completed by 1619, the altars were not finished until 1652.
The building's style is Portuguese-Gothic with a Tuscan exterior and Corinthian interior. The remaining tower houses a famous bell, often called the Golden Bell because of its rich sound. The main altar is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, and paintings on either side of it depict scenes from her life and martyrdom.
reviewed
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Houses of Goa Museum
This interesting museum was created by well-known local architect Gerard de Cunha to illuminate the history of Goan homes, apparent statewide in various states of picturesque decrepitude. Marooned shiplike in the middle of a traffic island, the museum is hard to miss; to find it, turn right at the O’Coqueiro junction and then left at the fork, and you’ll find it just there. If you don’t have your own transport, a taxi here from Panaji should cost around Rs200.
reviewed
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Velsao Beach
Velsao Beach makes for a quiet place to get away from it all in the company of just a lifeguard, a scattering of tourists and a flock or two of milling sea birds. The beach road travels through thick coconut groves past dozens of old bungalows, whilst the coastal road around this stretch makes for a delicious countryside drive, fringed with lily pad– studded lakes and paddy fields, and coconut groves stretching gently down to the sea.
reviewed
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Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
Small and hard-to-get to Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary is undeniably beautiful, but its out-of-the-way location makes it only an option for those with their own transport or those committed public-transport–travelling naturalists with plenty of time on their hands. Its location remains even more hidden due to a dearth of signposts as to its whereabouts, off the main, truck-blown NH4A road from Ponda to Molem.
reviewed
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Fernandes House
A kilometre east past the church, and open to the public, is the Fernandes House, whose original building dates back more than 500 years, while the Portuguese section was tacked on by the Fernandes family in 1821. The secret basement hideaway, full of gun holes and with an escape tunnel to the river, was used by the family to flee attackers. A minimum Rs100-per-visitor donation is expected.
reviewed
