Panaji

One of India’s most relaxed state capitals, Panaji (Panjim) crowds around the peninsula overlooking the broad Mandovi River, where cruise boats and floating casinos ply the waters, and advertising signs cast neon reflections in the night.

A glorious whitewashed church lords over the animated city centre, a broad leafy boulevard skirts around the river, and colonial-era buildings rub shoulders with arty boutiques, old-school bookshops, state-of-the-art malls and backstreet bars.

But it’s the tangle of narrow streets in the old Latin Quarter of Fontainhas that really steal the show. Nowhere is the Portuguese influence felt more openly than here, where the late afternoon sun lights up yellow houses with purple doors, and around each corner you’ll find restored ochre-coloured mansions with terracotta-tiled roofs, wrought-iron balconies and arched oyster-shell windows.

A day or two in Panaji really is an essential part of the Goan experience.

Explore Panaji

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Panaji.

  • Church

    Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

    Panaji’s spiritual, as well as geographical, centre is this elevated, pearly white church, built in 1619 over an older, smaller 1540 chapel, and stacked like a fancy white wedding cake. When Panaji was little more than a sleepy fishing village, this church was the first port of call for sailors from Lisbon, who would give thanks for a safe crossing, before continuing to Ela (Old Goa) further east up the river. The church is beautifully illuminated at night.

  • Museum

    Goa State Museum & Secretariat Building

    Currently housed in the Secretariat, the oldest colonial building in Goa, the state museum features an eclectic, if not extensive, collection of items tracing aspects of Goan history. As well as some beautiful Hindu and Jain sculptures and bronzes, there are nice examples of Portuguese-era furniture, coins, an intricately carved chariot and a pair of quirky antique rotary lottery machines.

  • Area

    Altinho Hill

    On the hillside above Panaji is the well-to-do residential district of Altinho. Apart from good views over the city and river, the main attraction here is the Bishop’s Palace, an imposing building completed in 1893.

  • Gallery

    Mario Gallery

    This gallery and shop showcases work by India’s favourite cartoonist, Loutolim local Mario de Miranda, who died in 2011 at the age of 85. Along with prints, books and drawings, there are printed T-shirts, mugs and bags. His works are so popular that there are similar galleries in Calangute, Margao and Porvorim.

  • Library

    Goa State Central Library

    Panaji’s modern state library has six floors of reading material, a bookshop and gallery. The 2nd floor features a children’s book section and internet browsing (free, but technically only for academic research). The 4th floor has Goan history books and the 6th a large collection of Portuguese books.

  • Gallery

    Gitanjali Gallery

    Worth a look while walking around the district of Fontainhas, this spacious gallery in the beautiful Panjim Peoples displays works by local and international artists. It also functions as an art studio, gallery and hosts special exhibitions, workshops and art classes throughout the year.

  • Monument

    Statue of Abbé Faria

    Beside the Secretariat Building, look out for the sublime, starkly black statue of a caped man, arms, hands and fingers outstretched, towering over an apparently frightened woman. This is the statue of Abbé Faria, considered the ‘father of modern hypnotism’, a contemporary of Franz Mesmer (from where the term 'mesmerise' derives) and a native of Goa.

  • Beach

    Miramar

    Miramar, 3km southwest of the city, is Panaji’s nearest beach. The couple of kilometres of exposed sand facing Aguada Bay are hardly inspiring compared to other Goan beaches but it is a popular local place to watch the sun sink into the Arabian Sea. It’s not a great place for swimming and bikinis are likely to attract unwanted attention. Local buses run frequently between Panaji's Kadamba bus stand and Miramar beach (₹4, 10 minutes).

  • Church

    Chapel of St Sebastian

    Fontainhas is notable for being home to the pretty Chapel of St Sebastian, built in 1818. This small whitewashed church contains one of only a few relics remaining as testament to the Goan Inquisition: 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 especially to strike fear into the hearts of ‘heretical’ suspects brought before the Inquisitors, and awaiting their usually grisly fate.

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Panaji.

  • Activities