Must-see attractions in South Goa

  • Goa Chitra

    South Goa

    Artist and restorer Victor Hugo Gomes first noticed the slow extinction of traditional objects – from farming tools to kitchen utensils to altarpieces –…

  • Goa, India - November 16, 2012: Menezes Braganza Pereira House - old colonial Villa-Museum of Portuguese era with beautiful paintings, furniture items and other decoration stuff of 16-18 century.

    Braganza House

    South Goa

    Braganza House, built in the 17th century and stretching along one whole side of Chandor’s village square, is the biggest Portuguese mansion of its kind…

  • Palácio do Deão

    South Goa

    About 8km southeast of Chandor is the busy small town of Quepem. Here the Palácio do Deão, the renovated 18th-century palace built by the town’s founder,…

  • Shri Chandreshwar Temple

    South Goa

    Approximately 14km southeast of Margao near the village of Paroda, a number of hills rise out of the plain, the highest of which is Chandranath Hill (350m…

  • India, Goa, yoga on Patnem Beach

    Patnem Beach

    South Goa

    Smaller and less crowded than Palolem to the north, Patnem makes a quiet and friendly alternative. It’s backed by relaxed beach shacks and has a lively…

  • Agonda Beach.

    Agonda Beach

    South Goa

    Agonda’s beach is wide, quiet and picturesque, with a forestry department–staffed turtle centre at the northern end protecting precious olive ridley sea…

  • Usgalimal Petroglyphs

    South Goa

    One of Goa’s least visited but most fascinating sights is deep in the countryside at Usgalimal: a series of prehistoric petroglyphs (rock art), carved…

  • Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary

    Palolem

    About 9km southeast of Palolem, and a good day trip, is the beautiful, remote-feeling Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa’s second-largest sanctuary and…

  • Three Kings Chapel

    South Goa

    It's the hilltop views, rather than the plain little chapel itself, that should entice you to take the steep road east off the coastal road up to Three…

  • Salaulim Dam & Botanical Gardens

    South Goa

    About 26km southeast of Margao, Salaulim Dam is a major reservoir supplying irrigation and drinking water to South Goa. For visitors the dam wall is quite…

  • Braganza House West Wing

    South Goa

    The West Wing belongs to one set of the Braganza family’s descendants, the Menezes-Braganças. It’s well maintained and more like a museum than a home,…

  • Braganza House East Wing

    South Goa

    The East Wing of Braganza House is owned by the Pereira-Braganza family. It’s not as grand and well-maintained as its western counterpart, but is…

  • Fernandes House

    South Goa

    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…

  • San Thome Museum

    South Goa

    This quirky museum at the Varca (southern) end of Benaulim, dubbed 'Back in Time', has three floors of carefully presented technology through the ages,…

  • Casa Araujo Alvares

    South Goa

    Loutolim is home to a number of impressive Portuguese mansions but just one, Casa Araujo Alvares, opposite Ancestral Goa, is officially open to the public…

  • Cabo da Rama Fort

    South Goa

    A fort has occupied this bluff guarding the mouth of the Sal River for centuries, and came into Portuguese hands in 1763. There’s not much to see of the…

  • Butterfly Beach

    Palolem

    Hire a local boatman from Palolem Beach to ferry you up to Butterfly Beach and back (₹2000 for the boat), relishing the views of untouched coastline along…

  • Rachol Seminary & Church

    South Goa

    Built in 1580 atop an old Muslim fort, the Rachol Seminary and Church stands near the village of Raia, 7km from Margao. It’s not officially open to…

  • Shri Damodar Temple

    South Goa

    Approximately 12km southeast of Chandor and 22km from Margao, on the border of Quepem and Sanguem talukas, is the small village of Zambaulim, home to the…

  • Rivona Buddhist Caves

    South Goa

    Around 3km south of the village of Zambaulim, the road passes through Rivona, which consists of little more than a few houses spread out along the…

  • Betalbatim Beach

    South Goa

    Betalbatim’s sands, just to the north of Colva, are a good example of what difference a few hundred metres can make, as calm, quiet and pastoral as Colva…

  • Galgibag Beach

    South Goa

    Almost-deserted Galgibag is known locally as Turtle Beach as it's one of the last preserves of Goa’s endangered olive ridley sea turtle. It's a beautiful…

  • Majorda Beach

    South Goa

    Approached through pleasant, leafy Majorda village, Majorda Beach is a smarter, more organised option than neighbouring Utorda, with half a dozen Russian…

  • Bogmalo Beach

    South Goa

    Bogmalo's curving, palm-fringed beach is less than 500m long, from the Bogmalo Beach Resort to the creek at the northwestern end. It doesn't have seasonal…

  • Naval Aviation Museum

    South Goa

    The Naval Aviation Museum, at the naval base on the road above Bogmalo Beach, makes an interesting diversion if you’re interested in ships and planes. The…

  • Ancestral Goa

    South Goa

    Ancestral Goa is a high kitsch park with a series of sculptures depicting traditional Goan lifestyle. Follow the numbered trail to the mysterious ‘Big…

  • Our Lady of Mercy Church

    South Goa

    Colva's 18th-century village church is home to the replica Menino Jesus, the purportedly miracle-working statue of baby Jesus, which is brought out for…

  • Polem Beach

    South Goa

    Polem is Goa’s southernmost beach, set around a small bay on the seafront of the village of Polem. There's some very low-key accommodation and a shack…

  • Rajbag Beach

    South Goa

    Quiet little Rajbag is dominated by the Lalit Golf & Spa Resort, but it's worth a wander over from Patnem Beach to the north.

  • Utorda Beach

    South Goa

    A clean, if slightly characterless stretch of beach, Utorda makes for a pleasant afternoon. Take your pick from a ragtag bunch of beach shacks, most of…

  • Arossim Beach

    South Goa

    Quiet and clean, Arossim, is not a bad place to settle into solitude with a good book. It's a short distance west of the busy village and train stop of…

  • Velsao Beach

    South Goa

    Though marred by the chemical plant to the north, Velsao Beach makes for a quiet place to get away from it all.

  • Maria Hall

    South Goa

    This community hall at the crossroads is a useful landmark in Benaulim village.

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