South Goa
Artist and restorer Victor Hugo Gomes first noticed the slow extinction of traditional objects – from farming tools to kitchen utensils to altarpieces –…
Must-see attractions in South Goa
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Margao
Margao’s whitewashed main church (1675) remains in use as a parish church and is finely decorated inside. The impressive reredos (ornamental screen) is…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Margao
On the west side of the canary-yellow Secretariat Building, you’ll find respite from the sun in the prim Municipal Library, which houses some good books…
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…
South Goa
Approached through pleasant, leafy Majorda village, Majorda Beach is a smarter, more organised option than neighbouring Utorda, with half a dozen Russian…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
Margao
At the southern end of the Municipal Gardens, this grand building houses the Municipal Library.
Margao
The most famous of the traditional old Portuguese mansions in Largo de Igreja is the grand 1790 Sat Burnzam Ghor. Originally, as its name suggests, there…
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…
Margao
Located about 500m southeast of Sat Burnzam Ghor and a fair climb up Monte Hill, Margao’s only hill, Mount Church is a simple whitewashed building, faced…
Margao
Largo de Igreja, the area around the Church of the Holy Spirit, features a number of traditional old Portuguese mansions, in various states of decay or…
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…
South Goa
Though marred by the chemical plant to the north, Velsao Beach makes for a quiet place to get away from it all.
