The popular beach resort of Goa has several attractions that may appeal to inquisitive couples celebrating a honeymoon holiday or romantic getaway.
Explore on foot the atmospheric former capital of the one-time Portuguese colony.
The city was first constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century, and served as the capital of Portuguese India from the 16th century until the 18th century.
Gradually abandoned after repeated cholera and malaria epidemics from the late 17th century onwards, Old Goa came to be known in Portuguese as Velha Goa (Old Goa), to distinguish it from the new state-capital of Goa, or Nova Goa (Panaji).
Located just 9km east of Panaji, Old Goa is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Major sights of Old Goa not to miss, include…
Built between 1594 and 1605 of local red stone, the beautifully preserved Basilica of Bom Jesus (Cathedral of the Good Jesus) famously contains the tomb of St Francis Xavier, a legendary 16th century missionary who was given the task of spreading Christianity among the subjects of the Portuguese colonies in the East.
The ornate, silver-domed reliquary that contains the missionary’s mortal remains continues to attract a large number of devotees annually.
The saint is said to have miraculous powers of healing and his remains have ‘survived’ remarkably well now for almost 500 years without ever having been embalmed.
Novenas for St Francis are held every year from 24th November to 3rd December. Once every 10 years the holy relics of the saint are exposed for public viewing; the next such event is scheduled for November 2024.
Stroll across a floor of marble inlaid with precious stones, admire the elaborate gilded altars, view the saint’s three-tiered marble tomb and in the first-floor art gallery ponder a series of paintings by the Goan surrealist painter, Dom Martin, depicting the life of St. Francis.
The Jesuit church was designed by the 17th-century Florentine sculptor, Giovanni Battista Foggini. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India.
'Bom Jesus' translates literally as 'Good (or Holy) Jesus' – the name used for the infant Jesus.
Location: Old Goa, Goa; Cost: Free; Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6:30pm and Sunday 10am-6:30pm.
This impressive white building, known as Sé Cathedral, is the largest church in India. Built between 1562 and 1619 by order of the King of Portugal, the church features an ornate gilded main altar that commemorates St. Catherine of Alexandria.
The cathedral was built to commemorate the Portuguese victory over a Muslim army, leading to the capture of Goa in 1510. Since the day of the victory coincided with the feast day of Saint Catherine, the cathedral was dedicated to her.
The grand church houses the historic Golden Bell, relics of the Blessed Martyrs of Cuncolim, the Miraculous Cross (said to heal the sick) and a statue of St. Catherine of Alexandria, which attracts hundreds of devotees annually.
The architecture style of Sé Cathedral is Portuguese-Gothic with a Tuscan exterior and Corinthian interior. The church is 76m in length and 55m in breadth, with the decorative entrance standing 35m high.
Don’t miss the fine carvings depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Blessed Virgin over the main altar, and paintings on either side of it revealing the life and martyrdom of St. Catherine.
Location: Across the road from Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa; Cost: Free; Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6:30pm and Sunday 10am-6:30pm.
This distinctive domed church, built between 1655 and 1661 by Italian friars of the Order of Theatine, is modelled along the lines of the Basilica of St Peter in Rome. The architectural style is Corinthian with rectangular towers on either side.
The main altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence, while six subsidiary altars – exquisitely carved in Baroque style – are dedicated to the Holy family, Our Lady of Piety, St. Clare, St. Cajetan, St. John and St. Agnes. The altars display painted scenes from the life of St. Cajetan.
A covered well, considered the remnant of a Hindu temple exists in the church floor.
Beneath the church lies a crypt where the embalmed bodies of Portuguese governors were once stored before being shipped back to Lisbon.
Location: Old Goa; Cost: Free; Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6:30pm and Sunday 10am-6:30pm.
See finely decorated frescoes and paintings depicting the life of St Francis of Assisi. Admire intricately gilded and carved woodwork, a beautiful reredos (the ornamental screen covering the wall behind the altar) and a floor made of tombstones carved with the coat of arms of Portuguese families dating back to the 16th century.
This impressive convent and church was built in 1661 on the site of an earlier chapel originally constructed by eight Franciscan friars in 1517.
Above the main altar sits a large statue of St. Francis of Assisi and of Jesus on the cross, with statues of St. Peter and St. Paul arranged below.
In the nearby archaeological museum and former Franciscan monastery, view a collection of Christian and Hindu sculptures and a portrait gallery of Goa's Portuguese viceroys.
Location: Old Goa; Cost: Church - Free, museum - Rs.5; Hours: Church – Monday-Saturday 9am-6:30pm and Sunday 10am-6:30pm; Museum – Saturday-Thursday 10am-5pm.
Discover Panaji’s distinctive whitewashed churches, palm-lined plazas, cobbled streets and colourful villas – the enduring legacy of Portuguese colonial rule.
Explore the atmospheric old quarter of Fontainhas, crowded with faded, pastel-coloured Portuguese colonial buildings that date back to the mid-17th century (and were used as a backdrop in the dramatic car chase at the beginning of The Bourne Supremacy.)
Don't miss the life-like crucifix inside the whitewashed Chapel of St Sebastian, which sits at the centre of Fontainhas; the imposing, white-Baroque façade of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church (photo), built in 1541; and the wooden verandas and sloping tiled roof of the Secretariat, Panjim’s oldest building and the former summer palace of the Sultan of Bijapur.
Stroll narrow, winding cobbled streets past old villas and beneath tiny balcaos (colonnaded balconies) to the heart of Fontainhas, where you can find the little whitewashed Chapel of St Sebastian.
Inside rests an old, life-like crucifix that once hung in the infamous Palace of the Inquisition in Old Goa. The eyes of Christ are open – allegedly to inspire fear in those being tortured by the interrogators of the Inquisition.
Admire the imposing, white-Baroque façade of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, built in 1541, that sits in the heart of the city in Church Square. The building's distinctive zigzag staircases are a 19th-century addition.
Ponder the wooden verandas and sloping tiled roof of the Secretariat, Panaji‘s oldest building and the former summer palace of Goa's 16th century Muslim ruler, the Sultan of Bijapur.
Pop into the Goa State Museum to see the eclectic collection of Hindu and Jain sculptures and bronzes, paintings and Christian art – don’t miss the carved table once used in the Goa Inquisition.
Then cool off with a refreshing drink in one of the old-world bars of the Sao Tomé neighbourhood, a maze of narrow streets lined with crumbling old buildings.
Panjim (or Panaji) is located in North Goa, just a 30-minute drive from Old Goa.
While Anjuna's Wednesday flea market may not be as spontaneous as it once was, it nonetheless still offers a fascinating shopping experience – at the right price when you bargain hard.
Check out designer beachwear, trays of silver jewellery from Kashmir, prayer wheels from Tibet, Himalayan curios, mirrors from Rajasthan, appliqué from Gujarat, woodcarving from Kerala and elaborately woven multi-coloured cloth from neighbouring Karnataka.
Not interested in parting with your hard-earned cash? Then watch the exotic spectacle of strolling musicians, religious mendicants, performing monkeys and snake charmers that mingle alongside holy cows among the rows of market stalls.
The flea market is held each Wednesday behind the popular but crowded Anjuna Beach, which is renowned for wild trance rave parties during the winter tourist season.
Location: Anjuna; Cost: Free; Hours: Wednesday 8am-until dawn.
Hire a 4WD drive in Collem then hike up to Dudhsagar Falls – the famous 310m-high cascade flows into a deep green pool surrounded by the rugged western Ghats and overlooking unspoiled tropical forest. Enjoy the spectacle, clamber over rocks and swim in the deep, icy pool.
Enjoy the spectacle of the falls that means ‘sea of milk’, clamber over rocks, swim in the deep, icy pool at the base of the waterfall and look out for monkeys, birds, bees and butterflies in the surrounding dense foliage.
Although visible year round, the best time to visit is during the monsoon season between June to September when water levels are highest, and from October until mid-December following the monsoons.
The four-tiered waterfall is located on the Mandovi River within the Bhagwan Mahavir Wild Life Sanctuary at Collem in South Goa along the western Ghats bordering the neighbouring state of Karnataka, around 60km from Panjim.
The ideal time to hike to Dudhsagar is from October to April; during the monsoon, the road that approaches it is inaccessible. Choose from four routes, including:
Castle Rock Route – A scenic 14km hike along the railway track from Castle Rock station, which takes around 5–6 hours – most frequently used during the monsoon season.
Kulem Route – An 11km hike taking around 4–5 hours with some of the best views overlooking the entire stretch of the falls.
Kulhem 4WD – Hire a four-wheel drive taxi to within 1km from the falls, then walk the rest of the way.
Kuveshi Route – Hike through thick jungle from the village of Kuveshi to the Dudhsagar Railway station, which lies 1km from the falls. This is the most adventurous route and cannot be attempted in the monsoon season.
The Goa Tourism Development Corporation runs tours to Dudhsagar from Panaji and Calangute. The tours include the waterfall and the nearby Tambdi Surla Hindu temple, built in the 13th century.
Although visible year round, the best time to visit the falls is when water levels are highest, following the monsoons from October until mid-December.
Location: Bhagwan Mahavir Wild Life Sanctuary, Sanguem; Cost: Park Entrance Rs20, camera Rs300, professional camera Rs5000; Hours: Daily.
Latest update: Best sights in Goa: 3 June, 2022
Advertising