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Goa Tourism |
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Goa, the 25th State in
the Union of States of India, was liberated from Portuguese rule in
1961. It was part of Union territory of Goa, Daman & Diu till 30 May
1987 when it was
 carved out to form a separate State. Goa covers an
area of 3702 square kilometers and comprises two Revenue district viz North Goa and South Goa. Boundaries of Goa State are defined in
the North Terekhol river which separates it from Maharashtra, in the
East and South by Karnataka State and West by Arabian Sea. Goa lies
in Western Coast of India and is 594 Kms (by road) away from Mumbai
city. Goa, for the purpose of revenue administration is divided into
district viz. North and South Goa with headquarters at Panaji and
Margao respectively.
Getting THERE
Goa by Air : Dabolim is the main entry point for Goa situated at a distance of
around 29 km from Panaji on the coast near Vasco da Gama. Most
domestic airlines operate in Goa apart from chartered private
airlines operating from UK and Germany. Indian Airlines has direct
flights from Delhi and Mumbai daily. Air India also flies to Goa.
Goa by Rail : It is not difficult to reach Goa by trains, especially after opening
of the Konakan Railway that connects Margao and Vasco da Gama to
major cities in India. You can take trains from Delhi 1,874 km),
Mumbai (490km), and Bangalore (430 km) to reach Goa comfortably.
 From the railway stations, you can hire taxis and motorcycle taxis
to reach the desired destinations.
Goa by Road : Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka state transport corporations operate
from the Kadamba bus stand at Panaji. Frank Shipping operates a boat
service between Mumbai and Panaji.
By Sea : For the travelers who like to enjoy sea route, there is a boat
service available from Mumbai to Panji which takes about 8 hrs.
Geography of Goa: Goa is a state, situated on the western coast of the Indian
Peninsula and separated from Maharashtra by the Terekhol River in
the north, Karnataka in the south, the Western Ghats in the east,
and the Arabian Sea in the West. The state is located between the
latitudes 15°48'00" North to 14°53'54" North and longitudes 74°
20'13" East to 73° 40'33" East.
The major rivers and streams flowing through the state are Tiracol,
Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Talpona, Galgibagh, and Chapora. Some of the
famous lakes in the state are Mayem and Carambolim. Most of the
rivers are navigable and are of immense economic importance as ores
are transported through these rivers to the Mormugao port for
export.
Goa Beaches
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Anjuna Beach - A
popular beach area adjacent to Chapora fort. In Anjuna there is
magnificent Albuquerque Mansion built in 1920, flanked by octagonal
towers and attractive Mangalore tile-roof. |
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Colva Beach |
Colva Beach
- With 20 km of virgin white sands, palm fringed, and sun drenched
beaches, Colva is the most loved beach of Goans. Colva, unlike
Anjuna or Calangute, gained popularity only lately. It was little
disturbed and life moved on quietly. But those are the things of
the past. Over the years, many hotels and buildings have sprung
from nowhere. |
Colva Beach
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Dona Paula Beach:
The beach is named after Dona Paula de Menzes,
daughter of a viceroy (in colonial India), who threw herself off the
cliff, when refused permission to marry a local fisherman, Gaspar
Dias. The myth says that Dona Paula is entombed in the Cabo Chapel
of the Raj Bhawan and is supposed to be seen emerging from the
moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace.
With the romance and myth attached to it-haunted by Dona Paula de
Menzes-tourists throng the Dona Paula Beach not only in search of
the deceased beloved, but also to indulge in water sports on the
clear waters. The Dona Paula Beach offers an opportunity to the
tourists to have a sunbath and buy cheap seaside goods from local
vendors. |
Dona Paula Beach |
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Calanguate Beach :
On the shores of the Arabian Sea, under the shade of palm trees,
bathes theQueen of Beaches-Calangute. Calangute seems to be a
distortion of thelocal vernacular word-‘Koli-gutti’, which means
land of fishermen. Some people connect it with Kalyangutti (village
of art) or
 Konvallo-ghott (strong pit of the coconut tree) because
the village is full of coconut trees. With the advent of the
Portuguese, the word probably got distorted to Calangute, and has
stuck till today. In a green semi-circle, the villages of
Arpora-Nagoa, Saligao and Candolim do their bit to enhance the
divine beauty of Calangute. There are picturesque agors (saltpans)
at Agarvaddo, Maddavaddo is full of madd (coconut trees), Dongorpur
skirts a bottle-green hillock and Tivaivaddo laces the beach. |
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Baga Beach :
Baga is a small but perfect beach
located between its two more famous cousins, Colva on one side and
Calangute on the other. It is a far better place to enjoy
 some
restful moments if you don’t like the hustle and bustle of Colva or
Calangute. It is a fishing beach with international touriststs
marinating in the sun and domestic visitors paddling. The fact is
that the sand here isn’t either white or gold but brown. There is
the grove of palms that comes fairly close to the water’s edge. The Baga River flows down one side of it offering a pleasant diversion
for children and those who love the water but can’t risk the rip
currents that swirl round the mouth. Where the river and the sea
meet, and on the far right bank, there is a group of black rocks
against which the sea crashes in dramatic explosions of spray. |
Bogmalo Beach: In Bogmalo, the Oberois manage a property
built by Trade Wings.
 The building is right on the sea. As the waves
lash the parapets of the open-air restaurant, the drone of the
restless Arabian Sea lulls to sleep even the most insomniac. Beyond
are mysterious little islands, shipwrecks in the silt and, around
the hotel, plenty of pleasant eateries-each one of them claiming to
be Osibisa’s favorite. That pardonable selling trick began about 10
years ago when the Oberoi hosted the group. |
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Chapora and Vagator Beach |
Chapora and Vagator Beach : The soft white sands, the black
lava rocks, the coconut palms, the lush green landscape, nature
playing its own music, and the sea turning from aquamarine to
emerald green-Vagator and Chapora, overlooked by the 500-year-old
Portuguese fort, leaves each visitor awestruck. Yet to be disturbed
by the hustle and bustle of tourists, life goes on peacefully, in
the background, in Vagator and Chapora. The world-famous Anjuna
Beach lies to the south of Vagator.
Vagator and Chapora are rich with rural life. Chapora is a fishing
village. So a large number of fishermen in their traditional
attire can be seen. Anyone patient enough to |
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listen to
the numerous stories of the sea, they have plenty of them.
Colorful women can be seen haggling and hocking fish by the
roadside. |
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Varca, Cavelossim, and Mabor Beach :
Varca, Cavelossim, and Mabor are the most
 beautiful beaches south of Benaulim. These beaches are much cleaner and quieter than most of
the famous beaches of Goa. There are numerous beach shacks offering
a variety of Goan dishes and seafood at reasonable prices. There are
several food joints around Dona Sylvia where you can get entire
package of good food, good drink, nice service, and a pleasant
service in quite reasonable rates. There are facilities for Dolphin
watching at Betty’s Place as well as boat trips for Dolphin watching
up river Sal. |
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Churches, Temples and
monuments in Goa
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Basilica of Bom Jesus: This is the most popular and famous of
all Churches in Goa. Situated in old Goa and built in 1605, this
church is dedicated to Infant Jesus. The mortal remains of St.
Francis Xavier, kept in a rich silver casket are enshrined here.
Rachol Seminary: The Rachol Seminary in South Goa has a
chequered past. Originally a Muslim fortress it was first converted
by the Portuguese into a church and later into a prison.
Se
Cathedral: Most imposing of all churches at Old Goa, dedicated
to St. Catherine, and famous for its 'Golden Bell'.
Church of St. Francis of Assisi: Church of St.Francis of Assisi
situated in Old Goa is a 17th century pieces of religious art.
St.
Cajetan Church: Built in style of St. Peter's basilica in Rome.
Reis
Magos Church: Dedicated to three Magi Kings was constructed in
1555.
The
Church of Mae de Deus at Saligao, dedicated to Mother of God was
built in 1873.
Shri
Manguesh: This temple of Lord Shiva is located at Priol, Ponda
Taluka and is surrounded by rolling green hills.
Shri
Mahalsa: This is a Vishnu temple at Mardol, about 1 km. from
Shri Manguesh Temple.
Shri
Ramnath: This temple complex has five temples dedicated to
different deities.
Brahma Temple: Located in the village of Carambolim7 km from
Valpoi is Brahma Temple (built in 5th century A.D). This is one of
the few temples dedicated to Lord Brahma that is found in India.
Mahadev Temple at Tambdi Surla: Situated in Sanguem this temple
is made of basalt stone and is representative of Kadamba-Yadava
architecture (13th century).
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