Goa
Capital: Panaji
“Sun, sand, susegad — India's smallest state with its biggest personality”
Goa is where India relaxes. Portuguese churches next to Hindu temples, fish curry rice on every plate, cashew feni in every bar. North Goa pulses with energy — beach parties, flea markets, trance music. South Goa whispers — empty beaches, luxury resorts, turtle nesting sites. Old Goa's UNESCO churches rival anything in Europe.
What Goa is known for
Must visit in Goa
Old Goa
UNESCO World Heritage — Basilica of Bom Jesus (1605), Se Cathedral, Church of St Francis of Assisi. Portugal in the tropics.
Palolem Beach
Perfect crescent bay — kayak to Butterfly Beach, silent disco on the sand, dolphin spotting at sunrise
Anjuna
Where Goa's counterculture lives — Wednesday flea market, Chapora Fort sunset, trance parties since the 70s
Dudhsagar Falls
310m waterfall straddling Goa-Karnataka border — the railway track crossing is one of India's most photographed scenes
Panaji
India's most charming state capital — Fontainhas Latin Quarter with coloured Portuguese houses, Mandovi River, casino boats
