Goa has the world's best beaches. With a history of 2000 years and the Western Ghats bordering its east, Goa's got a lot to offer beyond its beautiful beaches.
Let me begin with an honest confession - Goa has got not only India's but the world's best clean and gorgeous beaches, I've been witnessing the Goan shores (heavily) for the last five years (at times 4 trips a year!). With the beautiful Konkan coast dotting the entire western side of the state, beaches happen to be its best offering.
Having said that, Goa has got 2000 years of history at its disposal and was ruled by rulers from the far east to the far west of the world. A place with such a diverse history juxtaposed with the rich Western Ghats at the other side of the state is nothing less than Pandora's box of great travel experiences.
This post is an attempt to bring five out of many fascinating travel experiences beyond the beautiful beaches of Goa.
1. Contemporary Museums
I know the word museum sometimes can sound boring. But wait, what if I tell you that the cover image of this post resembling a ship is the façade of a modern museum crafted to depict the architecture of the lovely houses of Goa built over centuries. Interesting? Read on
The Houses of Goa Museum is located on a steep hill in the beautiful locality of Torda, Salvador-do-Mundo, North Goa. The place tells the story of the architecture of houses influenced by the likes of Goan, Konkani, and Portuguese cultures. The beautiful model houses, pictures, and the reminiscent of the ancient building materials help unfold the history magically. Spread over three floors, the museum has sensor-based automatic lighting, soothing music, and audio descriptions. The topmost floor has a small amphitheater-like structure, the green surroundings look even more surreal from the lovely portico.
Entry fee per person - INR 100 (Adult); INR 25 (Child)
Timings: - Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 AM - 7:30 PM. Closed on Monday.
Moving on, this museum in South Goa brings the rural Goan life alive through its miniature ancient village depicting a typical day from the past century.
The Big Foot Museum or the Ancestral Goa - Big Foot, situated in the village of Loutolim, around 9 KM from Margao.
The museum renders a beautiful depiction of daily village life of the bygone era through the models of local artisans, a music school, the village market, liquor shops, and a local alcohol (feni) distillery.
Antiques, paintings, and period furniture add quintessential beauty to the place. Look at this beautiful sculpture depicting Sant Mirabai strumming on her ektara. This happens to be India's longest laterite sculpture.
Towards the exit, there's a handicraft center offering Goan crafts on sale, a restaurant, cross, spring, rubber plantations, and a spice yard.
Entry fee per person - INR 50 (Adult); INR 30 (Child)
Timings: - 9AM - 6PM every day
2. Green Goa
Western Ghats is famous to the world for its unprecedented beauty. The lush green tropical rain forests houses thousands of animal species. The mountainous forest range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Responsible for influencing the onset monsoon in India, and older than the Himalayas. Such a phenomenal entity on the east makes Goa a rich flora and fauna treasure trove.
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary covering an area of 211 SQ.KM is one of the best-kept secrets of the Western Ghats. Situated in South (Eastern) Goa, the evergreen forest is a true nature lovers paradise.
Make sure to embark on a ride if you happen to be staying in and around Palolem Beach (even otherwise). The forest range starts 4 KM after crossing the Canacona Market. The ambience changes once you enter the range. To begin with, the whiff of fresh air (pure Oxygen) will make you feel good. The vegetation turns deeper as you continue to move, so deep that it makes a well lit sunny day dark.
The best bet is to visit the Savari (Neturlem) Waterfall. This is like a package deal of four. First the 30 odd kilometres of jungle ride. Second a cute little waterfall en route, third the 1.5 KM jungle trek and finally the tall waterfall.
The trek to the waterfall starts by the side of the road. Unfortunately, there's no parking area (it's actually better that way). There's a wide semi-circular space a few meters away from the trail's starting point. This can accommodate four mid-size cars. It might look secluded, yet, it's safe.
The trail is very well marked with proper signboards. The trek is easy. Reaching the bottom of the waterfall calls for a steep descent by a flight of steps of uneven heights.
The ascent could be a little challenging especially after all the fun in the waters! Given the serenity of the place, this won't be a problem at all.
The water falling from the giant rocks onto the ground flanked by thick vegetation all around will be an instant puller once you reach the bottom of the fall.
The entry to the forest range attracts a fee of INR 20 per head. Vehicle entry is also charged. Two-wheelers INR 50, four-wheelers INR 100, and six-wheelers INR 400. 50% of the amount charged for the vehicle is refundable once you hand over garbage (generated by you or by others) at the entry-cum-exit point.
It's alright if you don't come back with a can full of trash. Please ensure not to litter around during your gracious visit, and in case there's trash after eating wafers please bring it back. Let's do our bit to make the environment a better place to live all over again!
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is open from 830 AM - 430 PM every day.
If the idea of Jungle trek sounds exciting, then I've got another experience to share, and this will take you to this hidden and secluded beach called the Honeymoon(or Butterfly) Beach. Hidden because it's visible only during low tide.
The 2 KM trek is definitely more adventurous, the last 500 meters is tricky. You'll dodge through the uneven terrain full of large boulders, thick vegetation, and branches of trees hanging all over. Get yourself to cross a small stream three-fourth into the journey! The trek starts from a jungle quarry 1.5 KM away from Leopard Valley, a high-octane nightclub. The trek takes 1.5 hours to complete.
There exists a quick and easy way to reach the beach - hiring a boat from Palolem Beach (or Agonda Beach). On very rare occasions you might catch a glimpse of dolphins on 10 minutes sea ride. The boatmen usually charge between INR 1000 - 1200 for a round trip.
Whether you're trekking or taking the boat ride, please ensure not to spoil the surroundings like this
Few tips:- If taking the sea route, negotiate with the boatmen, they're always in a hurry to return back; this is a 100% non-commercialized beach, carry essential food, and water; avoid longer stay post dusk.
Looking for some of the most beautiful and secluded beaches in Goa? Check out this guide to 7 unexplored beaches that you've probably never heard of - Unexplored Beaches of Goa.
3. Romancing nature from the (Un)Haunted Church
Real or unreal, ghost stories always creates curiosity. One such popular story is prevalent with Three Kings Church - a place which the internet counts amongst the top ten spookiest places in India, perplexing? Let's find out while admiring the astonishing nature view seen from the edges of the church's compound.
The Three Kings Church sits at a corner atop a hill called Cuelim in Cansaulim, South Goa.
The haunted story dates back to the colonial era under the Portuguese. The place was governed by three kings, loggerheads with each other in a quest to rule the kingdom. One of them, King Holger, wisely invited the other two Kings to discuss and find a solution to the matter. The wicked king eventually killed his rivals by poisoning their food and announced himself to be the king, thereby incurring the wrath of the two now-dead kings’ supporters. Fearful of his own life, he committed suicide consuming poison. Later, the villagers buried the three bodies within the church premise and the story goes that their spirits still roam the place, quietly governing and protecting the kingdom.
The view from the edge of the church ground is stupendously gorgeous. You see the vast paddy fields bounded by numerous hills and the glistening waters of the Arabian Sea, this is no imagination, rather one of the many scenes captured on the lens, have a look!
The ghost story may or may not sound exciting, however, the view of the landscape certainly makes this place worth visiting, an absolute must in monsoon. One of the many beliefs associated with this place says that one shouldn't look back at the tree outside the church when you're leaving the place. On the contrary, I not only looked at the tree but also spent time admiring the beauty of the lush green surroundings. Thankfully, over two dozen trips later I am still alive and was never possessed by the ghosts!
Plan the visit before 6 PM, visitors are strictly not allowed on the church ground after sunset.
4. Sea Forts - The Giant Guardians of the Coast
A region with the sea as its significant boundary poses a huge security risk, and this must have been even more difficult 400 years ago. The solution was rather simple, build a fort on the large part of an island - natural defense by the surrounding sea waters and hence the name sea fort.
From the north to the south, the state of Goa has 16 sea forts. The rustic charm and the astonishing views from the perimeter walls make them an absolute gem of a place for the travelling souls. Let's have a look at three of them.
Fort Aguada, one of the oldest fort of Goa, was built in the early seventeenth century to guard the ships and the adjoining Bardez sub-district and was a reference point for the ships coming from Europe during the Portuguese colonial era.
The Portuguese language word Aguada means watery, the fort got its name due to the fact that it used to supply water to passing ships from its freshwater spring. With a whopping storage capacity of 2,376,000 gallons, it's one of the biggest freshwater storage of the time in the whole of Asia. The lighthouse was constructed in 1864 and is the oldest of its kind in Asia.
Situated in North Goa's Candolim, the fort has free entry and remains open every day from 9 AM to 6 PM.
The next fort is a personal favorite, again in North Goa, and best for witnessing the symphony of long beaches, a river, and many dotting hills.
Chapora Fort overlooking the Chapora River presents the best panoramic view of the blissful surroundings which constitutes the Chapora River, and the beaches of Chapora, Vagator, and Morjim. This place is the mother of all forts in the department of spectacular views, it's a phenomenal traveler treat during monsoon!
The fort situated on a steep hill was built for defense purposes. The ascend starts right after the parking lot, the authorities constructed broad-length steps to ease the hike (earlier it used to be a hill climb) making the fort even more accessible. The fort became immensely popular after the shooting of the Bollywood movie Dil Chahta Hai.
Chapora Fort is barely a 15-minutes walk from the Vagator Beach Road (which is very well connected to the Mapusa).
The fort remains open all days of the week from 930 AM to 530 PM; no entry fee is charged.
The last fort, Cabo de Rama, also happens to be the last fort of Goa geographically! The fort is perched between Cavelossim and Agonda - two of the very popular beaches of South Goa. The route to the fort passes through thick forest with the elevation changing abruptly all along the journey. The fort gives a spectacular view of the forested coastline and the Arabian Sea.
The fort remains open every day from 9 AM to 530 PM, no entry fee charged.
5. Fairs, Festivals & Flea Markets
Goa is known to the world for its vibrant beaches and swanky parties; however, Goa’s equally rich in its tradition and culture and has been celebrating life across centuries.
Over years Goa has become home to people from the world around. This is evident from the thriving street markets of Goa, usually functional between November through April. With both locals and foreigners spreading their wares and talking fluently between Hindi, Yiddish, and Russian – the serpentine by lanes are no less than a global village.
Let’s look at three of them.
a) Goa Carnival
Carnival is a Western Christian festival that typically occurs during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide. It's usually commemorated by public celebrations, including events such as parades, public street parties, and other entertainments.
The Goa Carnival is the largest in India, was introduced by the Portuguese rulers in the 18th century and became forever popular since its resurrection in 1965. The parade typically begins on Fat Saturday every February and is marked by colorful possessions of dancing troupes, revelers wearing masks and costumes, live music, sports competitions, floats & parades, and food and drinking. The Carnival sees the parades doing rounds across the state of Goa starting from Panjim, heads to South Goa, and finally ends at North.
Various clubs and associations of Goa participate in the carnival putting their best foot forward to bring the spirit of Goa.
b) Wednesday Flea Market or the Anjuna Market
Anjuna is world-famous for its night parties, the area sort of turns into an alien land during the daytime; however, during November-March the narrow lanes see a thriving market come to life between the wee hours of 9 AM – 6 PM, selling almost everything from – clothes, accessories, home décor, etc. The subtle corners become the live stage for bands playing a variety of genres ranging from jazz to rock.
c) Saturday Night Market
The Saturday Night Market is a vast all-night market at a hillock situated in Arpora, open between 4 PM – 3 AM on Saturdays during November - April. The market has a plethora of items ranging from clothes, accessories, handicrafts, etc. A typical flea market, the more you bargain the better!! Alongside there are a lot of makeshift food & beverages stalls and also live music – you see people singing, dancing high – a total hippy style ambiance.
Hope this information is helpful towards adding joyful Goan experiences beyond the beautiful beaches in your next travel.
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