BEST OF NORTH & SOUTH GOA

At a distance of 7 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 34 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 15 km from Mapusa, Reis Magos Fort is located on the northern bank of the River Mandovi across to the city of Panaji in North Goa. This Fort is one of the prime Goa Tourist Places and one of the major heritage sites in Goa state.

This Fort was built by the Portuguese Viceroy Alfonso de Noronha in 1551 and was rebuilt in 1707. It was played an important role in the defense of Goa in 1739 against the Marathas. Originally it was an armed outpost built by the Adil Shah in the late 1400 and got destroyed in 1500. In the beginning the Portuguese used this Fort as a shelter for the viceroys and dignitaries who arrived from Lisbon. But gradually Portuguese realized the strategic importance of this Fort and used it to ward off Maratha armies.

This Fort is quite small compared to other forts in Goa. It was used .....

At a distance of 15 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 4 km from Candolim and 49 km from Margao Railway Station, the grand Fort of Aguada was constructed to prevent the entry of ships into the River Mandovi thus protecting old Goa from the attacks of Dutch and Marathas. Aguda Fort is one of the prime Goa tourist places and one of the major heritage sites in Goa state. Aguada Fort is one of the top attractions you must include in Goa packages.

The Aguada Fort was built by the Portuguese colonial rulers on the beach south of Candolim at the shore of the Mandovi River in 1612. A freshwater spring within the fort provided water supply to the ships that used to stop by. This is how the fort got its name 'Aguada' meaning Water. The heart of the fort was protected by two hundred cannons and a deep dry moat, which one still has to cross to get inside.

A central jail and a lighthouse built during .....

At a distance of 14 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 10 km from Mapusa and 41 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station, Calangute Beach is the largest Beach in North Goa and one of the best tourist Places to visit in Goa. The beach is often represented in promotion of Goa Tourism. Calangute Beach is another popular attraction not to miss in a Goa tour packages.

Calangute is also called the 'Queen of beaches' in Goa and among the best beaches in Goa. As stories go on, hippies had discovered this beach during the 60's so is it famous since then. Calangute along with Candolim, Baga and Anjuna form part of stretch of beach extending from just outside Panaji city to Fort Aguada. Calangute Beach is a 4 mile long beach that lies between Baga and Candolim beach. It is also among the top beaches of Goa.

The beach is wide with soft sand but the sea is rough. .....

At a distance of 19 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 46 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 11 km from Mapusa, The Chapora Fort is situated in North Goa. It is one of the top tourist places in Goa.

Built in red laterite stones, the fort has steep slopes on all the sides and stands on an area which has irregular outer plan. This massive fort was constructed by the king of Bijapur, Adil Shah. This is one reason why it has been named Shahpura, which means the 'town of Shah'. The Chapora Fort is one of the prime attractions on Goa.

The fort was built in order to keep a watch on Hindu raiders who wanted to set up their territory in Goa. The fort was destroyed after the rule of Adil Shah and was rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1617, on the site of an earlier Muslim structure. The Portuguese troops surrendered to the Maratha ruler Sambhaji in 1684 but the locals were not too pleased with this situation and hence Marathas were forced to .....

At a distance of 19 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 46 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 13 km from Mapusa, Vagator Beach is situated in North Goa, near Chapora Fort. It is among the top places to visit in Goa.

Vagator Beach is a part of a 30 km stretch of beach coastline along the west coast of Goa by the Arabian Sea that begins at Fort Aguada and ending at Chapora Beach and Fort. It is a bay between the rocky headlands and one of the Goa best beaches. It is covered with soft white sand, dotted by coconut trees and huge black rocks. The sea at Vagator turns from aquamarine to emerald green with the movement of the sun.

Vagator Beach is divided into Big Vagator or North Vagator, Middle Vagator (Tel Aviv beach) and Little Vagator (Ozran) by a few rocks. To reach the beach one has to climb down a hill. The Big Vagator Beach is a long white sandy .....

At a distance of 33 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 8 km from Margao Railway Station and 25 km from Vasco Railway Station, Colva Beach is located in South Goa. It is one of the prime Places to visit in Goa state and among the best beaches in Goa.

Colva Beach is the oldest, largest and the most spectacular beaches of South Goa. The beach consists of about 25 km of the fine powdered white sand and is bounded along its coast by coconut palms that stretch from Bogmalo in the north to Cabo de Rama in the south along south Goa's coastline. Colva is one of the top beaches in Goa.

In the colonial days it used to be the retreat for Margao's high society. Today the area that is reminiscent of the luxurious lifestyle of the aristocratic class has the beautiful houses and villas that dot the village.

The main beach .....

At a distance of 52 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 46.5 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 17.7 km from Margao Railway Station, Shri Shantadurga Kunkalikarin Temple is situated in South Goa.

Shri Shantadurga Kunkalikarin Temple is located at Fatorpa of Quepem Taluka and is one of the oldest temples of Goa. It is also one of the prime places to visit in Goa. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Shri Shantadurga. Originally from Cuncolim village in Salcete Taluka, the Goddess was removed to Fatorpa in 16th Century during religious persecution by the Portuguese.

During the reign of Maratha ruler Chatrapati Shahu, the temple was reconstructed which was previously destroyed by Portuguese invasion. The temple complex is on the foothills of a mountain chain bordered by greenery in all sides. At the entrance of the temple of Shree Shantadurga Kunkalikarin, there is a massive doorway called Mahadwar. The temple has the big gold plated .....

At a distance of 60 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 56 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 27 km from Margao Railway Station, The Cabo De Rama Fort is situated in South Goa. This is one of the prime attractions in South Goa and also an ideal Goa sightseeing options.

Cabo de Rama Fort is also known as The Cape of Rama. The fort derives its name from Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana stayed here with his wife during their 14 years of exile. The Fort was first occupied by Hindu rulers who spread their empire all over India. The cape is crowned by a fort which was originally a Hindu structure and rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1763 after acquiring it from the Maratha King of Sonda. The Fort has elaborated defenses complete with a moat, gatehouse and several bastions. Many of the bastions still have large cannons lying strewn above them. The fort has a well and two springs from which cold and hot water used to emerge from two different nozzles. .....

At a distance of 70 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 65 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 36 km from Margao Railway Station, Palolem Beach is one of the famous & best beaches in Goa and top tourist attraction in South Goa.

Palolem Beach is also known as 'Paradise Beach'. This beach stretches between two magnificent headlands and the beach is lined with towering coconut palms. The beach is about a mile long and it provides seclusion and idyllic scenery. Palolem Beach is a crescent shape beach and one can soak in its views from the southern end till the northern end in one glimpse of the eyes. Both ends have natural jutting rocks trying to touch the sea. It has little wooded islands to the north and a village behind the beach.

At the northern end of the beach there is a fresh water stream and across the stream lies a small undeveloped island that can be accessed by just swimming across .....

At a distance of 9 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand and 27 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station, the famous Bom Jesus Basilica is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site (Churches & Convents of Goa). It is also called St. Francis Xavier's Tomb. It is one of the top attractions you must include in Goa packages and one of the major heritage sites in Goa state. The church is often represented in promotion of Goa Tourism.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. The Construction of the church began in 1594 and completed in May 1605. The church is called 'Bom Jesus' meaning 'good Jesus' or 'infant Jesus'. This church is the first Minor Basilica in India and is regarded as one of the best examples of baroque architecture.

The imposing facade built out of black granite in an exquisite combination of the Doric, Corinthian and composite styles, is remarkable for its simplicity. .....

At a distance of 9 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 27 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 23 km from Mapusa, Se Cathedral is considered to be one of the largest churches in Asia, situated in Old Goa, opposite to Basilica of Bom Jesus. The beautiful Se Cathedral is one of the top places to visit in Goa. This place is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site (Churches & Convents of Goa).

The Se Cathedral is dedicated to St. Catherine. It is also known to be the oldest and the most celebrated religious buildings in Goa and has the prestige of being the seat of Archdiocese of Goa. According to history, Alfonso Albuquerque in 1510 defeated the Muslim army on the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria and took possession of Goa. The construction of this imposing church began in 1562 during the reign of King Dom Sebastiao and substantially completed by 1619. The main altars however were not finished until .....

At a distance of 9.2 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 27 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 22 km from Mapusa, St. Francis of Assisi Church is situated near the Se Cathedral in Old Goa. It is one of the prime tourist places to visit in Goa. This place is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site (Churches & Convents of Goa).

The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic Church situated in the main square of Old Goa. The Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi were established by eight Portuguese Franciscan friars who landed in Goa in 1517. After their arrival in 1517 with their consistent efforts they constructed a small chapel with three altars and a choir. Eventually in the year 1521 the chapel was modified into a church and dedicated to the Holy Ghost in 1602. Later the church was pulled down and the present church was constructed on the same spot in 1616.

The west facing church has a nave with three chapels on both .....

At a distance of 8 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 27 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 23 km from Mapusa, Church and Monastery of Augustin is situated in Old Goa. It is one of the prime Goa tourist places. This place is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site (Churches & Convents of Goa).

The Church and Monastery of St Augustine were built in 1572 by 12 Augustines when they arrived in the city of Goa. The construction of the church was completed in 1602 AD. They also built a convent besides the church. A ban was imposed by the Portuguese government against the Augustines. The church and the convent thereafter were deserted.

The ruins of 46 m high Bell Tower without the bell can be seen from some distance and attract visitors. The four storied arched belfry tower built of laterite of the church facing east. This tower is one of the four towers of St. Augustine Church. The Church had eight richly adorned chapels and four altars and .....

At a distance of 21 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 37 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 34 km from Mapusa, Shri Mangueshi Temple is situated in North Goa. It is of the must visit Goa tourist places and a major pilgrimage site of Goa state.

Shri Mangeshi temple is located on a hillock at Mangeshi Village in Priol, Ponda Taluka. Shri Mangeshi Temple is one of the largest, wealthiest and most popular Hindu shrines in Goa. Mythology says that Lord Shiva came to Goa after having lost everything in a game of dice against his wife Parvati. When Parvati came looking for him, he disguised himself as a tiger and frightened her. In a state of shock, Parvati uttered the words ''Trahi Mam Grisha'', which means ''O Lord of the Mountains, save me''. Shiva then reverted into his normal form and returned with her. The words, ''Mam Grisha'' came to be associated with this story and Shiva came to be known as 'Manguesh'. The place where this tale occurred .....

At a distance 1 km from Panaji Kadamba Bus Terminus, River Cruise is a memorable and must experience activity in Panaji. It is one of the top Goa places to visit. The river cruises start from Santa Monica Boat Jetty and Panaji Jetty on Mandovi river in Panaji town on Old Panaji Road. River cruise is one of the top things to do in Goa.

The river cruise, especially the evening sunset cruise is a beautiful experience. Most of the cruise trips last for one hour with a ride across the Mandovi River till the Miramar Beach point. The cruise trips are usually accompanied with Goan cultural activities like Music, Dance, etc. The activities also include tourists joining the dance at end of the program.

Visitors can also view Adil Shah Palace from the river, which is the first palace built in Goa by Bijapur Sultan Adil Shah. It was later occupied by Portuguese and converted into a palace. Evening time (around 6 PM) is ideal time for cruise trip .....