One of the three parts of the Goa trip I covered over 7-8 days, Central and Old Goa, is something you can’t miss when you are here-most. Tourists don’t! Reis Magos Fort, Se Cathedral, Basilica of Bom Jesus, and St. Augustine Tower are some historical places that symbolize being in Goa with incredible vibrancy and aura! You have famous Dona Paula and casinos waiting for you in the Panjim area, and you’ll love the nightlife here. The most significant factor for being here is the Goa Carnival that happens every February with lots of pomp and show! You can’t miss that.
11 Reasons why you must visit Old Goa:
- Facing the Arabian Sea, Bogmalo Beach is a great place to witness the sunset amidst the calm, less crowded sea shore.
- Chorao and Divar islands (along with Bina Beach) at a distance of 5-7km from Panaji are known for snorkeling and exploring the marine life of the Arabian Sea.
- Enjoy inshore and offshore river fishing, bottom fishing, fly fishing, and angling at Dona Paula.
- Casino Royale, Casino Pride, and Casino Carnival are a few popular casinos where you can try your luck making a fortune.
- Trek to the majestic Dudhsagar Falls near Londa in the rainy season and witness one of the most beautiful falls in the rainy season in India.
- Goa Carnival, one of the main highlights of Goa, happens in February for four days, and you can’t miss the showcasing of Goa’s culture and traditions and the fun and music!
- There are so many water rides you can do, say yacht rides, sea cruises, dolphin rides, and frankly, these are must-to-do things here in Goa.
- Old Goa is known for the churches of St. Augustine, Basilica of Bom Jesus, and Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Miramar beach at the confluence point of the Mandovi river and the Arabian Sea is known for adventure sports like jet-skiing and water skiing.
- Cocoa Beach is an excellent visit for beautiful scenery, boating, aqua sports,scuba diving, water skiing, and gliding.
- A Gothic architecture, the Church Of Mae De Deus is a charming story etched in stone. The Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception boasts a majestic structure. The Chapel of St. Catherine exhibits simple Renaissance-style architecture but is of immense historical significance.
- One of the must-do activities in Panjim is to have freshly baked goodies from the old bakeries and visit wishing well, Chapel of St. Sebastian, and Altinho Hill.
- Reis Magos Fort is a great historical spot to visit, for it was a residence for viceroys, a prison, and then an abandoned fort.
Location: Panaji will fall around 500 km south of Mumbai and 500 km west of Bengaluru.
Tourist Attraction on the spot:
Indian Naval Aviation Museum, St. Andrew’s Church, Japanese Garden, Immaculate Conception Church, Casino Pride, Panjim Church, Reis Magos Fort, Se Cathedral, Basilica of Bom Jesus, St. Augustine Tower, Bombolim, Siridao, Marivel, Dias, Vainguinim, Odxel, Caranzalem, Miramar, Biana, Hansa, Bimbel, Hollant Beaches, Dona Paula, Goa Carnival
Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:
You can visit Jog Falls, Ratnagiri, Gokarna, Doodhsagar Falls, and Murdeshwara in the vicinity!
Distance Charts:(Panaji)
- Delhi(1890 km)
- Mumbai(570 km)
- Hyderabad(690 km)
- Cochin(780 km)
- Mysuru(620 km)
- Chennai(950 km)
- Bangalore(600 km)
- Chandigarh(2200 km)
- Shimla(2300 km)
- Kolkata(2190 km)
- Bhubaneshwar(1750 km)
- Ahmedabad(1080 km)
- Jaipur(1700 km)
- Rameswaram(1200 km)
- Kanyakumari(1270 km)
How to Reach Panaji:
Road Routes:
Mumbai-Ratnagiri-Kundal-Panjim-Vasco Da Gama
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:
1)Central and Old Goa are about historical churches, Portuguese culture, and Museums. A goa trip becomes complete when you visit this portion of the state.
2)Goa Carnival happens on different days at several venues; old Goa will have a day or two reserved for itself. Check their official website before making a late Feb. trip.
3)Dona Paula has brilliant architecture, but you can get a glimpse from the entry gate due to poor structural stability. Still, Dona Paula beach is excellent for some sports and boating/cruising.
4)Even if you skip on beaches in the Old goa region-won’t be much of an issue as most beaches are small and not so clean-I mean, people hardly come here, and beaches aren’t well maintained. But Miramar, Biana, and Bogmalo can be good ones-they are long coastlines with some good time under the sun!
5)Have snacks, water, and a pocket umbrella with you at all times. You’ll not find many hotels on the way or along the beachside.
RAIL: Panaji has its railway station. Even Vasco has one. Madgaon will be a better choice for connectivity.
AIR: Dambolin airport is the nearest airport within Goa
ROAD: Panjim is well connected to cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai (KSRTC, KTCL, and MSRTC BUS services) due to regular buses and well-shaped routes, making the journey possible in 10-12 hours.
Map:
Time to Visit:
August to March is an excellent time to be here.
Spend Time With:
Friends, Groups, Family, Couples
Food and Lodging:
Hotels will be an issue in Central Goa not because of availability but because of pricing; better stay at Mapusa or Madgaon to cut down costs or cancel-enabled bookings in advance(Goibibo or Makemytrip, or Yatra websites are good ones). Food isn’t an issue, but the food at beach sides does cost a buck, and vegetarians need to be a bit careful-lots of the seafood on offer! Have snacks and water with you at all times-very a humid place!
Expense:
A 2-day trip to Panjim costs:(Night stay at Madgaon)
Food: INR 100/person/day(3 times a day)X2
Transport: Mostly you’ll be hopping on public transport. Assume a total of INR 300. Some places like Odxel beach or Bambolim beach might require a scooty or a pillion. So add another INR 400-500 for that.
Lodging: INR 700/day X1 at Madgaon
Entry Fees include various places (varies): INR 100 on the safer side. However, mostly this is not the case-most. Natural places in Goa is entry free.
Total: 2200 INR
Nearby Attractions(Panaji):
- Gokarna(170 km)
- Jog Falls(260 km)
- Ratnagiri(220 km)
- Aihole(280 km)
- Mahabaleshwar(370 km)
- Udupi(320 km)
- Pune(410 km)
- Wayanad(630 km)
- Coorg(510 km)
- Ooty(760 km)
- Hampi(350 km)
- Mumbai(570 km)
- Cochin(780 km)
- Bangalore(600 km)
- Mysuru(620 km)
- Chennai(950 km)
- Hyderabad(690 km)
