LOCAL FACTS

There are a number of sightseeing options in Goa. Be it the beaches, churches or temples, Goa is a dream destination. Click here to view map of Goa. Click here to view the weather forecast.

Beaches

Goa is blessed with several beaches which extend for miles and miles.

Hotels, restaurants and shops line up the beaches and provide non-stop entertainment and recreation. The waters of the Arabian Sea provide the perfect setting for water sports like Jet Skiing, Parasailing, Canoeing and special Dolphin Cruises etc.

There are 40 lovely beaches, most of them pollution free, though not all of them as safe as swimmers would wish. The beach segment in the Bardesh subdivision north of Panaji is the Calangute - Baga - Anjuna belt

The north Goa beaches in Pernem subdivision are delightfully primitive and untouched: Keri beach (with Tiracol and an ancient Portuguese fort on the other bank); Arambol; Mandrem and Morji.

The Salcete subdivision accounts for Goa's widest and cleanest beaches. They are Varca, Gaudalim, Colva (Goa's largest beach), Benaulim, Mobor, Carmona and Cavelossim, the latter now overcrowded with new hotels. Further south, are more beaches as primitive as those of the Pernem subdivision but much less frequently used by foreign tourists.

Varca beach is the safest beach of Goa, finest hotels are located on this beach.

Temples of Goa

Noroa River, the Arvalem Waterfall, and the Brahma Camandolu or Water Pot of Brahma - the creator, in the old Goa Hills are the main Hindu pilgrimage spots in Goa. One more sacred place is Sidhanath Mountain in Borim Village.

Churches

Goa, Jewel of India, is studded with temples and churches, which remain as silent but forceful witnesses to the intense religious history of the diverse people who lived here. Hence a pilgrimage to Goa is a unique experience. Amongst the places to visit in Goa are Church of Our Lady of Rosary, The Rachol Seminary, and Church of St. Francis of Assisi, The Se Cathedral and Basilica of Bom Jesus.