Enjoy the crescent-shaped beach and its fine white sand. Go have some food or something to drink in one of the beach restaurants.

2. Visit Anjuna Beach

Take a walk at the little market and go to the bar on the cliffs. Enjoy the view from to the beach and the ocean.

3. Visit Old Goa and the Churches

Enjoy the beauty of these old buildings.

4. Visit Panjim and its landmark the church “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception”

At the Church walk along 18th June Road (and the streets close by) for a shopping tour. Whatever you need, you find it here.

5. Take a rikscha to go somewhere

Maybe from Panjim to Old Goa or to the next beach from where you are staying.

6. Visit a Temple

And watch all the beautiful colors and flowers and all the Rangoli on the floor.

7. Visit a Spice Plantation

And learn more about how to make spices.

8. Buy a scarf!

You can find any color and any fabric you like. Buy one or even more scarves. All women love them. They also make a good birthday or Christmas present.

9. Get some clothes tailored

Best thing is to bring a pair of pants or anything else that fits you perfectly. Bring your favorite item with you, find a fabric you like and have your clothes replicated.

10. Buy some fresh fruits!

It’s all better than everything we have in Europe. Consider some of fruits we usually have to import (Papaya, Mango, Bananas etc.). It’s a whole different fruit here in India.

Der Beitrag 10 Things To Do in Goa erschien zuerst auf travelspotting.

Basilika St. Francis and Sé Cathedral

In its peak time between the 16th and 18th century, Old Goa was a big city with more residents than London. How powerful and influential this city was in this phase can be seen at the big churches that were built in those days. Even its Portuguese influence is still there. Due to a wave of malaria and cholera, the city had to be abandoned in the 18th century.

You find the Basilika St. Francis here, a very famous missionary from the east, whose deadly remains are buried here. The basilica dates back to 1594 and is more than 400 years old.

The second important building is Sé Cathedral, built between 1562 and 1619. Almost 80 meters in height, this is Asia’s biggest church. These two main buildings are really impressive and make something unusual: a Christian church that big in the middle of Asia.

Some more building are:

• the Church of Francis of Assisi
• a museum about Christian Art
• the Church of St. Cajetan
• the ruins of the old St. Augustine monastery
• the Church of Our Lady of the Mount” (at bit isolated, 2 km from everything else)

…and some more chapels, churches and ruins.

Some of the buildings are very well-preserved, other in decline. Anyways, the atmosphere and past meaning of the city becomes very clear.

Old Goa – How Do I Get There?

When you are in Panjim, you can easily reach Old Goa. There are busses but also rikschas are ready to take tourists there. Simply ask someone or wait until someone asks you. All of this should be rather cheap and cost you only a few Euros.

From all the beaches, you can find a driver who takes you around for the whole day. This is probably a bit more expensive but still doable. You book a driver and a car for the entire day, tell him where you want to go and find an agreement about a whole-day price. That depends on where you are, where you want to go and how long. You can for example do a day trip to the Panjim city center and Old Goa.

Old Goa – A Place to Recommend?

Yes, I do recommend it but (there is always a but you see churches. Speaking for myself: Churches are everywhere in Europe, some of them extremely gorgeous. When it comes to churches, I am quickly and easily bored, in general not interested that much and not enthusiastic. I wanted to see Old Goa anyways and do not regret it. You should know what you get: grand, beautiful churches in the middle of India. Neither the greatest nor the prettiest churches I have ever seen. Inside and outside are nice but not spectacular or outstanding. If you come from the US and do not know old buildings, this is the right place for you. But buildings like the dome in Cologne and the dome in Speyer are more sparkling than anything in Goa.

Der Beitrag The Churches of Old Goa – Ancient Former Capital and “Rome of the East” erschien zuerst auf travelspotting.