Goa Tourism

India's smallest state Goa is located on the western coast of the country, adjoining the Arabian Sea, which provides the beach holidays that Goa is internationally famous for. The states of Maharashtra in the north and Karnataka in the south and east surround Goa. Together with the coastal stretches of these states, Goa is part of a larger cultural region known as Konkan. Northern Goa is more populated and urban, while the south is more forested. Beaches apart, rice fields and coconut plantations dominate the landscape. However, tourism is Goa's main industry. For 450 years Goa was a Portuguese colony until taken over by India in 1961. This heritage is still apparent in the architecture of its churches and old houses, and the culture of its towns, which is very distinct from the rest of India. In the Catholic world Goa is important as the place