Beaches of South Goa:
COLVA - This is Goa's longest beach (25 km) and is quiet and secluded compared to Calangute or Baga. You can wander away from the main tourist hub to explore secluded coves, fishing hamlets and coconut plantations. You have a wide choice of accommodation, food and activities here.
BENAULIM - This peaceful beach, 2 km south of Colva, has several small guesthouses, beachfront shacks and bars. It caters to the spillover from its larger neighbour.
VARCA - Large and plush resorts now dominate this beach, once a fishing village. Many of them have small patches of private beach. There is little choice of medium-level resorts and guesthouses here.
PALOLEM - Goa's southern-most beach is secluded, peaceful and safe for swimming.
Colonial Mansions Of South Goa
Loyola Furtado Mansion, Cinchinim, (a few km south of Madgaon) has a magnificent ballroom with marble floors and pillars, and crystal chandeliers.
Braganza House, Chandor is the largest and most impressive mansion of Goa; it is a 40 minutes drive from Madgaon
Roque Caeton Miranda House is at Lutoleim, 10 km from Madgaon. The exterior of this mansion is painted in the traditional red oxide tint of many Portuguese bungalows, and is richly decorated from the inside.
Madgaon city
This city has a rich past, dating much before the Portuguese settled here, as it was a bustling trading and religious centre. In fact there were many Vaishnav maths here, thus giving it its name 'Math-gram' or Madgaum. Today, most of the Hindu temples do not remain, but there are several important churches in the city. The marketplaces are lively and bustling, and you can shop for many local products such as Goa spices and curry pastes, sausages, bebinca, cashewnuts, feni, and handicrafts.
The Municipal Garden and the Aga Khan Garden are two green areas in the Town Square. The Church Square is where you see the famed Church of the Holy Spirit, and old colonial houses and peaceful tree-lined roads. Among these old houses, the most famous is Da Silva Sat Burnzam Ghor. |
