Goa is one ofIndia's top tourist destinations. The state is not very large, and a dozen days can be enough to discover all its treasures: sandy beaches, world heritage monuments, delicious traditional cuisine and stunningly beautiful landscapes.
A world famous tourist spot
The state of Goa is attracting an increasing number of visitors, both Indian and foreign. An eclectic clientele, who find all the charms of a miniature India associated with the specificities of an atypical territory, cultivating its difference in a tradition inherited from nearly five centuries of Portuguese domination, whose traces are visible in the exuberant and colorful architecture of the cities and villages strongly marked by the influence of the Portuguese colonial baroque.
Goa was the last Indian state to gain independence in 1961, when the Portuguese left the territory they had controlled since 1510. It was only on August 12, 1987 that Goa was granted full statehood. The use of Portuguese has been lost among the new generations of Goanese, in favor of English and the local language, Konkani, a mixture of Hindi, Marathi and Portuguese. But the Lusitanian heritage is visible in the facades of the colonial houses of Panaji, the capital, and of the superb baroque cathedrals of the former capital, Old Goa, a museum city which nevertheless bears witness to the importance of Christianity in the population. Goa has a high percentage of Christians (about 50%), whose churches coexist in harmony with the colorful temples of the Hindus and the mosques, more discreet, of the small Muslim minority. This confessional particularism contributes largely to the originality of the State of Goa in the Indian world, and makes blow there this air of freedom which come to seek first of all the Indians, stuck elsewhere in the straitjacket of their rigid traditions, but also the other visitors originating from the Near East (Iran and Arab countries), and finally the Westerners, allured by the softness of living in a paradisiacal framework.
This freedom sometimes rhymed with laxity when, in the 1970s, Goa attracted a crowd of hippies who left for the roads of the East, in search of spirituality and more or less artificial paradise, a phenomenon also observed in Southeast Asia, and especially in Thailand. Some of them ended up on its beaches and have not left them since, joined by representatives of a new generation of backpackers who followed in their footsteps and took over to the sound of techno music, whose "raves" attracted an underworld fauna of Israelis and Nordics in the 1990s, the high point of a movement that has now run out of steam. As the local authorities have made every effort to combat the sulphurous reputation attached to Goa's beaches, the survivors of this movement have found themselves confined to certain well-defined enclaves in the north of the state, when they have not sought refuge outside its borders, in the isolated beaches of Maharashtra in the north or Karnataka in the south. These "backpakers", poor consumers, who constitute a small part of Goa's tourist clientele and contribute an even smaller part of its tourism-related revenues, have become part of the folklore, as evidenced by their gathering place, the traditional "flea market" of Anjuna, on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the high season (October to May), which has become a mecca of local tourism frequented by families and groups, much to the chagrin of the "founding fathers". In general, mass and family tourism has supplanted this old clientele, which has had to abandon its former HQs, one after the other, such as the important seaside town of Calangute, in the north, which was once a stronghold of backpackers, whose guesthouses and low-cost huts have been replaced by small hotels and resorts catering to small and medium budget tourists from Russia or Great Britain. Goa has thus experienced a real upheaval in its tourist frequentation, which only needs to be developed, as shown by the saturation of the hotel park in all categories in high season.
Unavoidable visits
Generally, we start with a visit to the state capital, Panaji. Although it has been renamed with an Indian name, everyone still uses its Portuguese name: Panjim. Because the city knew how to preserve its heritage. We walk in the narrow and sinuous streets and we admire the old houses with their typical balconies and their red tile roofs.
If you can find some stone buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, you should visit the magnificent church of the Immaculate Conception, which dates from 1540, and the Mahalaxmi temple.
But the main interest of the city is located at 9 km, it is the Old Goa. Under Portuguese rule, the city grew rapidly in size and splendor until it could rival Lisbon itself. Today, it is a small village surrounded by huge churches and convents, built during the city's golden age, which attract visitors from all over the world. The site of Old Goa is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Many activities
There will be no time to get bored, just to laze on the 100 km of fine sandy beaches. And, between a sea bath and the visit of a Hindu temple, we will criss-cross the coast in two wheels between palm groves and rice fields. Don't forget to visit the Anjuna flea market on Wednesdays. It is really a colorful show. The more athletic ones will try water sports and the others will initiate themselves to yoga or will offer themselves an ayurvedic massage. And to recover from the day, we will offer ourselves a dinner under the stars with our feet in the sand in one of the straw huts of the area. With calamari, crabs and lobsters on the menu!
A tasty destination
Because the people of Goa have a passion for good food and Goa is the place to be for restaurants. This is true for the 5 star hotels as well as for the small addresses and family-run beach huts. The sea here is generous: fish, shellfish, mussels, oysters, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, squids..
Local specialties include fish curries spiced with coconut, chicken xacuti and cafreal, vinegar fish and shrimp balchao and rechaedo, pork vindaloo and sorpotel. Sweets such as bebinca, dodol and doce, made from coconut, are specific to the region. The international cuisine is also tasty, especially the many Chinese restaurants. You can also eat German, Thai, Continental, Mexican, Lebanese, Italian and organic. And Goa being a very liberal state, most restaurants serve alcohol. This is a great way to get your feet wet before heading out to the long nights of Goa and its countless beach parties. Another reason to discover this unique heritage!
Smart info
When is the best time to visit? The best time to visit South India is from December to March.
How to get there. To get to Goa, you must plan a stopover, whether in Delhi, Bombay (Mumbay), Doha, Istanbul...
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