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Panaji, the Capital of Goa,
on the banks of the river Mandovi, was originally a major port.Panaji is
endowed with some fine buildings. Also worth visiting is the Church of the
Immaculate Conception and the Miramar
Beach.Vasco, Margao,
Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns.
Cabo Fort (Raj Bhavan) - 9
km from Panaji, the Cabo Fort lies on the peninsula at Dona Paula, which juts into
the
Arabian Sea
. Initially during the Portuguese era, a Franciscan Convent, was attached to the
fort. This later became
Coba
Palace
and is now the Governor's residence.
Mapusa - 13kms from Panaji,
Mapusa is a small town in north
Goa
. People from all over
Goa
come here to buy and sell their wares in the famous Friday market.
Chapora Fort - Located 10 km outside Mapusa, this fort has a splendid view
of nearby Anjuna and Vagator beaches. The fort, which belonged to Muslim rulers
before the Portuguese wrested it, has some interesting ruins.
Terekhol (Tiracol) Fort -
42 km. away from Panaji, at the northernmost tip of
Goa
's shoreline, at the mouth of the river Terekhol, stands the Terekhol Fort. In its
courtyard is the century-old
church
of
St. Anthony
. It is now a tourist resort.
Vasco-Da-Gama - This
coastal town popularly known as Vasco was originally called Sambhaji. This well
planned city is also the railway terminus for passenger service.
Goa
's only airport, Dabolim is also 4km from Vasco, at the other end.
The Aravelam waterfalls-adjacent to t is Rudreshwara temple
and interesting rock-cut caves, the Mayem lake, the Dudasgar
waterfalls-little downward is the Devil's Canyon suitable for trekkers and
hikers.
Kerkar Art Complex - in
Calangute is the only art gallery of its kind on this beach strip. The gallery
stocks a wide variety of art, as well as arts and crafts done by local artistes.
Concerts of Indian classical music and dance are held on Tuesdays and
Saturdays.
Rachol
Museum
of
Christian Art
- About 7 km east of Margao, is the Rachol seminary. Its main attraction, the
Christian art museum is the only one of its kind in
South Asia
. It was set up by the Indian National Trust for Architecture and Cultural
Heritage and the Gulbenkian Foundation of
Portugal
. The Museum has an amazing collection of artefacts from
Goa
's churches and chapels, private collections and donations.
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Dona Paula-am elevated place with good water surrounding - well-known
location for films and is located between the rocks of Mandovi and Zuari.Dona Paula overlooking the Zuari estuary, Vagator, the serene Aguada and the
enchanting Palolem, all offer exciting water sports and holiday resorts for
visitors.
The sea around
Goa
is a great place to learn scuba diving. Not only it is safe and shallow, but
it is also teeming with marine life. |
Other places to visit . .
.
Margao (Madgaon) - is the second
largest city in
Goa
and a commercial metropolis. Margao an 18 km stretch of silvery sand: Palolean,
Betul and Colva. Other interesting places around Margao are Chandreshwar Bhutnath
temple and the Rachol Seminary.
Ponda - Near the town of
Ponda
are temples built in a style that is exclusive to
Goa
. The best known are the Manguesh, Nagesh and Shanta Durga temples. Ponda is also called Antruz
Mahal because of the concentration of culture, music, drama and poetry
Climate
Tropical
- between 23-35° Celsius Winters are pleasant during the days and cool
during the nights. Summers are hot and there is heavy rain during monsoons .
The best time to visit ;
The best time to visit between October and the
end of February.
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How To Get
There
| By Air |
Dabolim,
the airport near vasco da Gama, is linked to Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Bangalore,
Chennai and other major towns. Charter flights link Goa directly to
Europe
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| By Rail |
Vasco
da Gama is is the nearest Rail head . A sea ferry service links Panaji to
Mumbai. |
| Road |
Well
linked by road. |
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Goa
