Latin quarters, spice farms, island villages and waterfalls: the Goa most visitors drive straight past.
Most people land in Goa, head for the nearest stretch of sand and stay there. That is a fine holiday. But the state is only a hundred kilometres long, and some of its best days are spent with your back to the sea.
Walk the Latin quarter
Fontainhas, in the capital Panaji, is a small grid of lanes painted ochre, blue and deep red. Portuguese families built these houses in the 1800s, and many are still lived in. Go before ten in the morning, when the light is soft and the bakeries are pulling out the first trays of bread. Allow two hours, then cross the creek for a fish thali at one of the old family restaurants.
Spend a morning in Old Goa
Twenty minutes inland stand the great churches of the former capital. They are vast, quiet and cool even in May. Dress modestly, carry water, and hire a guide at the gate: the stories are better than the plaques.
Take the ferry to an island
Divar and Chorao sit in the Mandovi river and are reached by free ferries that carry scooters, cars and the occasional cow. Life there moves slowly. Cycle the paddy field roads, look for kingfishers in the mangroves and stop wherever someone is frying something.
Eat on a spice farm
The plantations around Ponda grow pepper, vanilla, cardamom and cashew under tall areca palms. A guided walk takes forty minutes and ends with a buffet lunch served on banana leaves. It is touristy, and it is still worth doing.
Chase a waterfall
Dudhsagar is at its fullest from July to October. Jeeps run from the village of Collem once the monsoon eases, usually from early October. Book the first slot of the day, because the queue grows quickly.
How to plan it
Stay four nights and split them: two in the north for the food and nightlife, two in the south for quiet beaches. Hire a scooter only if you ride at home. Otherwise book a cab for a full day, which costs less than three short rides and lets you stop wherever you like.
