Goa Attractions

Goa boasts a number of great attractions for visitors to enjoy while on holiday. This area is of course famous for its gorgeous beaches, but there are also many splendid historical sites to visit in Old Goa, colonial architecture to explore in Margao and Panaji, and a vast flea market to browse in Anjuna. The Dudhsagar Waterfall and Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary are also popular Goa attractions.

There are many stunning beaches in Goa: Anjuna Beach was once the famous hippie hangout but this beautiful stretch of palm-lined white sand has become popular with tourists of all kinds; Baga Beach is great for swimming and a little less crowded than Anjuna, though no less picturesque; Calangute Beach is the busiest and the most commercial, and although it is not as lovely as some of the others aesthetically, visitors enjoy exploring the beach front bars, restaurants and shops; Colva Beach is a developed resort area and somewhat blighted by all the hawkers, hotels and hangers-on, but if you walk just a little way you can still find beauty and peace along this stretch; Palolem Beach, in the south, is the most unspoiled and natural of Goa's popular beaches, and has retained its laid-back and secluded charm.

Although still known as India's party paradise, Goa is a wonderful, relaxing destination to take the kids on holiday. Children will love the variety of things to see and do, be it renting a bike to explore the local area, catching a boat for some swimming and dolphin-watching, or simply enjoying the beaches. Please note, however, that although some hotels or guesthouses may offer childcare services, and this may be tempting, it is strongly advised that you keep your children with you at all times while in a foreign country.

Anjuna

Famed as a hippie hangout since the 70s, the main source of Anjuna's enduring popularity as a holiday destination is…

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Anjuna Flea Market

Once just a backpacker and hippie hangout selling kaftans and chillums, the Anjuna Flea Market is now more commercial,…

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Baga Beach

The Baga Beach holiday resort is a few miles south of Anjuna, and is basically an extension of Calangute. Lying in the…

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Calangute Beach

Once a peaceful fishing village - and then a haven for hedonistic hippies - Calangute is now Goa's busiest and most commercialised…

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Colva

Colva is the oldest and most heavily-developed South Goan holiday resort. The town itself is dotted with colonial-style…

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Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

The Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is home to around 400 species of birds, both local and migratory. Here visitors can expect…

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Dudhsagar Waterfall

A great outing in Goa is a trip to the Dudhsagar Waterfall, which is one of the most popular natural attractions in the…

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Goa Beaches

Goa has some amazing beaches. In the north, Anjuna Beach once played host to hordes of hippies, but is now home to a…

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Old Goa

Old Goa was the state's capital city until 1843, when it was moved down river to Panaji. Once a byword for splendour,…

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Palolem

For years Palolem remained a secret holiday getaway to all but the most independent traveller. Situated towards the southern…

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Panaji

For most visitors to India, Panaji is simply a busy bus terminal, offering connections between India's southern cities…

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