By road
~580 km by road from Mumbai; Panaji is ~30 km from Dabolim
West India · Goa
North Goa, Goa
Beach shacks, Saturday markets and the party coast · ~580 km by road from Mumbai; Panaji is ~30 km from Dabolim
Getting there
By rail
Thivim (THVM) for the north coast; Karmali for Panaji and Old Goa
By air
Manohar International Airport (Mopa), ~35 km from Candolim; Dabolim (GOI) is ~45 km
Best time to visit
November to February — dry, breezy, the markets and beach shacks in full swing
Don't miss
Fort Aguada
The Latin Quarter of Fontainhas in Panaji
Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral in Old Goa
Things to do
Anjuna and Arpora night markets
Chapora Fort at sunset
Kayaking the Chapora river
Assagao's cafes
Where to eat
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia
What to pack
Light cottons, sunscreen, a light layer for late-night shack winds, a scarf for church visits
A quieter corner
Ashwem and Morjim at dawn — the same coast as Baga, none of the crowd
About North Goa
- Coastal
Where it is
North Goa is Goa's northernmost district, running from the Terekhol river on the Maharashtra border south to the Zuari estuary, with Panaji, the state capital, on the Mandovi and the forested Western Ghats rising in the east.
History
After centuries under the Kadambas, Vijayanagara and the Deccan sultanates, the island of Tiswadi fell to the Portuguese in 1510, and Bardez followed later in the 16th century as part of the Old Conquests. Pernem, Bicholim and Sattari were added only in the late 18th century as the New Conquests, and Portuguese rule ended in 1961.
People
North Goans speak Konkani, and Marathi is widely used, especially in the northern talukas. Catholic villages such as those of Bardez keep their church feasts and São João in June, temple towns celebrate Shigmo, and fishing, cashew feni and tourism are long-standing livelihoods.
Known for
- Beaches from Arambol and Morjim to Calangute and Candolim
- Fort Aguada and Chapora Fort
- The Anjuna flea market and Arpora's Saturday night market
- The Latin Quarter of Fontainhas in Panaji
- The São João festival in Siolim
Did you know?
Fort Aguada, built by the Portuguese in 1612, takes its name from the freshwater spring inside it that supplied passing ships with water.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.