Seven Interesting Things to Do in Goa

Goa is one of the places that never make you feel you have stayed enough. While the beautiful beaches numbering over 50 steal most of your time, you have various other places to visit in Goa including visiting old Goa, Jungle visits and shopping. A place frequently visited by travelers from all parts of the world, Goa is a perfect land that keeps your body and mind engaged. While water sports and other activities keep you physically active, the stunning sights of the famous beaches keep your mind engaged. Time passes by while you are lost in the beauty of the beaches but you have other places to visit in Goa while on your vacation. Let us have a look at the seven interesting things to do in Goa.

1. Goa Water Sports

You name it and the water sports in Goa has it. If you love water sports, you cannot find a better place to be than Goa. Right from swimming, you have various water sports available in the beautiful land of beaches. The sports include windsurfing, water skiing, jet skiing, which is popularly known as water scooter, parasailing, banana boat, scuba diving, catamaran sailing and a lot more. Sunset and moonlight cruises, dolphin cruises and other adventurous cruises are available.

2. Old Goa

Bijapur Sultanate built old Goa, the 15th century city, which served as capital during Portuguese rule. Situated at a 9km drive from Panaji, Old Goa is declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. The renaissance architecture seen here is awe-inspiring. The city was at its peak with its stupendous splendor during Portuguese rule. However, with the onset of plague, the city was almost wiped off its population. But for the churches, almost all other buildings were pulled down. The rubble was used in the construction of Panaji, the new capital. Almost all the forts are in ruins. The monuments in Old Goa stand proof to the architectural excellence of the people in 16th-18th century. Only 7 out of 60 churches belonging to the period before 18th century stand the test of time. St. Catherine Chapel, Church of Saint Francis and Church of Born Jesus represent the style of the bygone era. A must-visit site if you aim to know about the glories of the past.

3. Wild Life

You would love the sanctuaries in Goa. Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary is the largest in Goa and it is spread across 240 square kilometers. It is situated near Molem village and a good 53 kms away from the state capital. The sanctuary is surrounded by evergreen forests. Contrary to Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary in size is Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a mere 8 square kilometer preserve where you can find Indian bison, wild boar and a variety of birds.

4. Dudhsagar Waterfalls

Known as ‘The Sea of Milk’, Dudhsagar water falls, is one of the tourist places in Goa. It is situated on the border of Goa-Karnataka and is 60km away from Panaji. If you are looking to hike and trek, you need to be here. Being here during monsoon will give you a magnificent view of the 600m height waterfalls. This is the highest waterfalls in Goa.

5. Spice Plantations

Goa is the right place to grow spices thanks to the dense forests and the tropical climate. Spice farms are situated in Ponda. The spice plantations are open to tourists and hence you get an opportunity to explore the farms. Using organic methods, these farms produce some of the major spices namely black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cashew and betel nut palm. Watching men climbing tall trees with considerable ease to pluck betel nut gives you a great thrill. Some of the famous spice plantations in Goa are Savoi Spice Plantation, Abyss Spice Farm, Parvati Madav Park Plantation and Sahakari Spice Farm.

6. Anjuna Flea Market

Plan your travel to Goa in such a way that your stay includes Wednesday, because it is the day of flea market at Anjuna beach. Anjuna flea market is well known as you can find almost every item on sale here. The big market spreads over the coast line of Anjuna beach. Anjuna flea market is traced back to Hippies, who sold second hand goods to buy new goods for their use. You can spend a relaxed day here and do a great deal of shopping on your vacation. If you are good at bargaining, you will end up buying articles for unbelievably low prices. It will be interesting to find bikes and cameras on sale along with very ordinary items. You can engage your taste buds in cuisines of various cultures and tattooing on skin is available here. It is all fun and bargain.

7. Dolphin Trips

Dolphins are always a pleasure to watch. Spotting dolphins somersaulting offers great thrill. Dolphin spotting activity is very popular in coastal Goa. Most of the famous beaches in Goa offer this activity. Some of the great places to spot dolphins are Agonda, Calangute, Baga and Anjuna. Chapora river, Mandovi river and Sal river are some of the rivers where you could sight dolphins.

However, this is not all in Goa. This magnificent place has a lot more to offer. If you have decided to be in Goa on your vacation, the best way to go about it is to use online booking websites for arranging your travel. It is your vacation and hence you need the best travel plan designed for you. By booking through online websites, you could arrange for proper accommodation at the destination. The online booking websites give you a clear idea of what to expect at your destination.