Goa, slowly
Guides to Goa from a riverside village in the north: the coast, the old towns, the table and the seasons, with what's open, what has changed and what is worth an early start.
Goa is small enough to feel whole and varied enough to take years. Its coast runs from the Tiracol river in the north to Galgibaga in the south, cut by rivers into stretches with moods of their own. Panjim and Old Goa sit on the Mandovi, the south slows into long white beaches and grand family houses, and inland the land rises into the forests and waterfalls of the Western Ghats.
We write these guides from Rivara, our home on the Chapora in Siolim, where the quiet north coast begins across the bridge. They are built on the guide our guests receive, with the volatile things (opening days, seasonal rules, what has closed) checked and dated on every page.
Start here
Siolim: a slow guide to North Goa's river villagePlaces · 7 min read
Goa's beaches, north to south: which stretch of sand suits youBeaches and nature · 8 min read
When to go to Goa: a month-by-month guide to weather, crowds and feastsPlan your trip · 10 min read
Getting around Goa: GoaMiles taxis, scooters, buses and the river ferriesPlan your trip · 8 min read
Villages, towns and forts
Beyond the beach: Siolim and the north's river villages, Panjim and Old Goa on the Mandovi, and the grand houses of the south.
Goa at a glance
Your map of Goa
Rivara sits on the Chapora river in Siolim, near the top of the map. The beaches run down the coast, Panjim and Old Goa sit on the Mandovi, and the waterfalls and forests rise in the east, towards the Western Ghats.
Illustrated, not to scale. From our guest guide.
The coast, the quiet corners and the hills
The beaches from Querim to Galgibaga, the places worth an early start, and the forests and waterfalls of the Western Ghats.
Things to do
Experiences, adventure and markets, with what runs in which season and how to book it well.
Food and evenings
Goan food, dinners by the water, plans for two, and the nights out.
Seasons and festivals
São João on the Chapora, Christmas and New Year, and the green months of the monsoon.
Plan your trip
When to come, how to get around and what is good to know before you arrive.
Questions about Goa
Short answers to what people ask most, with the guide that goes further.
It depends on the trip. North Goa has more within a short drive: the quieter northern beaches, Anjuna and Vagator, Assagao's restaurants, the forts and the markets. South Goa has longer, calmer beaches and grand old houses, and is a long day from the north, so many people stay north and spend a night near Palolem or Agonda. See South Goa from the north.
Three days covers a slow village day, the northern beaches and a day of history in Old Goa and Panjim. Five adds a day inland for spice farms and waterfalls and a long day south. Our day plans show how they fit together.
The dry season, about October to May, is beach season, with December and January the busiest. The monsoon, June to September, is green, quiet and wet: the sea is closed for swimming, but the waterfalls and forests are at their best. The months are laid out in when to go to Goa.
No. Uber and Ola don't operate in Goa. Use GoaMiles, Goa's own taxi app, or the prepaid taxi counters at the airports, and rent a scooter only if you are confident on the road. More in getting around Goa.
Look at the river villages and the quieter north coast rather than Baga and Calangute. Siolim, on the Chapora, sits between the calm beaches across the bridge and Anjuna and Vagator to the south, so both are easy without living in the noise. It is also where our home, Rivara, is.
Rivara, Siolim · now open
A small pause from everything else.
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