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26 pieces, written from Siolim

Goa, slowly

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's worth an early start.

Sunset over Palolem beach in South Goa, with the headland in silhouette
Photo: Maciej Kraus, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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.

I write about it from Rivara, my home on the Chapora in Siolim, where the quiet north coast begins across the bridge. Every piece starts from the guide my guests receive, and the things that change (opening days, seasonal rules, what has closed) are checked and dated on the page.

Start here

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.

The white twin-towered facade of St Anthony's Church in Siolim, framed by coconut palms, North Goa
Places · 9 min read

Is Siolim a good place to stay? What I'd tell a friend

Church bells, a baker on a bicycle and the Chapora silver at dusk: the village I'd send a friend to, what it's known for, where to eat and who should stay elsewhere.

Crumbling laterite walls of Chapora Fort above the Arabian Sea on a clear day, Vagator, North Goa
Places · 8 min read

Places to visit in North Goa when you're ready to leave the beach

Laterite forts on the river mouths, villages of old mansions and roads lined with coconut palms: the North Goa I tell guests to see slowly, by scooter, with plenty of stops.

A blue Portuguese-era building with wooden shutters and potted plants in Fontainhas, Panjim
Places · 8 min read

A day in Panjim, from the lanes of Fontainhas to the river at dusk

Pastel lanes before the city wakes, a white church above its zigzag steps, a fish thali and the Mandovi at dusk: the day in Goa's capital I'd plan for a friend.

The laterite facade of the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa
Places · 8 min read

Old Goa and Ponda in a day: churches, a river ferry and temples

The day I'd plan for anyone curious about Goa's past: great churches in quiet fields, a free ferry to an island village and Ponda's temples with their tall lamp towers.

A boat on the Arabian Sea below a green headland, seen from Cabo de Rama fort
Places · 8 min read

A South Goa day trip: old mansions, quiet bays and the long road back

Grand family houses, a long lunch and a clifftop fort, then the long road north. How I'd see the south in a day, and why the far bays deserve a night.

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 the guide my guests receive.

An illustrated map of Goa, from the Tiracol river in the north to Canacona in the south

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.

Coconut palms on red laterite cliffs above a curving sandy beach at Arambol, North Goa
Beaches and nature · 9 min read

The best beaches in Goa, by the kind of day you want

From Querim's casuarinas to Galgibaga's turtle sands: where I'd send you for a quiet swim, a sunset drum circle, a day of water sports or a slow few days south.

The still freshwater lake behind Arambol beach, ringed by jungle-covered hills, North Goa
Beaches and nature · 9 min read

Hidden places in Goa that are worth an early alarm

Quiet corners that reward an early start: a lake behind the sea, a free ferry to a fort, coves you reach by boat and a riverbank in Siolim at dusk.

Dudhsagar Falls pouring into its green pool in the Western Ghats
Beaches and nature · 8 min read

Dudhsagar and Goa's other waterfalls: what to know before you go

Inland, Goa climbs into forest, waterfalls and its oldest temple. How I'd reach Dudhsagar the right way, what else the hills hold and what the rain changes.

Things to do

Experiences, adventure and markets, with what runs in which season and how to book it well.

The broad Chapora river seen from a wooded hillside, with low green hills on the far bank, North Goa
Things to do · 9 min read

Things to do in Siolim, from river mornings to dinner on the Chapora

Warm poi from a baker's bicycle, a church with a snake in its story, the river at dusk and two village feasts: how I'd fill a day in Siolim, and a night.

A wooden footbridge crossing a stream on a spice plantation in Goa
Things to do · 7 min read

Unique things to do in Goa, from spice farms to feni in old taverns

Walk old Panjim before the heat, cook with a Goan family on an island, paint a tile and taste the spirit Goa has made for centuries: the 12 I'd book, and when.

Parasailing above Calangute beach, Goa
Things to do · 8 min read

Adventure activities in Goa, and how I'd book them safely

Kayaks on the Chapora, a first surf lesson on the north coast, a dive around Grande Island and white water on the Mhadei in the rain, with the rules I'd never skip.

Fruit and vegetable vendors under faded striped umbrellas at the busy Mapusa market, North Goa
Things to do · 7 min read

Markets in Goa, day by day: Mapusa, Anjuna and the Saturday night bazaar

Goa shops to a weekly rhythm: Mapusa's town market at its liveliest on a Friday, Anjuna's flea market by the sea on Wednesdays in season and a bazaar by the Baga river on Saturday nights.

Food and evenings

Goan food, dinners by the water, evenings for two, and the nights out.

A typical Goan lunch of fish, curry and rice on a steel plate
Food and evenings · 9 min read

What to eat in Goa, from fish curry rice to bebinca

Coconut and kokum, red chillies and vinegar, fish at every meal and a Portuguese thread through it all: the twelve dishes I point guests to, and where to eat them.

Sunset over the rocks at Agonda beach, South Goa
Food and evenings · 8 min read

The best dinner places in Goa, with a table by the water

Where I'd book for the light: the sand at Ashwem, three river tables in Siolim, cliffs and beaches to the south, mangroves at Nerul and two long-day tables further south.

Rocks, sand and surf at Butterfly Beach, a small cove in South Goa
Food and evenings · 8 min read

Romantic places in Goa for couples who'd rather skip the crowds

Goa's most romantic hours sit at the edges of the day: a river table at dusk, a lake behind the sea before 9 AM and a dark beach under the stars.

The Dona Paula viewpoint at dusk, looking over the water near Panjim
Food and evenings · 8 min read

Goa nightlife, from cocktail bars to the big nights, and the rules to know

Rum and a sunset at Dona Paula, jazz in a small room in Vagator and a Siolim bar on Asia's 50 Best list, with the rules that now shape a night out.

Seasons and festivals

São João on the Chapora, Christmas and New Year, and the green months of the monsoon.

Forested hills of the Western Ghats in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, north-east Goa
Seasons and festivals · 9 min read

Things to do in Goa in the monsoon, when the whole state turns green

Full waterfalls seen from the bank, Chorla Ghat in the mist, white water on the Mhadei and São João on the Chapora: how I'd spend a wet week, and what shuts until October.

A boat decorated for São João in Benaulim, Goa, on the water in the monsoon
Seasons and festivals · 8 min read

São João in Siolim, the monsoon feast I'd plan a trip around

Every 24 June, Siolim keeps its feast on the river: decorated boats on the Chapora, crowns of leaves and flowers, the leap into the wells and a good deal of rain.

A Christmas crib in Siolim, Goa, in December 2023
Seasons and festivals · 8 min read

Christmas and New Year in Goa, and how to enjoy them without the crush

Goa's Christmas happens in its villages, with lit stars on the balconies, cribs in front rooms and sweets passed next door, while New Year's Eve fills the beaches and jams the roads.

Plan your trip

When to come, how to get around, how to plan the days and what's good to know before you arrive.

Gentle surf washing over the long, empty sands of Morjim Beach, backed by a line of trees, North Goa
Plan your trip · 9 min read

The best time to visit Goa depends on what you want from it

Bright, busy winters, hot and quiet summers and a monsoon that turns Siolim's fields deep green: what each month is really like and who it suits.

Passengers watching the sunset from a ferry crossing the Mandovi river in Goa
Plan your trip · 8 min read

Getting around Goa without Uber: taxis, scooters, buses and ferries

Goa rewards the slow road: a scooter under the palms, a free ferry to an island, a taxi home after dinner. How each one works, and which I'd choose for which day.

The curved bay of Palolem beach in South Goa, backed by palms
Plan your trip · 9 min read

A Goa itinerary: six good days, and how I'd string them together

A slow river morning, the quiet beaches, churches before the heat, a spice farm, a long road south and a green day for the rain, each with the timings that matter.

Dark rocks and still tide pools along Anjuna Beach beneath a green headland on a clear day
Plan your trip · 7 min read

Goa travel tips I'd give any friend before they arrive

The small rules and courtesies that make a first trip to Goa easier and kinder, from what to wear into a church to why the sea closes in the monsoon.

Green fields and coconut palms under a summer sky, seen from Rivara in Siolim
Plan your trip · 9 min read

Working remotely from Goa: what to check before you book a month

A month of work beside Siolim's fields only works if the basics are right: what to ask before you book, what to bring and how to keep the best light for yourself.

Rivara, my home here

Why I chose a studio by the river in Siolim, and what it took to get it ready for guests.

The view from Rivara's balcony in Siolim: coconut palms and the Siolim bridge over the Chapora river
From the House · 7 min read

Why I chose a studio by the river in Siolim

Not the sea but a river, not a resort strip but a village that keeps its own hours: what I looked for in a first home, and why Siolim was it.

Rivara's studio from the corner: the bed, the green velvet sofa, the open wardrobe and the Goa prints
From the House · 6 min read

A carpenter, a painter and a double-door fridge: getting Rivara ready for guests

Before the first guest, there was a carpenter, a painter and a long list: a kitchen equipped down to the salt and pepper, a washing machine, and a fridge chosen with Goa in mind.

Questions about Goa

Short answers to what people ask most, with the piece 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 it's a long day from the north, so if the south calls, I'd stay north and spend a night near Palolem or Agonda. See a day trip to South Goa.

  • 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. My Goa itinerary shows 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. I've laid the months out in the best time to visit 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're 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's also where my home, Rivara, is.

The two balcony chairs looking out over the fields, seen past the foot of the bed

Rivara, Siolim · now open

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