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

Old Goa and Ponda make one long, rewarding day: the churches first thing, then a spice farm lunch or a ferry to an island village, then Ponda's temples in the afternoon. From Siolim, where I host guests at Rivara, that's a full day out, so go early, dress with care and keep the day loose around the ferries, whose timings vary by route.

Old Goa sits upriver from Panjim on the Mandovi. It was the capital of Portuguese India from 1510, when Afonso de Albuquerque took the city, until trade declined from the late seventeenth century, epidemics swept through and the viceroy moved to Panjim in 1759. What remains is a handful of great churches standing in quiet green fields. The city left; the churches stayed.

The churches of Old Goa

Seven monuments make up the World Heritage Site of the Churches and Convents of Goa, inscribed by UNESCO in 1986. If your time is short, see three: Bom Jesus, the Sé Cathedral and the tower of St. Augustine. The others are the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Chapel of St. Catherine, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Church of St. Cajetan.

Start at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, consecrated in 1605, where the body of St. Francis Xavier lies in an ornate tomb. The relics are brought down for a public exposition about once every ten years. Across the green square, the Sé is dedicated to St. Catherine, on whose feast day in 1510 the Portuguese took the city. It was completed in 1619, and its Golden Bell, named for its rich tone, is said to be the largest in Goa.

Then climb Holy Hill to the St. Augustine Tower, before the sun is high. Its church was built by Augustinian friars between 1597 and 1602 and abandoned in 1835. Its bell now hangs in Panjim's Immaculate Conception Church, and bones found here in 2005 are believed to be those of Queen Ketevan of Georgia, martyred in 1624.

Old GoaBefore 11 AM

Basilica of Bom Jesus

The tomb of St. Francis Xavier, and the first church I'd walk into.

Dress modestly, go early and keep voices low during Mass.

Old GoaMorning

Sé Cathedral

Among the largest churches in Asia, across a wide green square.

One of its two towers fell in 1776 and was never rebuilt.

Photo: iMahesh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Holy Hill, Old GoaMid-morning

St. Augustine Tower

A 46 m laterite tower, all that remains of a grand church.

Photo: Amit Roy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How I'd spend the day

Churches while it's cool, a long lunch in the middle of the day, temples when the light softens: that's the route by road. If you'd rather be on the water, swap Ponda for the islands.

If the day has to shrink, keep the churches: Old Goa before 11 AM is the one part you can't move, because of the heat and the crowds. In the guide I give my guests, Ponda's spice farm and Mangueshi also open the day inland, on the way to Tambdi Surla or Dudhsagar. If you're planning that trip too, give this day to the churches and the islands.

Panjim's old quarter makes a fine end to the day, or a morning of its own: see a day in Panjim. The same day, with alternatives, is in my Goa itinerary.

Divar and Chorão, by ferry

Across the Mandovi from Old Goa and Ribandar, two islands keep a slower Goa of paddy fields, old houses and mangroves. Government ferries cross to both through the day, free for foot passengers: to Divar from Old Goa, and to Chorão from Ribandar. Timings vary by route, so check at the jetty, and carry water and a little cash.

Divar is paddy fields, old houses and the hilltop Piedade church, a short ride from Old Goa. There are few shops, so bring breakfast and picnic among the fields. On Chorão, go for the mangroves: the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary covers 178 hectares on the island's western tip, protected since 1988, with a paved walk between the trees. Striated and western reef herons are common, and so are mudskippers and fiddler crabs.

Divar8 AM or 3 PM

Divar by e-bike

A guided three-hour loop past paddy fields, a hilltop church, temple ruins and old houses.

Starts near Old Goa. Book a day or two ahead in season.

Chorão6 AM to 6 PM

Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

Mangrove channels on Chorão, a free ferry ride from Ribandar.

Boat trips follow the tide. LetsGoa lists guided birding by boat, 7 to 9 AM, November to May.

Birding on LetsGoaPhoto: Gannu03, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ChorãoBy booking

Cook with a Goan family

A hands-on class and lunch with a family on their spice plantation: you cook a Goan curry and a sweet, then sit down to eat them.

Book a few days ahead. LetsGoa lists it daily, 11:30 AM to 3 PM.

Book on LetsGoa

For a day on the islands alone, I'd go birding on Chorão at 7 AM and stay on for the cooking class and lunch, keeping Divar for another morning. More quiet corners like these are in hidden places in Goa.

Ponda's temples and spice farms

Inland from Old Goa, Ponda holds some of Goa's great temples. The two best known both moved here in the sixteenth century, when their deities were carried out of Portuguese-held land. Shiva, worshipped as Manguesh, was brought from Cortalim before 1560. Shantadurga, the goddess who mediates between Vishnu and Shiva, lost her original temple at Quelossim in 1566, and the present one was built between 1713 and 1738, in the time of the Maratha ruler Shahu Maharaj.

Both are living places of worship. Cover shoulders and knees, take off your shoes and ask before taking photographs inside.

A spice farm visit is a guided walk through the gardens, then lunch, often a Goan meal on a banana leaf. Go late morning, so the walk ends as lunch begins. Tropical Spice Plantation in Keri is the established choice, and LetsGoa lists other spice farm visits and nature trips too.

Mangeshi, Priol

Shri Mangueshi Temple

Look for the seven-storey lamp tower and the temple tank, thought to be the oldest part of the temple.

The temple has had a dress code since 2011, so dress modestly.

Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kavlem

Shri Shantadurga Temple

Built between 1713 and 1738, with a tall lamp tower of its own.

Remove your shoes, and ask before photographing inside.

Keri, Ponda9 AM to 4 PM

Tropical Spice Plantation

A guided walk through the spice gardens, then a Goan buffet lunch.

Open daily. Leave time for lunch before the 4 PM close.

Official sitePhoto: Jennifer Rose Stankowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For more to book across Goa, see unique things to do in Goa. If you're heading on into the forest, Goa's oldest temple is at Tambdi Surla, in Dudhsagar and Goa's waterfalls.

Feasts, and when to go

The dry months, October to March, are the most comfortable for walking between churches and cycling on Divar. In any month, the mornings are best. Festivals that follow the lunar calendar change dates each year, so check before you plan around them.

Be at the Basilica while the square is still cool, and let the ferries set the pace after that.