Panjim's Latin Quarters

Between 1830 and 1839, when plague threatened to destroy Old Goa, the Portuguese residents decided to move to Nova Goa. They settled around a natural spring, and called their new home Fontainhas. 

Street in the Latin Quarter 

The Latin Quarters are bound by the Altinho hill to the west and the Ourem creek to the east and tucked away from the bustle of the main city. The latin quarter is a town within a town, with it's own unique character and is in many ways a replica of a small town in the Iberian peninsula.

Local Spice Farms

These terraced heavens called kulagars, not only grow areca nut but also different spice plants, fruit and vegetable bearing trees, such as jackfruit, mangoes, chickoo, drumsticks and bread fruit. They are irrigated by springs from hills or water pumped from rivulets and fertilized using natural organic manure. Being thickly vegetated, the kulagars attract a lot of birds and other fauna. An ancient custom followed by these plantations, is to leave about a tenth of the ripened fruit on the trees to sustain the wildlife.

Enterprising owners of some of these have converted their properties into green havens, now popularly known as the Spice Gardens; promising interesting guided tours through the groves and vines laden with spices like pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, tumeric and exotic herbs.

Pathway leading through the groves

Museum of Christian Art, Old Goa

The Museum of Christian Art is one of the few institutions of its kind in Asia. It is located in the Convent of Santa Monica, Old Goa, in the vicinity of World Heritage Monuments.

Tiracol Fort

Located on the northern tip of Goa at the mouth of the Tiracol River, Fort Tiracol is reached by a ferry from Keri. The name is likely to have originated from the Marathi tir-khol translating as "steep river-bank".

View of the fort from across the Tiracol river.

Photo Documentary: Chapora River

For many, North Goa usually draws up pictures of Calangute and Baga with their crowded beaches, streets and their night-life. It was an unexpected adventure that drew me far north to the Chapora River. The vistas were simply breathtaking and I couldn't have hoped to find such a pristine or serene part of Goa still existing.

The next time you are in Goa, I recommend taking a drive up north and simply enjoying the charming little fishing villages, lush hills and creeks, with water so clear that you can see the fish beneath the surface.

Boat on the river