North Goa itinerary for 3 days: places to visit, in order

A Portuguese fort from 1612 on the headland at the south end of the beaches. Ships once filled their water tanks from its spring. The old lighthouse from 1864 stands inside the walls, and you can see along the whole coast to Calangute.

A long, quieter beach between Sinquerim and Calangute, with soft sand and fewer crowds than its neighbours.

The biggest and busiest beach in North Goa, a long stretch of sand lined with shacks, hotels and water sports counters. It is the beach most visitors see first.

The north end of the Calangute strip, where the Baga creek meets the sea. It is lively all day, with shacks on the sand and Tito's Lane and its clubs a short walk inland.

A rocky beach below red cliffs, known since the 1960s for its hippie history and its Wednesday flea market. The rocks at the south end make good photos at low tide.

The ruined walls of a Portuguese fort from 1717 on a hill over the Chapora river. Little is left inside, but the views are wide: Vagator below, the river mouth and Morjim across the water. Many know it from the film Dil Chahta Hai.

Two beaches under red cliffs below Chapora Fort: Big Vagator to the north and Little Vagator (Ozran) to the south. The cliffs make it one of the best places in North Goa to watch the sun go down.

The most famous church in Goa, finished in 1605, with a plain red stone front and a gilded altar inside. It holds the tomb of St Francis Xavier. It is part of the Old Goa churches World Heritage Site.

Across the road from Bom Jesus, the huge white Se Cathedral is one of the largest churches in Asia, with a famous Golden Bell. Beside it are the Church of St Francis of Assisi, with painted walls, and the Archaeological Museum, with old portraits of the Portuguese governors.

The one tall tower left of the Church of St Augustine, built in 1602 and once one of the biggest churches in Goa. It stands on Holy Hill, a short drive from Bom Jesus, among the stone ruins of the old church.

The white church with zigzag stairs in the centre of Panjim, first built in 1541 and rebuilt in 1619. Its big bell came from the ruined church of St Augustine in Old Goa. It is Panjim's best-known picture.

Panjim's old Latin Quarter: narrow lanes of yellow, blue and red Portuguese-era houses with tiled roofs and balconies. It has small cafés, bakeries and art galleries, and the white Chapel of St Sebastian.

A rocky headland south of Panjim where the Mandovi and Zuari rivers meet the sea. A jetty runs out to a viewpoint over the bay and Mormugao port, and there is a statue and a lot of small stalls.

Panjim's city beach, where the Mandovi river meets the sea. From the sand you look across the river mouth to Fort Aguada and Reis Magos. Locals come here for an evening walk.

A small, well restored Portuguese fort from 1551 on the north bank of the Mandovi, facing Panjim. Inside are exhibits on Goa's history and the fort's years as a jail, and the walls look across the river to the city.

The main market town of North Goa, inland from the beaches. On Friday mornings villagers fill it with fruit, spices, Goan sausages, cashews, poi bread and pottery. It is where locals shop, not a tourist market.

The northernmost big beach in North Goa, with a laid-back crowd, drum circles at sunset and cheap cafés. A short walk north round the rocks is the Sweet Water Lake, a freshwater pool behind the sand at the foot of a jungle hill.

A long, peaceful beach with a creek running behind it, crossed by small bamboo bridges to the huts. It is popular for yoga retreats and quiet stays.

A quiet, clean beach between Morjim and Mandrem, with rocks at the water's edge, calm shallow water at low tide and stylish shacks and huts under the palms.

A wide, flat beach at the mouth of the Chapora river, across the water from Chapora Fort. Olive Ridley turtles nest here in winter, and the beach is a declared silent zone.