Three days lets you see South Goa at an easy pace from Colva. Day one is Margao, Loutolim, Chandor and Benaulim, about 49 km. Day two is Cabo de Rama, Agonda and Palolem, about 96 km. Day three is the Ponda temples, Shri Manguesh, Shri Mahalsa and Shri Shantadurga, the Safa Masjid, and the Sahakari Spice Farm with its buffet lunch, about 69 km, back by about 15:05.
Holy Spirit Church in Margao at 09:00, Ancestral Goa (Big Foot) at Loutolim at about 09:45, then Braganza House in Chandor at about 11:20, with lunch at about 12:20. After lunch, the Goa Chitra museum in Benaulim at about 13:45, then Benaulim Beach from about 15:05. About 49 km by cab, back in Colva by about 16:15, with the evening free for the sunset. Works on any day.
Margao's big white church, built in the 1670s, with a carved gold altar and a square in front lined with old houses. It is the heart of the old part of Margao.
Tip: Go in the morning: the doors usually close by late morning and open again in the evening. Dress modestly and stay quiet during Mass. The busy Margao market is a few minutes away.
An open-air model of a Goan village 100 years ago, on a forested hillside in Loutolim: life-size figures of the potter, the fisherman and the toddy tapper, a big rock carving of the saint Mirabai, and the Big Foot rock that gives it its name.
Tip: Wear shoes for the slope and allow about an hour. Casa Araujo Alvares, an old family house next door, can sometimes be seen with the same family; ask at the gate.
Goa's grandest old family home, in the village of Chandor: a 17th century mansion that runs the length of the square, split into two wings for two branches of the family. Inside are a long ballroom, Chinese porcelain, carved furniture and a small chapel.
Tip: Each wing is a separate visit with its own family guide and its own donation. If you only see one, most people pick the east wing for its chapel. No set tour times: just knock.
A museum of everyday village life in Benaulim: thousands of old farm tools, kitchen pots, carts and boats collected from Goan homes, with a small farm and a museum of old Christian art beside it.
Tip: Visits are guided, so allow an hour. It is 3 km from Benaulim beach, so it fits well before an evening by the sea.
The same long beach as Colva, 2 km south, but quieter. Fishing boats sit on the sand, and the village behind it has old Goan houses and small family-run places to eat.
Tip: A good place to end the day: walk the sand at sunset and eat fish at one of the beach shacks. Shacks are open from about October to May.
South to Cabo de Rama Fort at about 09:30, then Agonda Beach at about 10:50, with lunch there at about 12:20. Then Palolem Beach from about 13:35 for the afternoon: swim, take a kayak out, or walk over the rocks to Patnem at low tide. About 96 km by cab, the longest day here: back in Colva by about 17:20. If you stay at Palolem for the sunset, you drive back after dark. Works on any day.
An old fort on a headland high above the sea, rebuilt by the Portuguese, with crumbling walls, rusty cannons and a small white chapel of St Anthony still in use. The walk round the walls looks down on the sea and the empty beach below.
Tip: Wear shoes and carry water; the walk to the cliff edge is rough and has no railings. Cabo de Rama beach below is a steep walk down.
A long, quiet beach between two headlands, with beach huts under the palms and no loud music. Olive Ridley turtles nest at one end, and the fenced nests are looked after by the Forest Department.
Tip: It is a beach for doing nothing: a swim, a long walk and lunch at a hut. From about November to March, keep away from the fenced turtle nests.
South Goa's most famous beach: a curved bay of soft sand with palm trees, coloured beach huts and calm water good for swimming and kayaks. Boats leave from here for Butterfly beach and dolphin trips.
Tip: Cabs stop at the car park at the north end. Swim in the middle of the bay, where it is calmest. The headphone party, Silent Noise, is on Saturday nights from about November to April.
North to the temples round Ponda: Shri Manguesh at about 09:10, Shri Mahalsa at about 10:00, Shri Shantadurga at Kavlem at about 10:40, and the Safa Masjid at about 11:35. Then the Sahakari Spice Farm from about 12:00, for the guided walk and its buffet lunch. About 69 km by cab, back in Colva by about 15:05. Works on any day.
Goa's best known temple, to Shiva as Shri Manguesh, at the foot of a green hill near Ponda. It has a white tower lamp of seven floors, a big tank and a hall with chandeliers.
Tip: Shoulders and knees covered; no photos in the inner shrine. Parking is at the foot of the lane, a short walk up.
An old temple to Mahalsa Narayani in Mardol, 1 km from Mangueshi, with a carved wooden hall, a brass lamp pillar and a tall lamp tower by the tank.
Tip: Dress as for Mangueshi. It is a few minutes' drive away, so most people see both together.
A big temple to the goddess Shantadurga at Kavlem, near Ponda, built in the 1730s, with a domed roof, a tall lamp tower and a large tank in front.
Tip: Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off at the steps. It is busiest on Fridays and festival days.
A small mosque in Ponda built in 1560 by the Bijapur sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah, with a tiled roof and a stone tank with arched niches beside it. One of the few old mosques left in Goa.
Tip: A short stop of 20 minutes. Dress modestly and avoid Friday midday prayers.
A spice farm near Ponda where a guide walks you through pepper vines, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla and cashew under the areca palms, then serves a Goan buffet lunch on banana leaves.
Tip: The ticket covers the walk and lunch, so time it for midday and skip lunch elsewhere. An elephant bath is sometimes offered; it is optional.
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. Margao town and the highway south to Canacona are slow at busy times, most of all from December to early January, so real drives take longer than shown. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Call or message a local South Goa operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
We are still listing South Goa operators. Write to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
| Place | Open | Best time | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Spirit Church, Margao | Open to visitors about 09:00 to 11:00 and 17:00 to 19:00 (listings differ on the midday closing). Free | Morning, before 11:00. | 30 min |
| Ancestral Goa (Big Foot), Loutolim | About 09:00 or 09:30 to 18:00, every day. About ₹50 | Morning, when it opens. | 1 h 15 min |
| Braganza House, Chandor | About 10:00 to 17:00, every day, shown round by the family. A donation per wing (about ₹150 to ₹200); one listing says closed Sundays | Late morning. | 1 h |
| Goa Chitra Museum | 09:00 to 18:00, every day (one listing says closed Mondays). Ticket about ₹300 | Afternoon, before the beach. | 1 h 15 min |
| Benaulim Beach | Open beach, best in daylight. Shacks and sunbeds from about October to May? | Late afternoon, for the sunset. | 1 h |
| Cabo de Rama Fort | 09:00 to 17:30, every day. Free | Morning or late afternoon; there is little shade in the middle of the day. | 1 h |
| Agonda Beach | Open beach, best in daylight. Shacks and sunbeds from about October to May? | Any time; it is calm all day. | 1 h 30 min |
| Palolem Beach | Open beach, best in daylight. Shacks and sunbeds from about October to May? | Afternoon into sunset. | 3 h |
| Shri Manguesh Temple | About 06:00 to 21:30 (darshan can pause for rituals in the afternoon). Free | Morning. | 45 min |
| Shri Mahalsa Narayani Temple | About 06:30 to 20:30. Free | Morning, after Mangueshi. | 30 min |
| Shri Shantadurga Temple, Kavlem | About 06:00 to 20:30. Free | Morning. | 45 min |
| Safa Masjid | About 09:00 to 17:00 for visitors (listings say the mosque is open longer for prayers). Free | Late morning, not at Friday midday prayers. | 20 min |
| Sahakari Spice Farm | About 09:00 to 16:30, every day; the buffet lunch ends at about 16:30. About ₹500 with the tour and lunch | Late morning, so the tour ends with lunch. | 2 h 30 min |
Margao, Chandor, Cabo de Rama and Benaulim
See the 1-day plan →Margao, Loutolim, Chandor and Benaulim · Cabo de Rama, Agonda and Palolem
See the 2-day plan →Every sight with what to see, opening times and how long to stay.
See all places →Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off at the steps. Photos are not allowed in the inner shrines.
Yes. The Tropical Spice Plantation near Keri, about 8 km from Mangueshi, runs a similar walk with lunch for about ₹500. Ask your driver to go there instead of Sahakari.
None of the stops has a closed day. Temples are busiest on festival days, and in December and early January every road and beach is crowded, so start early.
