EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

At one time a byword for splendour, with a population of several hundred thousand, Goa's erstwhile capital, OLD GOA , was virtually abandoned following malaria and cholera epidemics that plagued the city from the seventeenth century onwards. Today you need considerable imagination to picture the once-great capital as it used to be. The maze of twisting streets, piazzas and ochre-washed villas has gone, and all that remains is a score of extraordinarily grandiose churches and convents. Granted World Heritage Status by UNESCO, Old Goa today attracts bus loads of foreign tourists from the coast, and Christian pilgrims from around India, in roughly equal numbers. While the former come to admire the gigantic facades and gilt altars of the beautifully preserved churches, the main attraction for the latter is the tomb of St Francis Xavier , the renowned sixteenth-century missionary, whose remains are enshrined in the Basilica of Bom Jesus .

If you are staying on the coast and contemplating a day-trip inland, this is the most obvious and accessible option. Just thirty minutes byroad from the state capital, Old Goa is served by buses every fifteen minutes from Panjim's Kadamba bus stand; alternatively, hop into an auto-rickshaw, or rent a taxi. GTDC also slot the site's highlights into several of their guided coach tours ; further details and tickets are available at any GTDC hotel or tourist office.