Tourism in Goa

Baga Beach in North Goa

Picture of GOA taken from an air craft's window

Goa's beaches cover about 125 kilometres (78 mi) of its coastline. These beaches are divided into North and South Goa.

Most Goan beaches are equipped with lifeguards

Colva Beach in South Goa

Tourists at Vagator beach in Goa. Ships can be seen in the background.

Bogmalo beach in South Goa

The government of Goa conducted trials of a seaplane on the Mandovi river on 23 May 2015. The test plane took off from Dabolim airport and successfully landed in the Mandovi river. The seaplane service had started post-monsoon since 2015.[5]

The glassy tiger butterfly spotted at Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary

Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary harbour Goa's rich bio-diversity. Foxes, wild boars and migratory birds are also found in the forests of Goa. The avifauna includes kingfishers, mynas and parrots. The famous Dudhsagar Falls, India's fifth tallest at 310 metres, is located inside Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary at the Goa - Karnataka border.

The renowned Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is located on the island of Chorao. The endangered olive ridley sea turtle can be found on Morjim Beach in Pernem, Northern Goa and Galgibaga Beach in Canacona, Southern Goa. The turtles are listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Act. Morjim Beach is also hosting to a number of migratory birds from late September to early April. The area surrounding the shore at Tembwada in Morjim also abounds in various species of birds. A number of international bird watching tours are organised in the area.

• Dudhsagar Falls
• Arvalem Falls
• Kuske falls
• Kesarval Falls
• Tambdi Surla Falls

A Sea Harrier on display at the Naval Air Museum

There are several museums located in Goa:

• The Goa State Museum[6] set up in 1996 aims at centralising and preserving antiquities, art objects and objects of cultural importance, depicting the different aspects of the Goan History and Culture. It is located at Patto[7] in Goa's capital city of Panaji.
• The Naval Aviation Museum near Dabolim[8] is one among three of its kind in India.[9]
• Goa Science Centre, located at the Miramar beach in Panaji.[10] was opened in December 2001 and it houses many wonders of Science and Astronomy.[11]
• Archaeological Museum and Portrait Gallery located in Old Goa is run by the Archaeological Survey of India.
• The Museum of Christian Art has a number of paintings, sculptures and religious silverware dating back to the 16th century.[12]
• 'Ancestral Goa' is dedicated to the preservation of art, culture and environment and was established to preserve Goa's past and its rich traditions. This magnificent project[13] is the result of a lot of meticulous research, planning and hardwork. Located in Loutolim, it opened to the public in April 1995.[14] A special attraction of this project is the sculpture of Sant Mirabai strumming on her tambori and measuring 14 meters by 5 meters which was chiseled in Greco - Roman style from a vast expanse of laterite stone by Maendra Jocelino Araujo Alvares in just 30 days.[15]
• The Big Foot Museum is located at 'Ancestral Goa' in Loutolim. It has an unusual collection of crosses, from all over the world.[16]
• The Museum of Goa is a privately owned museum of art in Pilerne, Goa. MOG, as it is commonly known, is one of the largest contemporary art spaces in India. Founded by the artist, Dr. Subodh Kerkar, in 2015, MOG tries to depict Goan history and culture through modern art. The Museum is also an active cultural space, hosting events, talks, workshops and discussions. MOG hosts exhibitions all year round, with its largest being the Goa Affordable Art Fest which often starts in December and lasts till the end of January.
• The Pilar Museum is located on the Pilar hillock where the Pilar Seminary is also located. The Museum was founded by Fr Costa, and highlights various finds on and around the Pilar hillock and now preserved in the seminary museum.[17]
• The 'Wax World' Museum, inaugurated in 2008[18] is located in Old Goa contains exquisite wax statues. The statues have been sculpted by Shreeji Bhaskaran,[19] who owns the museum and is also responsible for giving India its first wax museum located at Ooty, Karnataka, which was set up in March 2007.[18]
• 'Goa Chitra Museum', established by Victor Hugo Gomes, is an ethnographic museum in Benaulim showcasing traditional Goan farming implements and other Goan antiques.[20]
• Ashvek Vintage World is a vintage car museum located in Nuvem, Goa. Set up in 2004 by Pradeep Naik, it is Goa's first car museum.

Another major tourist attraction in Goa is its heritage homes.[21] A legacy of the Portuguese colonial regime of more than 450 years, some of these palatial homes are now converted into hotels while many are still inhabited by the people. The popular heritage homes in Goa are:

• The Fernandes house, also known as 'Voddlem Ghor' in Cotta is an architectural marvel in Chandor.[22]
• The Menezes Bragança House in Chandor was built circa 1730. It was once owned by Luís de Menezes Bragança, Tristão de Bragança Cunha, Beatriz de Menezes Bragança, and her sister Berta Menezes Bragança.[23]
• The Vivian Coutinho House in Fatorda is among the few Goan houses with decorative Azulejo tiles.[24]

Fort Aguada

The landscape of Goa is dotted with several forts.

The administration of tourism in Goa lies with Minister for Tourism, Manohar Ajgaonkar, and Secretary and Director for Tourism, Menino D'Souza. Other stakeholders in Goa tourism are the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (A Government of Goa undertaking) and the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG). Prachi Desai has been appointed as the face of Goa's Tourism.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Goa.

• Tourism in India
• Timeline of Goan history