Southwest of Bicholim and about 35km from Panaji, glistening Mayem Lake is a pleasant sort of place that’s popular among local picnickers and families. In 2018 Goa Tourism opened a new reception centre here with a cafe, shops, parking and boating, and its North Goa bus stops here for lunch.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
5.71 MILES
Famous throughout the Roman Catholic world, the imposing Basilica de Bom Jesus contains the tomb and mortal remains of St Francis Xavier, the so-called…
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5.48 MILES
At over 76m long and 55m wide, the cavernous Sé Cathedral is the largest church in Asia. Building commenced in 1562, on the orders of King Dom Sebastiao…
Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
9.3 MILES
Panaji’s spiritual, as well as geographical, centre is this elevated, pearly white church, built in 1619 over an older, smaller 1540 chapel, and stacked…
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21.58 MILES
Artist and restorer Victor Hugo Gomes first noticed the slow extinction of traditional objects – from farming tools to kitchen utensils to altarpieces –…
22.82 MILES
Braganza House, built in the 17th century and stretching along one whole side of Chandor’s village square, is the biggest Portuguese mansion of its kind…
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10.49 MILES
Opened to the public in 2012 as a cultural centre, Reis Magos Fort overlooks the narrowest point of the Mandovi River estuary, making it easy to…
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26.47 MILES
About 8km southeast of Chandor is the busy small town of Quepem. Here the Palácio do Deão, the renovated 18th-century palace built by the town’s founder,…
Church & Convent of St Cajetan
5.3 MILES
Modelled on the original design of St Peter’s in Rome, this impressive church was built by Italian friars of the Order of Theatines, sent here by Pope…
Nearby North Goa attractions
1. Shri Saptakoteshwara Temple
1.96 MILES
Just 2km from the ferry point in Naroa, the Shri Saptakoteshwara Temple is tiny, tucked away in a narrow emerald-green valley and undisturbed by anything…
3.39 MILES
On Corjuem Island around 2km northeast of Aldona, now linked by modern road bridges, you’ll find the remains of Goa's only still-intact inland fort, the…
4.49 MILES
Around 5km north of Pomburpa, the large and picturesque village of Aldona is home to the Church of St Thomas, built in 1596, and a grand sight on the…
4. Church of Our Lady of Compassion
4.59 MILES
This hilltop church (also called Our Lady of Piety) combines an impressive facade with an engagingly simple interior. The ceiling is picked out in plain…
5. Church & Convent of St Cajetan
5.3 MILES
Modelled on the original design of St Peter’s in Rome, this impressive church was built by Italian friars of the Order of Theatines, sent here by Pope…
5.31 MILES
Modelled on the original design of St Peter's in Rome, the Church of St Cajetan was built by Italian friars of the Order of Theatines, who were sent by…
5.33 MILES
Next to the Convent of St Cajetan, this freestanding basalt doorway, atop five steps, is the only remains of the grand palace of Goa’s 16th-century Muslim…
5.34 MILES
Perhaps the best way to arrive in Old Goa is the same way that visitors did in the city’s heyday. Approaching along the wide Mandovi River, new arrivals…