THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN PANJI AND TOURIST DESTINATIONS!

Panji: Anyone who has ever been to India or is an Indian must visit Panji, Goa India once. Goa is on the bucket list of every person due to its fun and frolic culture, great food, stunning beaches, and rich history. It can enchant everyone. A few days here can knit memories for a lifetime. In this article, we will tell you various fun activities to do in Panji and also its historical places. Numbing spray

What is the best time to visit Goa?

The best time to visit this place is between November and December. During the New year celebrations along with the Christmas celebrations, the city immerses in party and enjoyment. Also, on Dec 8, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church celebrates and lays down a Feast of the Immaculate Conception with music and procession on Panji.

Various Fun activities to do in Panji?

1. Cruise 2. Shopping in the bargain markets
3. Goa`s Night Bazaars 4. Water sports
5. Scuba Diving    

Various places to visit in Panji?

1. Beaches 2. Basilica of Bom Jesus
3. St. Augustine Towers 4. Se Cathedral
5. Fort Aguada 6. Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church
7. Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary 8. Goa Archaeological Museum
9. Aldona-Corjeum Cable-Stayed Bridge 10. Fontainhas

Various Fun Activities to do in Panji?

Panji is a hot tourist destination and it has developed itself to cater to the crowd of every age and of every taste. Some fun activities for the adventurous soul are as follows:

Deltin-Casino-Royale-Panji

1.Cruises:

The city has various cruise running nowadays which have different packages. Deltin Casino Royale is not only India`s biggest casino, but it is also the most famous and exotic cruise there.

Anjuna-Flea-Market-Panji-Goa

2. Shopping in the Bargain Markets

These markets sell a wide variety of interesting stuff like handicrafts, junk jewelry, tattoo making, beachwear, books, and souvenirs to take back home at a penny`s cost. But, apro tip to keep in mind is that heavy bargain can be done in the following markets. Also, shopkeepers can be a bit pushy. You should also beware of pickpockets.

Anjuna Flea Market- Anjuna Flea Market is a flea market that is held every Wednesday on Anjuna Beach Panji. It is the hippie capital of Goa.

Calangute Market Square-It is held every Saturday on the beach of Calangute. It not only sells items but you can enjoy delicious seafood snacks and beer at innumerable shops.

Baga Market- The Baga Market is a Saturday night Bazaar at the beach of Baga. The unique attractions of this market are beach-side saloons. Here you can get an awesome haircut for pennies. You can also find tarot card readers and palmists. Also, it features terrace cafes that serve an array of food variety.

Nighttime-Bazaars-Panji-Goa

3. Goa`s nighttime Bazaars

Mackie`s Night Bazaar- Held along the Baga beach, it is a true shoppers haven. The innumerable brightly lit shops, with fresh sea air from the sea, all make nighttime shopping an amazing experience. The market is also famous for live local band performances and authentic Goan, Indian and Tibetan food.

Ingo`s Saturday Night Bazaar- Another night time shopping destination, it is held at Arpora, just 5 minutes from Calangute and Baga Beach. This flea market is famous for its handicrafts from Kashmir, Tibet, and Rajasthan. This market is great if you are a foodie. It sells everything from traditional seafood snacks to international food.

Flyboarding-Water-sports-Goa

4. Water Sports

There are various water sport activities that you can undertake. It’s a haven for the adventurous soul. Boat Tour, Flyboarding and many other water sport activities are available. Many other leisure activities are also run. Like dolphin spotting, deep sea fishing, and sunset cruise experience, etc.

scuba-diving-in-Grande-Island-and-Tarkarli-Panji-Goa

5. Scuba Diving

Who are a bit more adventurous and looking for some peace under the sea. There are various packages which offer scuba diving in Grande Island and Tarkarli. Another great experience could be snorkeling and Bat Island Trip.

Various places to visit in Panji?

This city is home to a rich history which gives the city some picturesque monuments and great archaeological sites. But, the tale does not end with a great history, the city also flaunts the Aldona-Corjuem Cable-Stayed Bridge. Let’s see all the tourist attractions of the city.

Beaches-North-Goa-Panji
  1. Beaches

There are a number of beaches in the city. The majority of famous beaches are in North Goa.

Candolim: Candolim has Parasailing and Water skiing facilities. But most of its parts are covered with Fort Aguada Beach Resort and various companies that offer tour packages. It will be hard to find solo accommodation but there definitely are some hotels with restaurants that can be hired.

Calangute: It is one place destination for all the water sports activities. It is called ‘Quen Of Beaches’ and is a swooping 7km vast sandy beach. It is crowded in Peak and Off Season all the same. It is lined with hotels and other tourist accommodations but the beach is not really the best. Goa has better beaches to offer. It is not lined with palm trees also the waves are a bit harsh.

Baga: It is less visited by local tourists and is a quitter. It has a creek and a Retreat House sitting atop a hill with less number of tourists make it a peaceful and breath-taking place. More of western tourists can be found here engaged in fishing or having fun with water sports.

Vagator: This beach is quite secluded and crescent-shaped. It is associated on the Caisua Bay near the Chapora river basin. In the peak tourist season, it is a venue for midnight parties.

Anjuna: It is one of the most beautiful beaches out there. It has a hill looking over it, swaying palms, and soft sands. It also has a cove of black rock and contrasting white sand.

Sinquerim: This is not that crowded as Calangute and offers water sports facilities. Here you can stay at the Fort Aguada Beach Resort or Taj Holiday Village, or at the Aguada Hermitage. This beach also has a 17th century Fort that has now been converted into a prison.

Miramar: It is the closest to the city. It lies beside the estuary of the Mandovi river. It also gives a great view of Aguada Fort. It is also heavily commercialized and has a variety of hotels and houses of the elite lining it. It is usually crowded and flaunts a golden beach, palm trees, soft sand, and the Blue Sea.

St.-Francis-Xavier-Panji-Goa

2. Basilica of Bom Jesus

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The word Bom Jesus means ‘Good Jesus’ or ‘infant Jesus’. Located at 10 km east of the city, it is in Old Goa. Its foundation was laid on 24 November 1594 and completed on 15 May 1605. In 1946, it was raised to the status of Minor Basilica and it became India`s first Minor Basilica. It is also considered a fine example of Baroque Architecture.

St.-Augustine-Tower-Panji-Goa

3. St. Augustine Towers

The tower is a 46m- high and used to serve as a belfry and form part of a magnificent church. They are situated in the Velha Goa. There were initially four towers, of which only this one is left. The church was also magnificent. It had eight ornate chapels and 4 altars and a convent too! The construction of the church and towers began 400 years ago and it finished between 1597 and 1602.

St.-Catherine-of-Alexandria-church-Panji-Goa

4. Se Cathedral

This is the largest church in Asia. The cathedral is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. This place is sometimes also called as St. Catherine`s` Cathedral. The story behind this is that on the feast day of St. Catherine, in 1510, Alfonso Albuquerque defeated the Muslims who then lived in Goa and took possession if the city. The style of the architecture is Portuguese-Gothic in nature and was started in 1562 by a Portuguese viceroy. This church is by far bigger than any church in even.

Fort-Aguada-Panji-Goa

5. Fort Aguada

Fort Aguada is a well-built fort. It was built in the seventeenth century by Portuguese. It has a lighthouse and is situated on Sinquerim Beach. It has many water springs inside the fort that gave enough water supply to the voyages of the ships that used to come from Portugal. Passing ships would also stop by to replenish their water reserves. Word ‘Agua’ in Portuguese means water. Thus, the fort got its name from the fresh water springs inside it. The fort could store 2,376,000 gallons of fresh water. The fort was made to guard against Dutch and Marathas. It used to house 79 cannons at that time.

Our-Lady-of-Immaculate-Conception-Church-Panji-Goa

6. Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church

This is one of the oldest churches in Goa. It was there in 1541. The church was completely rebuilt in1619. The population of the area was then negligible but the size and how adorned the church`s altars and interiors are, you can imagine the religious climate then and the amount of wealth that was accessible to churches. The church is quite simple but the backdrop of the altar where Mary Immaculate is very ornate. The altars on each side have Jesus Crucified on the left and Our Lady of The Rosary on the right. It also has statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. It also houses a Chapel of St. Francis Xavier.

Dr.-Salim-Ali-Bird-Sanctuary-Panji-Goa

It is a heaven for bird watchers and is thus named after India`s best ornithologist (Birds expert) Dr. Salim Ali. It is 1.8 sq. km vast and situated on Chorao Island. Chorao island can be reached via ferry from Ribandar ferry wharf. Except for a variety of coastal birds and migratory birds in winter, the island is also home to Flying Fox, Jackals, and Crocodiles. The sanctuary is netted by water channels. If you are using a boat then you need to wait for high tide and if you are using canoes, then the low tide will also work. You can also look out for the watchtower for better sighting birds. You never know you can even find winter migratory birds like coots and pintails.

Goa-Archaeological-Museum

8. Goa Archaeological Museum

The museum is a state of art museum with a collection of 8000 objects on its premises. These objects include wooden objects, Stone Sculptures, Paintings, Bronzes, Numismatic Collection, Manuscripts, Clay Models, Anthropological Objects, etc. These articles are divided among 7 galleries- the Sculpture Gallery, the Banerji Art Gallery, the Christian Art Gallery, the Cultural Anthropology, the Religious Expression Gallery, Western Bronzes Gallery, and the Contemporary Art Gallery. The opening timings of the museum are from Monday to Friday morning at 9:30 am to the evening at 5:30 pm.

Aldona-Corjeum Cable-Stayed Bridge Goa

9. Aldona-Corjeum Cable-Stayed Bridge

This bridge is an advancement in the city. It stretches to a length of 235m and was built in 2004.

Fontainhas the heritage capital of the Goa

10. Fontainhas

Fontainhas is the heritage capital of the capital. It’s a colony of old Portuguese style. It still has houses colored in pale yellow, blue or green and red-tiled roofs, and also balconies in the traditional style. Near the Southern end is the very maintained Chapel of St. Sebastian. One feature of the Chapel is a lifelike-crucifix, which has Jesus with his eyes open. It is said that it was used to create fear in the minds of people being interrogated as it was then used to be in the Palace of the Inquisition. You can also find a water spring at the end of the place called Fonte Phoenix. Another place to be in Fontainhas is the Bombay Coffee Roasters, a café with lovely interiors and good food.

In a nutshell, a trip to Panjim is sure to give you memories of a lifetime and worth every penny you spend. I hope you have a great trip out here. Whether it be immersing in the tranquillity of beaches or the serenity of churches, you will find all that you are looking for. For more information please visit the official tourist site for Goa. Also, visit our other articles on the beauty of Himachal Pradesh and Tourism of Kerala.

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