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5 Offbeat Places to Visit in Goa Beyond Beaches

5 Offbeat Places to Visit in Goa Beyond Beaches

Goa is known for its beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts. There are many popular beach shacks to relax and enjoy food with beautiful sea views. I recently visited Goa and wondered whether it has places to visit beyond beaches. Goa also has a lot of greenery and scenic places around. Then, I researched a bit and also talked to some locals to know more about a few places to visit in Goa beyond beaches. I have listed down these interesting and beautiful places which I had visited during my trip.

DIVAR ISLAND

DIVAR ISLAND

This is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Goa. It is covered with greenery. This small little island feels like a fairytale. There are narrow lanes and roads with greenery on both sides of the road, Churches, temples, and small houses.

HOW TO REACH

Well, we visited this Island by boarding a Ferry from old Goa. We took our car along on the ferry. This ferry is mostly used by locals. They have a nominal fee to take us to the island. It takes around 10 to 15 minutes to reach the island. The route towards Divar Island from the ferry is very beautiful. Once we reached the Island, we drove towards the famous Shri Shakti Vinayak Temple.

Shri Shakti Vinayak Temple

SHRI SHAKTI VINAYAK TEMPLE

We climbed a few stairs to reach the temple. You can reach the temple directly by road if you do not want to climb the stairs, Although, this short trek towards the temple is very beautiful. You can see a good scenic views on your way to the temple.

This is a small temple giving a peaceful vibe. We spent a little time inside the temple and then headed towards the church.

Church

Well, after the visit to the Shri Shakti Vinayak Temple we visited a Church. Although the church was closed during our visit, we had a look at it from the outside. Also, just driving around these narrow lanes along with the lush greenery is fun. Then we went to a beautiful Resort on Divar Island for lunch.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TOUR OF DIVAR ISLAND.

MERCURE GOA DEVAAYA RETREAT

MERCURE GOA DEVAAYA RETREAT

This is a huge resort amid greenery and scenic views. It feels peaceful at this place. We visited the restaurant inside the Resort for lunch. We were greeted by the staff of the resort and then taken to the restaurant in a small golf cart.

DELICIOUS MEAL AT RESTAURANT

The resort is beautifully built amid nature. It is surrounded by trees and plants. The restaurant has a good ambience with a wonderful staff. We had a delicious meal in the restaurant.

Well, this is also a wellness resort. They offer various Ayurvedic treatments and massages to rejuvenate and relax. Also, they have some amenities and facilities to enjoy in the resort. They have a huge swimming pool.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A ROOM IN THIS HOTEL

It was a wonderful experience visiting this resort filled with nature and greenery.

FORT TIRACOL

RESTAURANT AT FORT TIRACOL HERITAGE HOTEL

Goa is full of surprises. I am amazed to see some beautiful hidden gems. Fort Tiracol is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Goa. The road towards this heritage hotel had lush greenery on both sides. It is a beautiful journey.

FORT TIRACOL

Fort Tiracol is a heritage hotel. This Hotel is built inside a fort which makes it more interesting. We went to the hotel to visit their restaurant. We had reserved a table in the restaurant. I would recommend reserving a table before your visit. The Fort is surrounded by several trees and plants. Also, you can see a beautiful sea view from the fort. There is a Church inside the fort. This place is full of colorful flowers and trees.

TAVERN RESTAURANT AT FORT TIRACOL HERITAGE HOTEL

Then we visited the restaurant named Tavern in the Hotel. We were seated comfortably and had a table overlooking the beautiful sea. We tried one of their desserts from the menu. It was delicious and sumptuous. Also, the indoor seating of the restaurant was very good. It had beautiful interiors giving a heritage feel. We enjoyed having food with the beautiful view of the sea from our table.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A ROOM IN THIS HERITAGE HOTEL

Visiting Fort Tiracol was a different experience in Goa.

LOWER FORT AGUADA

LOWER FORT AGUADA

This is another interesting place in Goa. The best time to visit Lower Fort Aguada is during sunsets. Lower Fort Aguada is situated near a beach. The Fort has a good walkway overlooking some stunning sea views. You can take a long walk enjoying some cool breeze. Also, you can click beautiful pictures.

The Taj Fort Aguada Hotel is located right next to the fort. This is one of the most luxurious Hotels in Goa. You can enjoy the beautiful sea views and the view of Fort Aguada from this Hotel. In the evenings, the Hotel is all lit up with lights which looks beautiful from Fort Aguada.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK THIS HOTEL.

FOUNTAINHAS PANAJI

FOUNTAINHAS PANAJI

This area located in Panaji, the Capital of Goa is full of colourful little houses. The best way to explore this place is by foot. These heritage houses are built on both sides of narrow lanes. These houses have beautiful ancient architecture and are painted in a variety of colours. It is fascinating to walk around these beautiful lanes.

FOUNTAINHAS PANAJI

You can also visit some of the popular Cafes and Bakery in the area. The ambience of these places is very beautiful. This is a good place to click some good pictures.

CLICK HERE to book a guided walking tour to Fountainhas Panaji. This will help to know the place better.

TROPICAL SPICE PLANTATION

TROPICAL SPICE PLANTATION

This is one of the best informative and educational trips in Goa. I came to know about different types of spices and their benefits in a guided tour at Tropical Spice Plantation. In India, we use many spices regularly at home. You can get to know more about these spices and their benefits in this tour.

TROPICAL SPICE PLANTATION

Well, this is approximately a 2-hour tour. On this tour, a guide takes us to the plantations where several spices are grown. She explained to us about the variety of spices grown there and their benefits. They also prepare Fenny which is Goa’s famous drink. She explained to us the process of making fenny. There were a lot of trees on which cashew nuts are grown. Goa is also popular for its cashews. We saw various other trees where different spices were grown.

SHOP

SHOP

They also have a shop where they sell all their products grown on their plantation. You can buy these products to take back home. The tour was followed by lunch which was simple but delicious at the same time. We liked the food at this place.

TROPICAL SPICE PLANTATION

This is truly an amazing place amid greenery and nature. I enjoyed a breath of fresh air at this place. The surroundings are very peaceful. I felt close to nature. It was a unique and wonderful experience at Tropical Spice Plantation in Goa.

So, these are some of the beautiful places to visit in Goa. So, on your next trip do try to visit these interesting places. Goa has lot more places to visit other than the beaches and the cafes. It has so many places surrounded by nature and greenery. Experience Goa beyond beaches on your next trip.

Have a look at a detailed video tour of all the above places in the below link

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