Panaji

Two days from Fontainhas to the Basilica of Bom Jesus

Spend two days on Panaji: day one in the Fontainhas lanes, at the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and on the Mandovi promenade to Miramar beach for sunset; day two about 10 km east in Old Goa, the abandoned Portuguese capital, for the Basilica of Bom Jesus, then the river islands by ferry.

Day one, Panaji. Start early in Fontainhas, walking the lanes around the Chapel of St Sebastian while the streets are cool. Climb to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, then cut down to the old Secretariat on the river. After lunch rest out of the afternoon heat, then walk the Mandovi promenade through Campal to Miramar beach for sunset. In the evening, eat Goan food back in town or board a river cruise from the Santa Monica jetty.

Day two, Old Goa and the islands. Take a bus or taxi about 10 km east to Old Goa, the abandoned Portuguese capital, for the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Sé Cathedral. On the way back, stop at Ribandar and take the free ferry to Chorao or Divar for an hour among the marsh fields. Spend the evening at the Mahalaxmi temple area or on the Altinho hill, then dinner in Fontainhas.

From here, the wider state is easy to reach; our Goa guide covers the beaches north and south.

Xacuti, bebinca and fish curry rice in Panjim

Order fish curry rice, Goa's everyday lunch of coconut curry soured with kokum, boiled rice and a fried fish. Goan cooking mixes Konkani and Portuguese traditions: try pork vindaloo, far more sour than the curry-house version, xacuti with roasted coconut, green cafreal chicken, and sorpotel or Goan sausages with poi bread. Finish with bebinca.

Breakfast at a café near the market might be bhaji pao, spicy vegetables with bread. For something sweet, look for bebinca, a layered coconut-and-egg cake baked one thin layer at a time. The local spirit is feni, distilled from cashew fruit or coconut sap.

Fontainhas and the streets around the municipal market have long-running family places; the stalls at Miramar sell snacks in the evening.

Carnival floats, monsoon rain and the Goan year around Panaji

Visit Panaji between November and February for dry, sunny days, and book early for Christmas to New Year, the busiest week. From June to September heavy rain falls most days and some boat trips stop. Carnival, the city's biggest event, fills the four days before Ash Wednesday, usually in February, with parades.

The biggest event in the city is Carnival, held over the four days before Ash Wednesday, usually in February. It opens on the Saturday with a parade of floats, bands and dancers led by King Momo, who orders the crowd to eat, drink and be merry; a samba evening fills the Garcia da Orta garden. Our Goa Carnival and Carnival in Goa pages have details on the parades.

For Christmas or Carnival dates, book rooms weeks ahead; in the monsoon you can usually find a room on the day.