Goa is a package- tour paradise, squeezed between the seas and the lush forested hills. It offers glistening sands, swaying coconut palms, and ultra fresh seafood. Luxury hotels and budget guesthouses overlook fisherman mending their nets, and beer comes cheap and chilled. Discovered by pioneering hippies looking for peace and love. Goa’s beaches are now filled with persistent hawkers during the day and rave parties at night. For those intent on discovering the real India, Goa is the best treated as a relaxing break on the southern trail. Lavishly gifted by nature, Goa can also boast of its rich cultural and historical heritage. It is hardly surprising that the Portuguese who came in search of spices in 16th century decided to put down roots in this tropical paradise. Goa’s natural boundaries, the Arabian Sea and the Sahyadri mountains, had sheltered it from much of India’s inland turmoil, while its strategic location on the newly discovered trade route to the East made it even more attractive.Tucked away snugly between the hills of the Western Ghats on the East, Arabian Sea to the West, Maharashtra’s coastline to the North, and Karnataka’s coastline to the South, this tiny territory covers 1350sq miles (3500 sq km). It provides spectacular views with bottle green hills wooded with jackfruit, mango, and cashew groves, cut across by river and edged by miles of sun-drenched beaches. Warm, languid climates, and a gentle unspoilt people, complete this compelling kaleidoscope.

While the rest of the country progressed towards the independence and the 20th century, Goa remained a Portuguese colony, since 4 1\2 centuries of Portuguese rule has left its imprints everywhere. Stop at a small taverna (bar) for a drink of feni - a locally brewed drink made from cashew or coconut, listen to the sounds of a mando (love song) and the strains of a guitar mingling with the sensuous lapping of the waves, or the warm golden sands of lonely, idyllic beaches. There is a Mediterranean atmosphere in the quaint towns with their red-tiled roofs & narrow streets and the charming fishing villages surrounded by coconut groves.It is easy to slip into Goa’s warm effortless existence. In Goa, Latin influence fuses with Indian color to produce an enchanting hybrid. Goa’s traditions of language, religion, dances have remained firmly entrenched despite the end of Portuguese rule in 1961. Goans may be Indian, but they are Goan first

Tourist Attractions
Goa, the best tourist place for India offers several tourist attractions. Beaches and churches are the key tourist attractions in Goa. Christian Pilgrimage tours and Goan Carnival attract numerous visitors. In the local dialect, Goa is often referred to as "Goa Dourada," (meaning "Golden Goa") because of its beaches, forts, churches, waterfalls, seminaries, and caves. Today, Goa Beach Resorts are attractions in themselves.

"The queen of Indian beaches," Calangute is a stretch of 7 km. Baga beach is a handy commuting point to Anjuna. At a distance of 7 km from Panaji is the beach of Dona Paula, which is a good site for relaxation and sunbathing. At a distance of 6 km away from Margao is another beach, Colva, which offers good accommodation. Calangute, Baga, Candolim, Colva are dominated by package tourism. Anjuna, the traditional rave center is popular with the bag packers. Benaulim falls between hype and hip, and is filled with beach shacks and low-key Goa beach resorts. Arambol in the north and Palolem in the south are idyllic by nature. Other famous beaches include Miramar and Agonda. Goa Beach Resorts along these beaches in Goa are excellent accommodation options.

The Dudhsagar waterfall and Arvalem waterfall attract many tourists every year. The rock-cut caves of Khandepar and Arvalem are also worth mentioning. The Pilar monastery, Saligao seminary, and Rachol seminary attract the religious minded travelers.

While nature has been so generous to Goa, man too has contributed a lot to Goa's beauty. The strong Roman Catholic community, with the active support of the erstwhile Portuguese rulers, has had a number of churches built in this picturesque locale. In Panaji, one must visit the church dedicated to our Lady of Immaculate Conception, and the Chapel of St. Sebastian. No doubt that Christian Pilgrimage tours to Goa are so popular. The Goa State Museum, the Secretariat, the statue of Abbe Faria in the capital is a must see for lovers of art. The largest of the churches in Goa, the Se Cathedral is in Old Goa and is flocked by thousands of tourists every year. The holy shrine of Basilica of Bom Jesus, also in Old Goa, houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. It is a famous pilgrimage center among the Roman Catholic world. Most Christian Pilgrimage tours include visits to these churches of Goa. Other famous churches are the Convent and Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Church of St. Cajetan, Church of St. Augustine Ruins, Church and Convent of St. Monica, Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Chapel of St. Anthony and Chapel of St. Catherine-all of which are in Old Goa. Fort Aguada is worth a visit to savor the nostalgia of the Portuguese regime, especially in its lighthouse and the Aguada jail. Terekhol Fort in the Arambol beach has been now converted to a hotel. The Museum of Christian Art in Rachol Seminary and church and the Braganza House near Margao are also worth a visit. Besides these, to get a glimpse of the Hindu population in Goa, one has to visit Ponda. The Kerkar Art Complex in south Calangute is also an important tourist center. The Wednesday flea market at Anjuna is an important trading center for handicrafts from Kashmir to Gujarat.