Explore the Hidden Gems of Goa: 12 Offbeat Destinations

Whether you like to travel or not, as an Indian, you must have wanted to go to Goa. There are many places to go in Goa. If you Google the top 10 places to visit in Goa, you will easily come up with a hundred results. But there is a Goa beyond where all the tourists go. There is a more local side to this state, a more laid-back and cultural side that people do not know about. 

Like everyone, I had first chosen to spend my time on one of the most famous (also infamous) beaches of Goa, the Baga Beach! Of course, I was a tourist then, and since we found cheap accommodation near the beach, we decided to stay there to witness the best of both worlds – partying as well as relaxing on the beach.

However, my trip turned around when I met two Goans. They offered to take me to places that travellers like us hardly know about. 

Below, I am listing down 12 offbeat places in Goa which we explored, with a map towards the end of it, to help you see Goa beyond just the beaches. I assure you that with this, your Goa trip will be twice as good.

Church of Our Lady of Mount

This church was first built in 1519 by Afonso de Albuquerque. It has been destroyed twice in earthquakes and, henceforth, rebuilt in 1818.

Next to it, the winding roads and wooden pathways led me to watch the most beautiful sunset of my life!

The place is very quiet with absolutely no tourists. The church goes unnoticed as it lies on a wooden hilltop, having a sealed road around it. In fact, while walking towards the Old Church, you will be surrounded by beautiful pine trees.

But once you reach the steps that lead towards the Church, you will be able to see the beautiful town of Old Goa along with the Mandovi River, right in front of you. 

Because of the perfect sunset, this place absolutely tops our list of offbeat places in Goa to be visited.

Cidade/Vainguinim Beach

This beach is one of the most colourful ones with European vibes that I got to witness in Goa! It is near Panjim, from where you take a detour and drive down the highway for 10 minutes. Google Maps will guide you to a resort, but there is a winding road right next to the resort which will lead you to this beautiful and secluded beach. 

With clear blue waters and white sand, you will mostly find foreign tourists and locals here. This definitely is one of the best places to visit in Goa. 

In fact, more than the beach, I liked the pathway that leads to the beach. A narrow lane connects to this tranquil beach, and within a minute,e you will be transported to a quaint Portuguese village.

It is amazing how much of a hidden gem a place can be that we may know nothing about. Although this is not among the Goa tourist places, this will take you beyond the cliché beaches and show you what a Goa trip can feel like.  

Divar Island

To enter into the land of the forgotten, to walk on a small island of the beach capital of India, to be secluded, to drive your car on a single-lane road which is surrounded by marshy water – oh, what a way to live!

To reach Divar Island, you must take a ferry to this island, barring which, there are no other options.  We took our car inside the ferry itself (so cool!). The place is so sleepy yet so picturesque. It is completely different from the rest of Goa. Here, you will be able to find temples that were built before the Portuguese invaded the island.

The famous site that can also be seen from the “Church of Our Lady of Mount” is called the Church of Our Lady of Compassion. There is also a small cemetery right next to the church.  

Fontainhas

Lying in the capital city of Goa – Panjim, it is colourful and lively with a Portuguese touch due to the Portuguese influence in its architecture. The winding roads have painted balconies with yellow, green, red, and blue roofs. The walk here is famously known as the “Heritage Walk.”

Fontainhas dates back to the late eighteenth century and was established by Antonio João de Sequeira. In fact, it is the only area in Goa where Portuguese is still the main spoken language.

Joseph Bar

Have you ever found a cute hidden joint away from the prying eyes of the tourists flocking into a city, where the locals frequent after a tiring day to drink a pint of beer and catch up with their friends? Oh, what a joy it is to watch life unfold in its most joyous forms!

I grabbed a cute wooden table and sat down on the stool to flip the pages of my old book, observing the by-lanes of Fontainhas and the Portugal vibe still residing quietly in the broken ceilings of its colourful walls.

Joseph Bar is a super cute bar in Fontainhas. I am highlighting it especially because this place deserves all the glory. It is one of those bars which is away from tourists and really quaint with vintage vibes. The local Goans visit this bar for fresh beer and other local drinks. This tiny joint is so lively that Goans usually occupy the entire street to themselves.

Reis Magos

While travelling to Panjim from Baga Beach, you will cross the usually unnoticed village, Reis Magos, another one of those offbeat gems that no one talks about. Thank the heavens that this is not a tourist place in Goa, for it is one of the best places to visit in Goa. 

This place is famous for its fort and church. The fort offers spectacular, surreal views of the sea during sunsets.

The fort has been used to accommodate viceroys in earlier times and later as a fortress. Post this, it has also been used as a prison. From here, you can also see the “Chopati” of Goa.

Aguada Fort

Okay, before you roll your eyes at me for including Aguada Fort in a list of offbeat places to visit in Goa, check out the image below. 

I know, right? 

Aguada Fort offers views where one can see the blue ocean kissing the pink sky with nothing else in sight. A place where the horizon line becomes blurry, and ocean waves seem calm and so close it feels like you can touch them. 

This place is not exactly in the Aguada Fort, where tourists mostly go to see the lighthouse. It is known just to the locals, and lucky for us, Nawaz and Zenin showed us the path that leads to this point, where the views are just breathtaking. 

I don’t want to reveal the exact location of this place. If you would like to visit this, show the reference to the locals and ask around to find out this gem of a place. 

Bridge Close to Arambol Beach

Although Arambol can hardly be considered offbeat in its truest sense, it remains relatively uncrowded when compared with Baga and Calangute beaches.  

With a major influx of tourists to the Baga beach, which would mostly be inhabited by foreigners, Arambol has now become the new favourite of just about anyone looking to avoid the usual crowd and experience another side to Goa. 

But what I want to tell you about is the bridge that no one talks about and is, in fact, even unknown to locals. It is on the Dando Road, and once you step on the bridge, you won’t even realise that you have actually discovered it. That is how lost it makes you feel! 

It was when we stepped out and moved away from it to see the reflections and the beautiful oval-like construction below is when we jumped to our photography skills.

Tip – Visit the place early in the morning. The sunrise hues make the place look very divine!

Bambolim Beach

Bambolim Beach is another one of those that we discovered after taking a detour from Panjim. The drive through the winding roads was as beautiful as it could get. There was greenery and nothing else to see on that tiny road. 

We almost felt as if we were in Meghalaya instead of Goa. 

Bambolim Beach also gifted me with a sunset, which is a core memory! 

Moreover, there were no tourists here, and we could enjoy it just as we would, a private beach. The beach is secluded, and finding the tiny path that leads to it was difficult! 

Finding the beach is a little tricky. Follow the sharp curve and the path that reaches out towards the beach from the road next to the Grand Hyatt hotel, and you will find it easily. 

Church of St. Augustine

This church lies in a secluded corner of Old Goa! It dates back to 1597 and was built by Augustinian friars. However, the church was later abandoned, which led to its ruins. This led to the collapse of one of its vaults in 1842. The remains later collapsed in 1931 and then again in 1938.

Earlier, this mighty church had four towers, however, only one of them now remains! It was also one of the largest buildings in Goa once, but is now reduced to just a few remains.

However, taking a stroll through this church can still be an experience you do not want to miss. Bask in the history of Goa while you appreciate the divine architecture and visit the most picturesque places on your Goa trip. 

Safa Masjid

This beautiful mosque is located outside the Ponda district. The mosque is elegant and has withstood the ravages of time long gone.

‘Safa’ means clean and pure. To go back and talk a little about its history, Goa, during 1489-90, was under the control of the Adilshahi kingdom, which was then led by Yusuf Adil Khan, a Turkish. Later, in 1510, this kingdom was captured by Afonso de Albuquerque, a Portuguese. It is also one of the 27 mosques that were built by Ibrahim Adil Shah.

The structure of this mosque is very impressive. There is a huge tank right in the middle of the Masjid with 44 hammams (hot air baths). If you see the Masjid from the opposite side of the road, the tank acts like a mirror of the Masjid.

There are arch-like structures that have Mihrab designs in all four corners. It is also beautifully decorated with yellow and pink flowers.

This is the one place in Goa that you definitely do not want to miss if you are going offbeat on your Goa trip!

Mala Temple

Next to Fontainhas, one can visit a pre-Portuguese Hindu temple – Mala. The temple bells will be calling you from a distance, and once the road turns, you will spot a bright saffron-coloured temple. You can either take a flight of stairs or drive up in your car on the winding road. 

You get a panoramic view of Panjim from this spot, too, to test your photography skills.

These are the few places I have visited and thoroughly loved while on my Goa trip. I did not want my trip to be just like everyone else, and I was lucky to have found locals who showed me a more authentic side to this state that many tourists do not know about. 

With this list, you will appreciate a Goa beyond just the known beaches and parties. 

So, what do you think? Let me know if you have already been to any of these places or have any more suggestions to visit offbeat places in Goa.