A day trip to North Goa from South Goa

Although we have been to North Goa before. That was our first trip to Goa, where we stayed in Resort Terra Paraiso and spent 3 wonderful days on the Calangute Beach. But this time around, we did a day trip to North Goa from South Goa. As we based ourselves in South Goa for our Goa workation. While starting this workation, we did a day trip to Gokarna & spent a day at the beach hut of Palolem before settling down in South Goa. So, in case you are interested to know more about our trip, do check the above links out. Since this time we visited Goa with our parents. And this was their first trip to Goa, we planned a day outing of North Goa over a weekend.

During our first trip to Goa, we had done this one day sightseeing around Goa, covering most of the major attractions of both North & Central Goa. So, this time around it was more about a no rush sightseeing. On friday evening, we visited Fontainhas – the beautiful latin quarters of Goa. And then on Saturday, we headed out for a tour of North Goa post breakfast in our resort – Biera Mar Beach Resort.

Read: Our experience staying at Resort Terra Paraiso Goa.

The beautiful churches of South – Central Goa

Our first stop on our day trip to North Goa were the beautiful Churches of South Central Goa. We reached there after almost an hours drive from our resort. These churches included the Basilica of Bom Jesus which is the oldest church of Goa. And the Se Cathedral which is the largest church of Goa. Next was Church of Our Lady of the Mount, right besides the Se Cathedral. Unfortunately couple of these churches were under renovation when we visited. So, we couldn’t explore them in entirety. However, if you are visiting Goa, these churches are definitely a must visit.

Fort Aguada, Goa

Next on our North Goa trip we headed to Fort Aguada. By around 12:00pm we were at the fort. It was very hot. And I must say sunglasses and umbrella are a must if you are visiting here at this hour. We parked our vehicle, took the entry tickets from near the gate and then entered the Fort. The harsh weather couldn’t at all deter our determination. As we went on to explore the fort grounds. And the amazing views of the Mandovi river behind ! We stayed here for around an hour. After existing from the fort, we had tender coconut water. And then we proceeded further on our day trip to North Goa.

Lunch

Next, we stopped for lunch. While driving through the Candolim beach road, it was really hard to make a pick on a restaurant. Since the whole road is dotted with beautiful, cozy restaurants emitting delicious aroma. We finally stopped at one. The restaurant was crowded, service was slow but the food and the ambiance more than made up for it. After having lunch, we were ready to explore the next destinations on our day trip to North Goa.

Beaches of North Goa

Next, we headed to Calangute beach. As usual it was crowded. It did makes sense to spend sometime here and capture the beauty of the beach. But we were avoiding crowded places this time. So, we didn’t spend much time on the beaches of the north Goa. Instead, we decided to next head to the Calangute Market. Although, we have very beautiful memories of the time spent on our earlier trips on these beaches of North Goa. But, this time around, we were always on lookout for peaceful and secluded places that our kids and family could enjoy.

Calangute Market

There is a good parking space besides the main Calangute Market. We parked our vehicle here. There is a parking charge of INR 100 at the time of this writing. And the parking ticket remains valid for 24 hours. Clearly, people who stay in some of the nearby inns and hotels which don’t provide for a parking space, they can park their vehicle here. After parking we did little shopping in the Calangute Market. Buying some garments for the kids, some souvenirs and some other little stuff. By the time we were finished with the marketing, it was almost 6:30pm. So, we decided to head back to our resort and call it a day.

More things to do on a day trip to North Goa

In case you are not traveling with elders or kids, and you don’t mind staying back. There is much more that you can do on a day trip to North Goa. First of all, if you happen to do this day trip to North Goa on a Saturday, do visit the Arpora Night Market, which is setup in Arpora, very close to Calangute. We had been there on our second trip to Goa, when we were staying at Beleza by the Beach. And I was really impressed. Although it’s a flea market. But more than the shopping, the overall ambiance is something that makes it really worth it. Do note that this market starts around 6:30pm in the evening and goes on till 2:00am-3:00am in the morning. Read the full account of our visit to this market here :-

Visiting the Arpora Flea Market.

 

Although, there are many other flea markets in Goa which are regularly setup across the week. But most of them are setup in North Goa. Do read the details about the must visit flea markets of Goa here.

Again, if you have more time to spare, head further north and visit some of the beaches of North Goa like Anjuna, Vagator, Arambol etc. And the Chapora Fort.

Hope you enjoyed this itinerary and do let us know if you plan a day trip to North Goa based on it. If you plan to stay in North Goa, here are some options for you :-

Resort Terra Paraiso

Villa in Siolim

Baga Villa with private pool

It will earn us a little commission if you book a stay using the link above , however, it will have no extra cost for you.

Summary of our one day trip to North Goa

 

Tips on doing the one day trip to North Goa

• Always carry water with you wherever you are visiting in Goa as it’s always hot and humid during the day
• You will need your sunglasses and an umbrella for sure
• Wear comfortable cotton cloths and comfortable shoes / slippers
• If you are staying in South Goa and plan to stay back till late in North Goa, then you can book an accommodation in North Goa instead of driving back late. When we traveled, there was construction work going on a patch of highway. And with several diversions in place and poor lighting, it made it very difficult to drive this stretch at night.
• There’s ample food options available all over North Goa, so that is never going to be an issue.
• Restrooms are available in some of the restaurants, at the premises of fort Aguada and in some of the church campuses.

PS: Some of our links are affiliated, this means we will earn a commission when you buy a service or product by clicking those links. However, this will have no extra cost for you.