5 Days in Goa: Sun, Vindaloo, and the Beach Shack That Changed My Mind About India
Everyone told me Goa was India's party state. Raves on the beach, cheap beer, backpackers everywhere. And sure, that Goa exists — it's in North Goa, it's loud, and it's not what I came for.
I came for the other Goa. The one with 16th-century Portuguese churches, fresh-catch kingfish grilled at beach shacks, and a culinary tradition so distinct from the rest of India that it feels like a different country. Here's what happened.
Day 1: Arrival & Fontainhas — India's Most Underrated Neighborhood
Flew into Dabolim airport (GOI) from Delhi. Grabbed a pre-paid taxi to Panaji (Goa's capital, 45 minutes, about 900 INR). My guesthouse was in Fontainhas — Goa's UNESCO-listed Portuguese colonial quarter.
I was not prepared for Fontainhas. Narrow lanes lined with brightly painted houses in yellows, blues, and greens. Wrought-iron balconies spilling with bougainvillea. Art galleries in converted colonial buildings. Bakeries selling bebinca (a layered Goan cake that takes 7 hours to make).
This doesn't look like India. It looks like Lisbon transplanted into the tropics. A heritage walking tour (~500 INR through Make It Happen) explained the layers — 450 years of Portuguese colonial rule left a mark on the architecture, the religion (Goa is significantly Catholic), and especially the food.
Dinner at a local restaurant in Fontainhas: prawn balchao (spicy pickled prawns), pork vindaloo (the original Portuguese recipe, not the British curry house version), and a cold Kingfisher beer. Total: about 700 INR for a meal that made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about Indian food.
Day 2: Old Goa's Churches & South Goa's Secret Beaches
Old Goa is 10km east of Panaji and was once larger than Lisbon. Disease wiped out most of the city, but the churches survived. The Basilica of Bom Jesus (free entry, built in 1605) holds the remains of St. Francis Xavier and is one of the finest Baroque buildings in Asia. Se Cathedral nearby is the largest church in India.
Afternoon: rented a scooter (300 INR/day for an Activa — the Goa Way) and rode 70km south to Palolem Beach. The road winds through small villages, past churches and temples side by side, through spice plantations and coconut groves.
Palolem is a crescent-shaped beach in South Goa with calm, swimmable water. I checked into a beach hut (2,500 INR/night — a wooden cabin literally on the sand) and watched the sunset from a beach shack with my feet in the sand and a grilled pomfret on my plate.
The pomfret was caught that morning. The chef told me this not as a sales pitch but as a plain fact. It cost 350 INR and it was the best fish I've eaten. Period.
Day 3: Kayaking to Butterfly Beach & Feni Tasting
Rented a kayak at Palolem (500 INR/hour) and paddled around the southern headland to Butterfly Beach — accessible only by water or a rough jungle trail. The beach was nearly empty. Clear water, a few fishing boats, and the kind of silence that makes you realize how noisy normal life is.
Evening: tried feni for the first time. Feni is Goa's signature spirit — distilled from either cashew fruit or coconut palm sap. The cashew version smells like a tropical orchard that caught fire. It's... an acquired taste. After the second shot at a local bar in Palolem, I'd acquired it. 40 INR per glass.
Day 4: Chapora Fort & Anjuna Markets
Rode the scooter north. Chapora Fort is the hilltop ruin famous from the Bollywood film "Dil Chahta Hai" — sweeping views over Vagator Beach and the Chapora River. Free entry, 10-minute climb, no facilities. Bring water.
Anjuna's Wednesday flea market (9AM-6PM) is a hippie-era holdover with jewelry, hammocks, clothing, and an atmosphere that still feels like the 1970s. I bought a pair of hand-tooled leather sandals for 400 INR.
Lunch at a beach shack near Vagator: prawn curry rice (250 INR) and a Goan sausage appetizer. Goan sausage is their version of chorizo — spiced with Kashmiri chilies, vinegar, and garlic, then dried in the sun. It's got a heat that builds slowly and a smokiness that lingers.
The Saturday Night Market at Arpora (6PM-midnight, November-April) is the better market — live music, better food stalls, and quality crafts. I went back for this on my last night.
Day 5: Departure & Last Swim
Final morning swim at Palolem. The water was warm, the beach was quiet, and a fishing boat was heading out in the morning light while a woman sold fresh fruit from a cart.
I sat in the beach shack where I'd had that pomfret on Day 2 and ordered the same dish. It was just as good. For more, check out our Goa travel story.
Would I Go Back?
Without question. But I'd skip North Goa's party beaches (Calangute, Baga) entirely. South Goa — Palolem, Agonda, and the inland villages — is where the real Goa lives. Quieter, more beautiful, better food, and a feeling that you've discovered something that mass tourism hasn't ruined yet.
I'd also spend more time in Fontainhas. That neighborhood alone deserves two days of wandering, eating, and understanding how Portuguese, Indian, and Catholic cultures fused into something entirely unique.
Goa isn't India's party state. It's India's most fascinating cultural mashup. And the seafood is just a bonus. If Jaipur is also on your itinerary, check out our Jaipur travel guide.
