1. One of Goa's most famous beaches, Colva attracts crowds of tourists during high season (mid-November through mid-February) — for good reason. The 2.4-kilometer-long beach in south Goa offers an endless array of aquatic adventure sports (including jet skiing, banana boat rides, and parasailing), sand that's as soft and as white as baby powder, and a well-developed tourism infrastructure that can cater to your every need.

2. Dona Paula Beach is one of the best beaches in Goa for honeymoon tourists. Nicknamed "Lovers' Paradise," this coastal destination in the suburbs of Panaji even has its own love legend. The tale is about Dona Paula, the daughter of a Portuguese viceroy, who threw herself into the Arabian Sea after her father forbade her from seeing a Goan fisherman who had stolen her heart.

3. Morjim beach in north Goa offers a more wild, rustic feel than others in the state. It's a tranquil escape, lined with beach huts and sun beds, where you can spend hours on end. Morjim Beach has earned the nickname "Little Russia" for the large influx of Russians who stay here for weeks at a time. Its abundance of Russian restaurants can be a welcome change of pace from the rest of the food in Goa.

4. Accommodations in Goa don't get much quirkier than what you'll find at Palolem Beach. Every year, locals in the hospitality industry erect temporary coco huts in which travelers can spend the night. The rustic rooms make up for their lack of luxury with premier access to one of Goa's best beaches, dedicated lounge chairs right on the sand, and a one-of-a-kind experience that make for a lifetime's worth of memories.

1. Bread is an important part of Goan life. Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread known as the bol. The elders were given loaves and the children were given bread-bangles, which they longed for. Also, the fact that bakery is a profitable profession shows that the love for bread is enormous in God.The bakers use a dress named 'Kabai' which is a single-piece long frock reaching out to the knees.

2. Known as vison or visvan, kingfish is a delicacy in Goa. A popular preparation is kingfish rawa fry: fillets are lightly coated in semolina and fried to form a crispy exterior and succulent interior. It’s also used in surmai (kingfish) curry, which contains grated coconut.

3. Kokum, a plant in the mangosteen family is found in the coastal areas of western India. Its ruby-coloured fruits are juiced as well as dried, and used to sour fish and prawn curries in Goan cuisine. Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, kokum juice is a refreshing drink to beat the heat. Kokum solkadhi, also known as kokum kadhi, is a spicy-tangy-sweet beverage made with coconut milk, spices and liquid extracted from kokum peel. Good for digestion, it’s served at the end of meals.

4. Also called ukda rice, red rice is popular in gourmet circles in India. An unpolished thick-grained rice with a reddish-brown colour and nutty flavour, its firm texture makes it excellent for soaking up coconut curries.

1. Goan Hindus are very fond of Natak, Bhajan and Kirtan. Many famous Indian Classical singers hail from Goa, such as, Kishori Amonkar, Kesarbai Kerkar, Jitendra etc.. Some traditional Goan dance forms are dekhnni, fugdi, corridinho and dashavatara. Western social dancing is a part of most celebrations.

2. The costume of Goans is according to the tropical climate, generally, they wear cotton clothes. Goan Catholic women wear dresses/gowns, while Hindu women wear sari called Nav-vari. Other traditional costumes of Goa people are Pano Bhaju, Valkal is a string of beads and leafy loincloths which is still worn in tribes. Kashti is a tied knot and saree. Goans catholic brides wear a white gown.

3. Coconut climbers/pluckers ‘padekars’ carry out the harvesting of tender and ripe coconuts from a plantation or residential areas. Traditionally, padekars were paid half in cash, half in coconuts. Nowadays, they charge a reasonable wage per tree (depending on the number of trees). It’s a dying skill and very few padekars are to found. Most of them are the older set, you can rarely find a young one!

4. The crafts and arts of Goa also reflect Hindu, Muslim and Christian origins. Handicrafts are mainly made of materials easily available here like- clay, seashells, paper, bamboo, brass, wood, jute, stone and coconut shells amongst others. With the heavy inflow of tourists the handicrafts industry has also witnessed a boom.

1. The Basilica of Bom Jesus Church located in Goa is one of a kind in India and is known for its exemplary baroque architecture. Built in 1594 and consecrated in 1605, the building of this church coincides with the beginning of Christianity in India.The oldest church in Goa, it holds the remains of St. Francis Xavier, a special friend of St. Ignatius Loyola with whom he founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Even after 400 years, the remains are in good condition and are taken out once every decade.

2. The Fort Tiracol was constructed on the orders of Maharaja Khem Sawant Bhonsle, who was the king of Sawantwadi during the advent of the seventeenth century. The hilltop location of the fort gives some of the most exhilarating views of the Arabian sea from its ranks. Due to its location, the fort gained immense importance for maritime defences.

3. Shri Shantadurga Temple is one of the largest temple complexes in Goa. It is dedicated to Goddess Durga who is one of the patron deities of the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins. Shri Shantadurga Temple is one of the largest temple complexes in Goa. It is dedicated to Goddess Durga who is one of the patron deities of the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins. The temple was built around 1715 AD.

4. Located in Panjim, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is one of the most popular and also one of the oldest chapels in Goa. Built in a Portuguese Baroque style, the church is located on a slight elevation, on a hillock. It is known to house the second largest church bells in Goa. These bells are known to have been removed from the Augustinian ruins of the Church of Our Lady of Grace that existed in Old Goa.

1. Panaji, also known as Panjim, is the state capital of Goa, in southwest India. Located on the banks of the Mandovi River, the city has cobblestone streets lined with colorful villas an buildings from the Portuguese colonial era. Palm-fringed Miramar Beach sits at the confluence of the river and the Arabian Sea. Set on a hill overlooking the city is the baroque Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, built in 1619.

2. Vasco da Gama, often shortened to Vasco, is a city in the state of Goa on the west coast of India. It is named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. The city lies on the western tip of the Mormugao peninsula, at the mouth of the Zuari River. It is one of the oldest towns in Goa, which was an important port during the reign of Portuguese.

3. Madgaon or Margao, as it commonly known is the cultural hub and the commercial capital of Goa. The city quietly rests at the banks of River Sal and is known to be one of the oldest settlements in Goa. Before the invasion of the Portuguese Margao was a Matha gram, a land with nine monastic endowments of the Hindus.

4. Mapusa is a town in North Goa, India. It is situated 13 km north of the capital Panaji. The town is the headquarters of Bardez Taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai to Kochi. In Portuguese, the town is known as Mapuçá.

1. Goa encompasses an area of 3,702 km² (1,430 sq mile). It lies between the latitudes 14°53'54" N and 15°40'00" N and longitudes 73°40'33" E and 74°20'13" E. Most of Goa forms a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau. The Sonsogor constitutes the highest point, with an altitude of 1,167 metres (3,827 feet). Goa has a coastline of 101 km (63 miles). Mandovi, the Zuari, the Terekhol, Chapora River and the Betul number among Goa's main rivers. The Mormugao harbor on the mouth of the river Zuari serves as one of the best natural harbors in South Asia. The Zuari and the Mandovi act as the lifelines of Goa, with their tributaries draining 69% of its geographic area. Laterites, rich in ferric aluminium oxides and reddish in color, make up most of Goa's soil cover. Further inland and along the river banks, alluvial and loamy soil exist. The soil, rich in minerals and humus, serves farming well. Some of the oldest rocks in the Indian subcontinent lay in Goa between Molem and Anmod on Goa's border with Karnataka.

2. Forest cover in Goa stands at 1,424 km², mostly owned by the government. Government owned forest comprises an estimated 1224.38 km² while private accounts for 200 km². The interior eastern regions of the state serve as home for most of the forests in the state. The Western Ghats, which form most of eastern Goa, have been internationally recognized as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.