Churches and Convents of Old Goa

Velha Goa

A Baroque church complex left from the 16th-century Portuguese capital of Asia. The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the incorrupt body of St Francis Xavier, and the site is a World Heritage Site.

Old Goa was founded as the Portuguese colonial capital of the East after they seized it in 1510. At its 16th-century peak it was known as the 'Lisbon of the East', and its population surpassed that of Lisbon. It was abandoned after plague struck in the 18th century, leaving only churches and convents. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1986. The main sights are all within walking distance. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, completed in 1605, has an unplastered red basalt exterior and a gilded altar inside. In a silver casket in the small chapel on the right lies the incorrupt body of the Jesuit missionary St Francis Xavier, who died in 1552. It is displayed once every ten years. Across the road stands the white Se Cathedral, completed in 1619, one of the largest churches in Asia, with the 'Golden Bell' in its bell tower. Next to it is the Church of St Francis of Assisi, which has the finest interior murals and wood carvings, and the Archaeological Museum. On the hillside are the ruins of St Augustine's Church (a 46-metre-high surviving tower) and the Church of St Cajetan, modelled on St Peter's Basilica in Rome. All the churches are free to enter and open roughly 09:00-18:30, though some areas close during Sunday mass. The museum charges 10 rupees. Getting there: a taxi from Panaji takes 20 minutes, or take a bus toward Ponda for 25 minutes. From the North Goa beaches it takes about 1 hour. Plan 2-2.5 hours, and after the morning visit you can continue to a nearby spice plantation for lunch. Note: cover your shoulders and knees, and do not use flash inside the churches. Around the end of November and early December, feast days draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

Churches and Convents of Old Goa

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Places to eat nearby