Goa – The Smallest State in India by Area
Which is the smallest state in India?
Goa is the smallest state of India by land area (3,702 km²). It has just two districts in the state. Goa is a land of beaches. People visit Goa for relaxation and rejuvenation.
Many people come with their families for a vacation get away and some others come here on their honeymoon or children come with their teachers on their educational trip from school. Goa caters to all kinds of people, from all age groups and all walks of life.
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The Portuguese were the first people to come to Goa as early as 1511. Vasco Da Gama first came to the shores of Goa on the island of Vasco and from there started a big journey of conquerors who came in line, one after the other to capture India. Goa lies on the western coast of India.
This belt of coastal line is popularly called the Konkan coast. The famous Konkan railway with spectacular views can be found in this stretch and many travelers love to enjoy the adventurous ride along this belt.
What is Goa famous for?
Goa is not only popular for its beaches, but also for the Goan markets, rich variety of shopping options, temples, ancient churches with some amazing architectures etc. Parasailing and paragliding in the beaches along with hiking and trekking are some of the activities the adventurous traveler involves himself in when at Goa.
The months from November to January is one of the best times to visit Goa and one can find the tourist crowd surge at this point of time. This time also coincides with the Christmas and New Year Celebrations that take place in this small state with much pomp and show.
It is during this time that celebrities belonging to the sports and cinema field make a bee line to visit the famous land of Goa to celebrate and enjoy their holidays.
A rich culture backed with people coming from all corners of the country to celebrate Christmas and New Year creates a festive mood in the state during those three months.
People from diverse backgrounds, belonging to different religions and following different cultures are all part of the Goan population.
This small is inhabited by a population that is pretty less when compared with other regions of the country, because of the small size of the state and the vast beaches stretching through the state from one corner to another corner of the state.
What are the interesting places to visit at Goa?
Goa is also a place where one can find not just one beach to visit, but a total of 36 beaches exist in this place. If we go down history lane, we can find many buildings and Churches that reminisce about ancient Portuguese culture and the city peacefully displays those remnants even today in its many pages of history.
Tourist attractions also include many lush green fields that offer scenic views of the place and the spectacular long landscapes that stretch to far distances. Just by idling and relaxing and enjoying the lush green landscapes, one can have a feast for their eyes in Goa.
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Since the holiday season is a big time from November to January, it is good to book travel tickets early on. Goa is well-connected by rail, road and air modes of transport. Some of the famous beaches are Anjuna beach, Aguada beach, Baga beach, Dona Paula, Colava beach etc.
The list of beaches is endless and each of them is famous for its own beautiful reasons and there are golden stretches of nature’s wonders at some of these awesome beaches that can be enjoyed during sunset. The entire beach stretches along the coastline for about 125 kilo meters.
Some famous temples of Goa are Church of the Carmelites, St. Francis Church of Assisi, and Basilica of Bom Jesus etc. The churches offer a good peek into history where ancient Portuguese dwellers inhabited the area and lived a different lifestyle, different from our Indian culture.
There are many Portuguese dwellers even to this day, and they have been known to live peacefully in the state.
The Mangesh temple, Kamakshi temple, Vitthal temple, Jama Masjid are some of the religious places of importance. When the Portuguese invaded the land of Goa, it was reported that there were lot of temples in the entire state of Goa.
Temples were so common in every village that almost every village had a temple and history is known to have records of these. There are many bird sanctuaries and wildlife reserves that are of national importance in the state of Goa.
The Salim Ali Bird sanctuary is famous for its different varieties of peculiar birds and these sanctuaries offer very good scenic views of nature and its many colors. The colorful birds and fauna are a sight to watch.
There are many caves that offer the adventurous traveler a reason to explore into the wilderness of nature. Fort Aguada is a famous fort in Goa that one cannot afford to miss during a visit to Goa.
Describe the unique things offer at Goa for travelers.
When in Goa, two things that one cannot afford to miss are shopping and sea food. Shopping for sea shells, bags, accessories, clothing, etc. is a must do for every new traveler to the place.
The bust market area offers unique kinds of fruits and vegetables available through different seasons and one can bargain through reasonable prices for the same.
The fish markets offer fishes on sale and one can find a lot of fishes, in all sizes and shapes waiting to be bought by the local population.
Various restaurants offering sea food is a common sight in Goa. Shrimps, prawns, etc. are common food to feast in Goa. For vegetarians, finding all-veg restaurants is quite a difficult task as there are very few all-veg restaurants in Goa.
Last but not the least, night-life on Goa is something that is talked about everywhere. Parties dance and celebrations are the keywords that describe the night-life at Goa.
Taking a cruise ride on the beach waters of Goa offers excitement and celebration unlimited for all kinds of travelers.
