Nestled along the warm and boundless blue of the Arabian Sea, Goa is breathless and mesmerizing. I was longing for a beach holiday for sometime, and so ultimately when I received the invitation from Goa Tourism to visit this little speck of paradise, I simply couldn't refuse it. The invitation was godsent.

The first thing I did was drop in at my travel agent's office for my air tickets. But I was politely told that there were no seats available for the next 15 days, this being the peak tourist season in Goa. So ultimately I would have to travel to Pune by train, and from Pune by road to Panaji, the state capital of Goa. The journey was indeed tiresome. It was evening by the time my bus reached Panaji's Kadamba bus terminus. Though I was dead tired, the sheer salubrious air of Panaji invigorated me. I hopped into an autorickshaw and straightaway went to Miramar beach where my hotel was located. Miramar beach is just 4 km from Panaji city centre, and my hotel, Miramar Residency was located right on the beach.

After a good night's sleep, I woke up to the chirping of the birds. I could clearly see the red molten ball slowly rising up across the Miramar beach horizon. I was scheduled to go on a sightseeing trip of Panaji city. My car came bang on time and we first visited the Boca De Vaca Spring, located right in the heart of the city. The spring is located next to the Mahalaxmi temple. The most fascinating aspect of the spring is that nobody actually knows the source of water, and I was told by my guide Krish that this particular spring is 700 years old, which is indeed mindboggling.

Our next stop was Dona Paula, about 7 km away from Panaji. The drive is beautiful and there are Portuguese style villas/houses on either side of the road. Dona Paula is a secluded bay that offers a magnificent view of the Mormugao harbour. This idyllic rocky tourist attraction lies at the spot where the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers meet the Arabian Sea. It is easily one of the most popular spots on the itinerary of tourists.

There is a romantic legend behind the name Dona Paula. Dona Paula is the village where the lady of that name, Dona Paula de Menzes is believed to have loved, lived and died — a gory death in the second half of the 18th century. The fishermen of the area have a marvelous collection of ghost stories about Dona Paula. On moonlit nights, they say — on pitch dark nights, say others — at the stroke of midnight, she rises from the sea and roams the area, wearing a string of pearls and nothing else.

It was 4 pm and Krish, my guide politely asked me whether I would like to venture out a little from Panaji city to a fishing village close by. I readily agreed because it would provide me with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit an authentic Goan fishing village. Krish suggested we go to Wadwad, which is where his ancestral house was. So off we zipped towards the sleepy fishing village, just 8 km away from Panaji.

After an eventful day, I finally got back to my hotel and freshened up, and like every other Goan, went out to have my fill of Feni at a local bar very close to my hotel. The following morning I got up late, and so I really had to hurry everything. That day I was to go on a whistle-stop tour of the world famous beaches of North Goa.

Our first stop was at Fort Aguada, just 10 km from Panaji. This magnificent fort was built by the Portuguese to keep a watch over enemy ships. There is a lighthouse built by the Portuguese just adjacent to the fort. From the northern ramparts of the fort you can see the turquoise blue Arabian Sea right below. A little distance away from Fort Aguada is the queen of all beaches — Calangute.

The moment we reached Calangute we could sense the ethereal laidback ambience of this world famous beach made so popular by the flower children. The streets are narrow and on either side of the road we could see a number of department stores, cyber cafes and traditional Goan open air restaurants. Foreign tourists on motorbikes were zooming past us, probably going towards Calangute beach where there was much activity.

Calangute beach is about 4 miles long and covered with palm trees. It used to be a hippy hangout during the 1960s and 1970s. Today the hippies have mostly turned into yuppies. But the beach is unchanged — pristine, serene, golden sand and sun. The beach is filled with average sun worshippers and their children. Fresh seafood is everywhere on sale.

By afternoon we had covered Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Morjim and Mandrem beaches. We didn't spend much time at any of these beaches because we found them to be a little too crowded. Krish was of the opinion that Arambol beach was by far the most spectacular beach of North Goa and very quiet. Arambol is indeed stunning. It has a charm of its own.

The next morning I was totally immersed in the romance of Goa. The more I travelled, the more I fell in love with the Goan lifestyle. In Goa life is unhurried. There is no rat race, and the Goans abhor competition and pressure cooker situations. Here in Goa, life is one big party. Goa is not only about beaches. Historically too, it has a lot to offer. Goa is well known for its magnificent whitewashed churches, temples and mosques, which are centuries old. The 10-km drive to Old Goa or Velha Goa is an interesting one. The most famous churches of Old Goa lie to the right and left of the road from Panaji: the Basilica of Bom Jesus and the Se Cathedral. The Bom Jesus was constructed in the year 1594 and completed by 1605 by the Portuguese. In this church, three architectural styles have converged — Corinthian (Greek), Doric (Roman) and Ionic (Italian).

Subhasish Chakraborty