Tag: Panaji

What better place to celebrate Valentine’s Day than in a cozy Heritage Homestay in Goa’s Latin Quarter of Fontainhas ? 

If you are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Goa, then you certainly won’t be alone. Goa seems to be the No. 1 Valentine’s Holiday destination for Couples this year.

Among Indian cities, Goa seems to be the most popular choice for Couples looking for a quick romantic getaway. Goa has always been one of the most beautiful Valentine’s Day destinations, being blessed with miles scenic beaches with swaying coconut palms, old colonial Heritage Portuguese buildings, delicious cuisine and a easy going, laid back populace.

The Goans themselves celebrate Valentine’s Day with an zest and enthusiasm that is typical of their passionate nature as they express their undying love for one another. Love-struck Couples can be seen at many of Goa’s popular beaches walking happily hand-in-hand. In the evenings and indeed throughout the day, the local Goan restaurants are filled with couples gazing deeply into each others eyes.  

Over the years however, North Goa (especially Anjuna beach, Baga beach and Candolim beach) has become increasingly commercialised, with gift shops, card shops and restaurants doing roaring business in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Large red hearts and big, cuddly teddy bears greet you at the entrances to most shops and restaurants. Not just shops, even bakeries, music stores, coffee shops, theatres, jewellery, watch shops and malls gleefully sport the Valentine look in an attempt to entice couples to show their undying love for each other in material terms.

However, if you want to spend some quality time with your loved one away from the madding crowd, here are a few unique things you can do as a Couple this Valentine’s Day in Goa: 

A romantic walk on Miramar beach

After checking in to their hotel, the first thing that couples usually do is to head to the beach. There is nothing more romantic than walking hand-in-hand across miles and miles of scenic beach. And while other couples fight their way through crowded beaches like Anjuna beach, Baga beach and Palolem beach, you can take a romantic walk on Miramar beach, a short drive from The Mitaroy, Goa. While the waves crash in the background, the few couple on Miramar beach seem completely oblivious to the beauty outside, so taken in are they by the beauty of their partner walking hand-in-hand beside them. And after a while of walking on the beach, the honeymoon couple sit down, close to each other, and admire the expanse of seemingly endless blue ocean.

Champagne Breakfast

One of the most popular things for couples to do on Valentine’s Day in Goa is to wake up leisurely to a Champagne Breakfast. The Mitaroy, Goa is one of the few hotels that offer a complimentary Champagne Breakfast and it truly is a unique experience. Instead of having to fight your way past other couples in larger 5 star hotels and resorts in Goa, allow us to serve you your Champagne Breakfast either in our private garden or in the privacy of your Romantic Suite.  Either which way, waking up to a glass of Champagne is one of the most romantic things couples can do on Valentine’s day in Goa.

Watch a Romantic Movie at the INOX cinema in Panjim

Panjim’s newest and most impressive cinema, INOX is also home each year to the International Film Festival of Goa or IFFI as it is better known. And thanks to public demand, INOX usually has atleast one or two romantic Hollywood and Bollywood movies with just the right dose of romance and drama. So sink into your seats, hold your partners hand and drift away into a magical world of make believe fairytale romance!

View the impressive colonial architecture in the capital city of Panjim (Panaji)

Goa is not just about the beaches. 400 years of Portuguese rule has left an indelible mark on the architecture of Goa and nowhere is this more evident than in the capital city of Panjim or Panaji. After building up a glorious capital city in Old Goa, the Portuguese were forced to flee to Panaji or Panjim to escape the water contamination in Old Goa. The upper class Portuguese set up residence in and around the Neighbourhood of Fontainhas and then set about building up Panjim as a worthy successor to Old Goa. While certain buildings and statues had pure prestige value, other buildings like the high court and the administrative offices also served a bureaucratic purpose. Today, couples can marvel at the Portuguese architectural heritage as they walk past magnificent buildings built in the Portuguese era such as the first Medicine University or the old City Library. Many couples also like to walk hand-in-hand along the Mandovi pier as they watch the twinkling lights of the luxury yachts and casino ships moored in the river.

Discover the Latin Quarter of Fontainhas

Quietly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Panjim or Panaji, the capital city of Goa, is the neighbourhood of Fontainhas, home to The Mitaroy, Goa. The neighbourhood of Fontainhas (which means “little fountain” in Portuguese) is home to the last surviving Portuguese families of Goa. In 1984, Fontainhas was declared a UNESCO Heritage Zone & most of the buildings and churches here date back to the mid 19th century.Fontainhas has a number of designer boutiques where you can shop for Portuguese crockery, glassware, art and clothing. With its narrow winding streets, quaint bye lanes, old heritage houses and distinct Portuguese flair, Fontainhas evokes a nostalgia and longing for the romance of an era gone by.

Visit the location of the tragic love story of Dona Paula de Menezes

The Dona Paula beach and promontory is named after the Portuguese Viceroy’s daughter Dona Paula de Menezes.

This young, innocent girl fell in love with a local Goan fisherman. This match was however, quite unacceptable to the Viceroy who forbade his daughter Dona Paula to ever see her young lover again. Distraught with love and sorrow, Dona Paula could not bear a life without her young Goan lover and threw herself off a cliff into the unforgiving Arabian Sea. Left with nothing but his daughter’s memory, the Portuguese Viceroy named the area Dona Paula, as an eternal tribute to his stubbornness and forbidden romance & love. Today, there is a black stone statue of the young Dona Paula and her Goan lover on a rocky promontory jutting into the sea with a sweeping view of the Marmagoa Port in the background.

The Dona Paula beach and pier is a popular spot for couples to visit on Valentine’s Day. Most couples walk up to the top of the cliff to pay tribute to the stone statue of the young Dona Paula and her undying love. A slightly melancholic yet unique way to spend Valentine’s Day. 

Make love in your own Romantic Suite

No Valentine’s Day is complete without Valentine’s Night! 

After a romantic dinner under a starlit sky, it is time for couples to return to their Romantic Suite, light up a few scented candles, turn off the lights and discover the pleasure of making love to each other till the wee hours of the morning…after all, that’s what Valentine’s Day is all about, isn’t it?

Book your Valentine Goa Package now!