Goa comes burdened with a reputation for louche living, because there’s so much more to it than
sun, sand and psychedelia. The allure of Goa is that it remains quite distinct from the rest of India and is small enough to be grasped and explored in a way that other Indian states are not.

It’s not just the familiar remnants of Portuguese colonialism or the picture-book exoticism that make it seem so accessible; it’s the prevalence of Roman Catholicism and a form of social and political progressiveness that Westerners feel they can relate to.

The former Portuguese enclave on the west coast has enjoyed a prominent place in the travelers’ lexicon since the heady days of the 1960s. Travelers in Goa still feel obliged to ‘hang out’ meaningfully, be mellow and wear pretty silly tribal costumes, but the (in)famous hippies have now been replaced by backpackers, Indian visitors and a bevy of bewildered package tourists on two-week jaunts from Europe.

Goa is and has always been a party destination, festivals such as Easter and Christmas are celebrated in grand style. New Years eve is the biggest of them all.

General Information 
Area: 3,660 sq km
Population: 1.3 million
Language: Konkani, Marathi, Portuguese, English
Religion: Hindu, Muslim and Christian