48 hours in North Goa

You could spend a month in Goa and not run out of it. But if you have a weekend, this is how we would spend it from Calangute — one day given to the coast, one to the culture, both ending with your feet up and the sea air doing its work.

Day one — the coast

Start early on Calangute Beach while the sand is still cool, then carry on up the coast: Baga and its river mouth, then Anjuna's cliff-backed coves. If it is market day, lose an hour or two among the stalls — Anjuna's legendary flea market and the night market at Arpora are institutions of tie-dye, trinkets and very good people-watching.

Come back through Candolim for a slower, more genteel stretch of beach and a late lunch. As the light turns gold, find your sunset spot — the beach itself, or a table with a sea view — and let the day close properly.

Dinner is easy: The Terra at the resort serves its global menu until eleven, and the bar shakes a serious cocktail. If you have energy left, Tito's Lane in Baga hums late into the night.

Day two — the old Goa

Head inland and back four centuries. The churches of Old Goa — grand, whitewashed and UNESCO-listed — are the remains of a city that was once compared to Lisbon; the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Sé Cathedral are the essential pair. Give them an unhurried morning.

From there, the Hindu heart of Goa is a short drive: the serene hillside temples of Shri Mangeshi and Shantadurga, all lamp towers and cool stone courtyards. On the way back, Panjim rewards a stroll — especially Fontainhas, the old Latin quarter, where the houses come in ice-cream colours and the cafés are made for lingering.

If time allows, detour to a spice farm — the Sahakari plantation gives a fragrant hour among pepper vines and cardamom, with lunch under the trees. Round the day off on the sweep of Miramar Beach or the viewpoint at Dona Paula before rolling home to the pool.

How to do it

Both days work best with a car and driver, which our reservations team will happily arrange — as a private tour or as part of a package. Distances are short as the crow flies but Goan roads like to meander; build in time, and treat the meandering as part of the holiday.