Goa's early Portuguese rulers built a capital that they hoped would rival Lisbon, and what is left of it, Old Goa, is a group of huge churches rising from tropical green. Albuquerque took the city in 1510, and for the next two centuries it was the centre of Portugal's empire in the East, with a population that may have rivalled London's. Then epidemics and a shifting river drove the people away, the capital moved down the coast, and the great buildings were left standing in a landscape of palms and rice fields. UNESCO listed the Churches and Convents of Goa in 1986.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus is the best known, a plain laterite church with a baroque interior, finished in 1605, that holds the body of Saint Francis Xavier in a silver casket. The Jesuit missionary died in 1552 off the coast of China, and his body was brought here, where it still draws pilgrims, particularly at the saint's feast in early December. Next door, the Sé Cathedral is among the biggest churches in Asia, with a tall tower holding the Golden Bell and an interior of huge white pillars and gilded altars.
The stonework is the thing to notice. The churches are built of laterite, a rusty red stone, and then plastered white, a tropical solution that keeps them cool and gleaming. The carved wooden altarpieces and the painted ceilings are as good as anything in Portugal, and they have the extra interest of Indian craftsmen's hands.
Goa is a place to ride, with palm-lined roads, small villages and a coast of long beaches. Old Goa lies on the Mandovi river, about ten kilometres from Panaji, the state capital, and traffic is moderate, though buses and trucks can be aggressive. Roads are mostly paved but pitted, and from June to September the monsoon turns everything slippery. November to February is dry and pleasant.
Panaji has fuel and food in plenty. The churches are active places of worship, so dress modestly, with covered shoulders and knees, and keep your voice low. A plate of fish curry and rice in a village restaurant is the right way to end the day.