Goa is one of the states of India, but the influences of the Moghuls and the British Raj are small.

The Portuguese influence in Goa is still strong. For tourists Goa is or can be, because of this, the gateway to India. Palolem is situated in Canacona and this is in the South of Goa.

Palolem Beach is the main beach of Canacona. It is a beautiful horse-shoe-beach, with nice white sand and surrounded by all kind of sea-side restaurants. In the evenings local people and tourists come together for the excellent sunsets. In Palolem itself you find also shops for beach-life-articles and souvenirs. You walk to Palolem Beach in around 7 minutes.

Colomb Beach is situated around the rocks between Palolem Beach and Patnem Beach. It is more a fishermen's village, attractive to those who want to see the fishermen's life. It is just a few minutes walking.

Patnem Beach is around ten minutes walking; it is more quiet than Palolem, bust very attractive for those who love to rest.

Turtle Beach (Galgibagh) and Agonda Beach are both at around 10 km.

As said before, the influence of the Portuguese culture is strong in Goa. You find a lot of catholic churches, with Old Goa being one of the highlights. The Goan-Portuguese houses and estates are also remarkable; you find several of them around Margao. The Braganza House, one of the most beautiful, can be visited. And all the churches are open throughout the day.

In South-Goa, around Margao, around Ponda, but also in Canacona, you can still find old Hindu-temples, with a typical South-Indian architecture.

If you want to see Hampi, the ruins of the Vijayanagar temple-city, you can go for a few days to the South, to Kerala. It is worth doing so.

The Western ghats you find in the North and the West of Canacona. Between the ghats you'll find the paddy-fields. In the forests of Goa you still find wild animals. But Goa is especially famous for bird-watching. You can make a dolphin-trip from Palolem Beach, a crocodile-trip on one of the big rivers, a trip to the Dudsaghar Waterfalls, or you can visit one of the wildlife-sanctuaries. Pepper Valley in Canacona and the Spice Garden, north from Margao, are also attractive places to visit.