I travel to Goa almost yearly and sometimes have stayed for as long as three months at a time, for work. I've heard and seen a couple of images of Goa's Latin Quarters (Fontainhas) but this is the first time I visited it along with my sister. We stayed there for 3 days and took many pictures. These are some of my favourite ones.
About the locality: Located in Panjim, the Fontainhas is colourful spectacle that will bring you delight. It was founded in the late 18th century by Portuguese colonists and the houses there are painted in hues of green, pale yellow, and blue, along with red coloured tiled roofs, artistic doors, and overhead balconies. There are cute little cafés and bakeries that are over 100 years old dotting the streets of Fontainhas. One of the intriguing features of the houses and cottages in Fontainhas is that they are painted every year after monsoons; it’s a rule that was laid out by the Portuguese, which is followed today.
If you happen to be in this historic neighborhood during February, make sure to attend the Fontainhas festival. It is an art and cultural festival in which the historic houses are transformed into art galleries with locals putting on display their artworks that showcase the Goan heritage. In addition to that, musical and dance events are also held.
It's best explored on foot and there are tons of walking/biking tours available. On average, it would take about 2 hours to explore the entire neighbourhood.
The entrance of the AirBnB we stayed at. They have signs saying "no photography" because their porch is private property, but staying there gave us a few perks.
The Chapel of St. Sebastian is especially notable for its pristine white exterior, a great contrast to the seemingly colorful neighborhood. Stepping inside, you’ll find three resplendent altarpieces, a crucifix, and a statue of the Virgin Mary. There’s a unique thing about the crucifix housed here—the figure of Christ on it has eyes wide open.
We almost didn't see this colourful pathway. It was hidden very nicely.
Our AirBnb had this pretty cool balcony that offered a nice view of the neighbourhood.
I spent 2 full days looking for this particular wall (I had seen in in pictures) and we found it on our last day, an hour before we departed and it was just around the corner from our AirBnB, merely 20 steps away!
