Things to do in Old Goa & Divar

Old Goa was the capital of Portuguese India for more than two centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site of churches and convents on the Mandovi, about 10 km east of Panaji. The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the relics of St Francis Xavier, whose feast on 3 December and the nine-day novena before it draw pilgrims from across India. Across the road are Sé Cathedral and the Archaeological Museum. On the Holy Hill are the Museum of Christian Art and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, the setting for the Monte Music Festival. A ferry crosses to Divar island, which holds Bonderam each August.