Panaji and Nearby

Panaji (also called Panjim) was once the capital of the former Portuguese colony and is now the state's capital. A scenic little city, it sits along the banks of the Mandovi River, about 29 km (18 miles) north of Goa's Dabolin airport. Apart from its own considerable charms—including the colonial architecture in the city's Fontainhas and Sao Tomé neighborhoods—the small city is a good base to explore Goa's Portuguese past, visible in the grand and ornate churches of Old Goa.