Goa Voyages :: Goa Tourism :: Cities of Goa :: Mapusa

Mapusa

The ramshackle market town of Mapusa is the district headquarters of Bardez Taluka. If one arrives by road from Mumbai and plan to stay in one of the north Goan resorts, one can jump off the bus here and pick up a local service straight to the coast, rather than continue on to Panjim, 13-km south.

Prime Attractions of Arambol

Anjuna Beach
With its fluorescent painted palm trees and infamous full moon parties, ANJUNA, 8-km west of Mapusa, is Goa at its most "alternative".

Baga Beach
Baga, 10-km west of Mapusa, is basically an extension of Calangute; even the locals are unable to decide where ends and the other begin.

Chapora Beach
Crouched in the shadow of a Portuguese fort on the opposite, northern side of the headland from Vagator, Chapora, 10-km from Mapusa, is a lot busier than most north coast villages.

Chapora Fort
Chapora fort was built by the Adil Shah of Bijapur on the southern headland of the Chapora River. It was also known as "Shahpur" and is now mostly ruined.

Vagator Beach
Barely a couple of kilometres of cliff tops and parched grassland separate Anjuna from the southern fringes of its nearest neighbour, Vagator, a desultory collection of ramshackle farmhouses and picturesque old Portuguese bungalows.

Sri Kalika Temple
One of the most important Hindu monuments in North Goa is the temple dedicated to Sri Kalika situated in the Gillage Kansarpal near Assonora, a few kilometers away from the Mapusa town. The Daivadnya Brahmans are the main devotes of this deity.

Sri Morjee Temple
This is yet another temple situated at Morjim in Pernem Taluka, which is about 15-km from Mapusa. The temple complex is situated around sylvan surroundings.


Fairs & Festivals
A dusty collection of dilapidated modern buildings scattered around the west facing slope of a low hill, Mapusa is of little more than passing interest in itself, although on Fridays it hosts a lively market (hence the town's name, which derives from the Konkani words for "measure" map. And "fill up", sa).

Calangute and Anjuna may be better stocked with souvenirs, but this bazaar is more authentic. Visitors who have flown straight to Goa, and have yet to experience the rest of India, wander in on Friday mornings to enjoy the pungent aromas of fish, incense, spices and exotics fruit stacked in colourful heaps on the sidewalks.

Local specialties include strings of spicy Goan sausages ('Chourico'), bottles of 'Todi' (fermented palm juice) and large green plantains. One'll also encounter sundry freak shows, from run of the mill snake charmers and kids dressed up as Sadhus to wide-eyed Flagellants, blood oozing out of slashes on their backs.

How to Reach
By Road : Other than to shop, one may want to visit Mapusa to arrange onward transport. All buses between Goa and Maharashtra pass through, so one doesn't need to travel to Panjim to book a ticket to Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore or Mangalore.

Reservations for private buses can be made at the numerous agents stalls at the bottom of the square, next to where the buses pull in; the Kadamba Terminal - the departure point for long distance state buses and local services to Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, and Arambol - is five minutes walk down the main road, on the southwest edge of town.

One can also get to the coast from Mapusa on one of the motorcycle taxis that wait at the bottom of the square. Rides to Calangute and Anjuna take twenty minutes. Taxis charges are considerably more, but one can split the fare with up to five people.


Places To Stay
Nearly all long distance buses pull in to Mapusa in the morning, leaving plenty of time to find accommodation in the coastal resorts nearby. If one has to spend the night here, though, there are plenty of places within easy walking distance of the Kadamba Bus Stand. The best budget deal is GTDC's Tourist Hotel, on the roundabout below the square, which has spacious, and clean rooms, a Goa Tourist Information Counter, and a small Damania Shipping Office. Resorts across town near the Municipality Building on Mapsa Road, also offers good value economy rooms. On the north side of the main square, are located the town's top hotels.

Note: As soon as one steps off the bus, one will be pestered by touts trying to get one to rent a motorbike. They'll tell one that rates here are lower than on the coast - they're not. Another reason to wait a while is that Mapusa is effectively a "no-go zone" for rented motorbikes, especially on Friday, when the police set up roadblocks on the outskirts of town to collar tourists without international licenses.

Location
Bardez Taluka, 13-km South Of Panjim, Goa


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