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Old Goa, former capital of this Portuguese colony, was once so grand that it rivaled Lisbon in magnificence. Known formerly as Rome of the East, the town still bristles with 16th-century churches, convents, and cathedrals. Housed in an Italianate chapel, the Professed House, is the coffin of St. Francis Xavier, an important pilgrimage site for Catholics. The Jesuit priest died on 1552 but his flesh did not decompose-you can see his body through the small windows along his embossed silver coffin. |
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Hard to believe that only about 25 years ago, little existed of what visitors today know as Colva, the main package-holiday resort of south Goa. Benaulim Beach, less than two miles south, is tranquil, but Palolem is probably Goa's most beautiful and idyllic stretch. The sweeping crescent of white sand is fringed by a shady rim of coconut palms, and the whole shore is hemmed in by rocky crags at either end. The development is low-key and mostly consists of simple rickety beach huts and guesthouses. |
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