Fontainhas Heritage Walk by Make It Happen
Description
Soak in the rich heritage of a neighborhood described by historian William Dalrymple as a ‘small chunk of Portugal washed up on the shores of the Indian Ocean’, and interact with locals who strive to keep centuries of culture alive to this day. Discover the untold history of the city of Panjim at Tobacco Square, and hear intriguing tales of the neighborhood's former colonial Portuguese residents. Be transported to a bygone era as we explore painstakingly preserved heritage buildings that have survived the onslaught of development in the 21st century. The quaint streets are lined with traditional Portuguese style homes in a palette of striking bright colors, making this every photographer’s paradise. Visit Panjim’s oldest bakery and have a taste of their traditional Goan treats with a refreshing beverage (subject to the bakery’s operational days & timings). Meet with a renowned local Goan musician and enjoy a live performance of his distinctive blend of Konkani and Latin styles.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Fontainhas is not only the oldest but the largest Latin quarter of Asia. Located at the foot of the hills, Altinho hills with springs surround Fontainhas on the west side, which give it its name from Portuguese for “little fountain”. Witness the Portuguese past that eventually survived the onslaught of development in the 21st century. The houses are dressed in yellow, green and blue, balconies fronted by wrought iron railings and tiled roofs transporting you to another era.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(2,975)
What a wonderful way to experience a different side of Goa! The heritage walk was thoughtfully curated and beautifully conducted. Yashasvi made the entire experience engaging, enjoyable, and incredibly insightful. Her knowledge of the history, culture, and stories behind each location was truly impressive and brought every stop on the walk to life. If you’re looking to explore Goa beyond its beaches and discover its rich heritage, I would highly recommend this experience.
Vimala was a wonderful storyteller. Our team had a great time on the walk. It was perfectly paced and engaging.
The walk was enjoyable. Guide was quite knowledgeable and also a good story teller. Learnt a bit about the history of the place as well, which was nice.
The heeotage walk was a great experience. My guide Yashasvi is a veey knowledgeable person and a good story teller. Getting tk know the history, people and culture offers a fresh perspective than simply walking through the beautiful lanes of fontainhas Overall great experience. Recommended
An immersive and back street in to beautiful Panaji. Calvin was a fantastic story teller and made the experience both engaging and informative. Thank you so much for showing us this unique area.
Very personable and knowledgeable guide / storyteller. We enjoyed every moment, including the musical surprise at the end. Thanks Calvin!
I did a walking tour of fontainhas with Yashasvi from Make it Happen. This was my first time both with the walking tour company and at Fontainhas and Yashasvi made the experience fun and informative at the same time. She’s a local so had a lot of interesting trivia to share. The walk apart from touching all the famous places also spoke about lesser known and hidden gems. I also appreciated the concern shown towards the residents during the walk and the support to local social impact groups by the goodie they gifted us towards the end. The walk concluded with a lovely musical evening with a lovely musician who regaled us with English Portuguese and Konkani songs. Total VFM!
We had a very nice visit with Yash. She communicated us her enthusiasm for this beautiful and historical place, explained us a lot of things about the story of Old Goa, took us to an exquisite pastry shop, and to a nice balcony where we could enjoy some live tunes.
Please rephrase -We had one of the fantastic experience here in Panji with Make it happen. Out guide Ms. Rachana Pednekar, is so cheerful while explaining Goan history and culture that we don't know how the time flies and we learnt so much of the goan culture. Fountainhas heritage walk is surely one of the must do activities even for families. Had great time and memories with Rachna and Team. Highly Recommended 👍
My overall experience was very good here.
