The quieter, older side of Goa — temple towns around Ponda and a stone shrine in the forest.
Goa's best-known temples are in the Ponda hinterland — Shri Mangueshi, Shri Shantadurga (Kavlem) and Mahalasa Narayani (Mardol) — plus Tambdi Surla Mahadev, a 12th-century Kadamba-era stone temple in the forest near Mollem and Goa's oldest surviving temple.
Updated November 2026 · GoaPlace editors · facts checked against our own listingsMany of Goa's important temples were moved inland to the Ponda area in the 16th–17th centuries. Beyond the temples we list, the same trail includes Shri Shantadurga at Kavlem, Mahalasa Narayani at Mardol and Shri Naguesh at Bandora — all with lamp towers (deepastambhas) and temple tanks. Go in the morning, then have lunch at a spice farm.
| Name | Area | Best for | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shri Mangueshi Temple | Mangueshi, Ponda | Iconic Goan temple | Year-round, mornings |
| Tambdi Surla Mahadev Temple | Sanguem | Oldest temple in Goa | Oct–Mar, mornings |
| Gokarna | Uttara Kannada | Temple town + wild beaches | Oct–Mar |
One of Goa's most important Hindu temples, dedicated to Shri Manguesh, with a distinctive white lamp tower (deepastambh) and a serene temple tank. It is an active place of worship — dress modestly and leave footwear outside.
A small, exquisitely carved basalt temple from the Kadamba era, hidden in forest at the foot of the Ghats. Because of its remote location it survived the centuries largely intact. Pair it with the Bhagwan Mahavir sanctuary nearby.
A pilgrimage town with the Mahabaleshwar temple at its heart and a chain of beaches — Kudle, Om, Half Moon and Paradise — linked by clifftop trails. Everything Goa felt like a generation ago.
Yes, respectfully. Dress modestly, remove footwear, and follow any signs about photography inside.
Combine Mangueshi, Shantadurga and Mahalasa with a spice-farm lunch — they are within a few kilometres of each other.
Change the planet's sky.
