Mapusa

Mapusa is a town in North Goa. It is the main commercial centre in North Goa (outside of Panjim, which is larger). It is basically a town for locals, who throng to it for their shopping and commercial requirements. Mapusa however has a very colourful weekly Friday Market, that goes on from early morning to late evening, and which increasingly attracts a number of tourists.
Easily reachable by bus from Panjim (the state capital) and the north Goa beach belt. Be warned however that the Goa bus service, while inexpensive, can also be crowded, and from some parts of the state (outside of the bigger cities) often very infrequent.
Besides the weekly colourful Friday Market, Mapusa is known for its educational institutions. It also has scenic (though not very famed) churches and temples. An alternative bookshop, the Other India Bookstore, is known to attract a number of tourists and visitors because of the wide range of off-the-beaten-track books that it stores.

What can you do?

• Visit the weekly Friday Market.
• Check out the Our Lady Of Miracles Church (an example of Catholic-Hindu amity during its feast time).
• See if the circus is visiting Mapusa when you're there (usually around Christmas).
• Visit the many 'sales' of low-end inexpensive items available in Mapusa.
• Buy a plant or tree from the Friday Mapusa Market, keep Goa green.
• Visit the century-old Athaide Municipal Library at Mapusa.
• Taste Goan-style fast-food around the Alankar Cinema late evening, and in some locations within the market.
• Squeeze your way into the Mapusa fish market, and see how locals buy their fish.

What to Buy

• Traditional Goan items from the Mapusa Friday Market.
• Tasty Goan spices from the Mapusa Market.
• Typical Goan sweets from the many shops that dot the market area.
• Traditional Goan bread from the special section within the Mapusa market.
• Gold and silver jewellery from the line of shops at the entry to the market.
• Books from the Other India Bookstore, an interesting place for pan-India alternate books.
• Buy medicines from Colvalkar Pharmacy at Mapusa near to the main taxi stand - Tel 2262754.

Where to Eat:

This is the place to eat traditional Goan food, both prepared in the Catholic and Hindu styles. Though there are a few eating outlets in Mapusa, the traditional styles of cooking still hold reign in places like Cafe Xavier (in the market), while Babaji's cold drinks outlet, which also offers snacks, is a prominent draw for the younger crowd.

Where to Sleep:

Mapusa has quite a few hotels, but many visitors prefer to either stay on the coastal belt or in bigger cities of Goa like Panjim. The Govt of India Youth Hostel is very cheap(as low as Rs 30/night) and can be ideal for groups of students. As Mapusa is close to some popular beaches and to Panaji too, it can be a good staying place.

Getting Out:

Each evening, as hundreds of tourists (especially foreigners) use Mapusa as their departure point to leave Goa (specially if traveling by bus to Mumbai or Pune), the local bus-stand becomes crowded and colourful with crowds waiting for their evening bus out-of-Goa.