Fontainhas (Latin Quarter)

Fontainhas is Panaji's old Latin Quarter, a neighbourhood of narrow winding lanes lined with brightly painted Portuguese-era houses, their balconies, tiled roofs and shuttered windows giving the area a distinctly Mediterranean feel unlike anywhere else in India. Small chapels, family-run cafes and art galleries are tucked throughout the quarter, rewarding an unhurried walk rather than a rushed visit.

Recognised as a heritage zone, Fontainhas has preserved much of its original colonial-era architecture and street layout, making it one of the best-preserved examples of Portuguese urban planning surviving anywhere in Goa, and a natural base for exploring Panaji's compact historic centre on foot.

Developed during the Portuguese colonial period as a residential quarter for Goa's Catholic community, Fontainhas takes its name from a natural spring (fontainhas, or 'little fountains') that once supplied the area's water.

In central Panaji, easily explored on foot.