Basilica of Bom Jesus and Old Goa

Velha Goa was the capital of Portuguese Asia and, in the sixteenth century, a city said to rival Lisbon, until repeated epidemics emptied it and the administration moved to Panaji, leaving the churches standing in what is now largely open ground. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, consecrated in 1605, holds the body of Francis Xavier in a silver casket above a marble tomb; it is brought down and displayed publicly roughly every ten years, drawing enormous crowds. Around it stand the Se Cathedral, the largest church in Asia by some measures, the Church of St Francis of Assisi, and the tower of St Augustine.

What you actually see

• Bom Jesus - the basilica holding Francis Xavier's casket.
• Se Cathedral - the great cathedral with its single surviving tower.
• St Francis of Assisi - painted interiors and an attached museum.
• St Augustine tower - the ruined bell tower of a collapsed church.

When to go

November to February for dry weather; the exposition of the relics occurs about once a decade and brings vast crowds when it does. Sunday mornings are given to services.

Honest expectations

The body is normally in a raised casket and barely visible; the exposition is rare. Modest dress is required. The site is spread over open ground with limited shade and heavy tour traffic.

Nearby

Panaji and Fontainhas lie west; Divar island is north.