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. However, Mapusa has a very colourful weekly Friday Market that goes on from early morning to late evening, and it increasingly attracts a number of tourists.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Manohar Parrikar International Airport (GOX  ^IATA, Mopa Airport). Goa's second airport after Dabolim Airport. Flights to major cities will start by early 2023. (updated Dec 2022)

By bus

Easily reachable by bus from Panaji (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.

Get around

Mapusa, a small town, with a hillock at its northern extreme, can be easily accessed on foot. Two-wheeler motorcycle taxis will also not just take you around the place, but also help you find the address you're searching for.

See

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.

Do

• Visit the weekly Friday Market.
• Church 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.

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.

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.

Drink

Like the rest of Goa, lots of restaurants, bars and cold drink houses. Check out the roadside stalls near the Mapusa taxi stand that offer traditional Goan cold drinks (green and red-coloured syrups, coolant and healthy kokum juices, milk-shakes and a lot more).

• The Pub (across the street from the Mapusa Market; has large sign, hard to miss). A decent, European-friendly place on the first floor, overlooking the market. 

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 ₹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.

Connect

Cybercafes in and around Mapusa:

Mapusa and around:

• Tape Rollers Cyber Cafe, G-1, Jelaza Apts, Opp Muslim Masjid, Angod, Mapusa 403507 2263911
• Mark Anthony Cybernet (P) Ltd., Shop No. 4, Sajjangad, Dattawadi Mapusa 403507 Ph 2276184
• Anilo Fernandes, Garden Centre Phase II, Shop No 15, Opp Mapusa Police Station, Mapusa 403507 12345678
• Sabino Enterprises, Baskin Robbins, Shop No.1, Braganza House, Opp Mapusa Bus Stand, Mapusa 403507 Ph 2265758
• Lizlon Enterprises, Shop No.186, Municipal Market, Mapusa 403507 Ph 2256096
• Edlyn Infotech, House No.73/10, Khorlim Mapusa 403507 Ph 2262616
• Jude C.D. Lima, Shop 8, Tivim Parish Centre Tivim 403502 Ph 3100942
• National Bakery, House No.5/20, Feira Alto, Altinho, Mapusa 430507 Ph 2264021

Go next

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