This is the capital of Salcette taluka and also the headquarters of the
South Goa district. It is also Goa's second largest city. It is also a
commercial and industrial center. The main square is also called the Praca
Jorge Baretto. Most restaurants and office buildings are located around the
park. On its south side lies the Municipal building and Library. The streets
south of the square lead to the bazaar and the fish market.
The historical Largo de Igreja,
the Church square, lies a few Kms north of the
Praca Jorge Baretto . It used to be Margao's colonial quarter. The square
is surrounded on three sides by beautiful old buildings and on one side by the
beautiful Church of the Holy
Spirit.
Located a block northeast from the Largo de Igreja is the famous
"House of Seven Gables" or "Sat Banzam Gor". This
beautiful mansion was commissioned in 1790 by Sebastino da
Silva, a high ranking Portuguese official. Today only three of the seven gables
remain.
The road from the Largo de Igreja winding up towards towards
another Margao landmark is the Calcada de Nossa Senhora de Piedade. It leads up
to Monte Hill. It offers a spectacular view of the Salcette countryside in
general and Margao in particular.
Approach
There are regular bus services from Panaji and Vasco da Gama and they depart
from the KTC bus stand, 3kmsd north of the city. There are also buses to Colva,
Benaulim and other nearby villages leaving from here. The interstate buses also
depart from the KTC bus stand.
There are two train stations, the newest being the Konkan Rail train
station located about 3kms from the city center.
Local Sightseeing
