You stroll down the dirt road, kicking up the musty red dust. A skinny tan dog briefly opens one eye to acknowledge you as you pass. Things appear to be coming to life. A couple of smartly dressed girls giggle as they leave one of the tumbledown colonial villas on their way to school while stall-holders unlock wooden shacks and organise local fruits and Kashmiri crafts by the roadside.

Then the road ends, just a narrow path leads through the palms to the silver-white sand and the Arabian Sea beyond it.
Some people will tell you that Goa’s golden days are gone; that the state is too developed now; that you’re better off heading further south to more pristine beaches on the coast of Kerala. Ignore them. There has certainly been considerable development since the flower power days when Goa first became popular with western tourists and the big hotels do encroach further each year but there is still much to love about Goa.

The mixture of Portuguese and Indian cultures makes Goa one of the most interesting parts of India to visit. Anyone looking for great beaches as well as interesting towns, friendly people, wonderful countryside, markets and festivals would be pushed to find a more perfect combination. I visited with my girlfriend, after some weeks in the north of India. Goa seemed more relaxed, more of a holiday than the rest of India, but it is still as stimulating and exciting a place as anywhere on the subcontinent.

Some developments, such as the endless variety on beach bars and the fabulous markets at Anjuna and Mapusa will be welcomed by most travellers. And when you’ve had enough sun it’s easy to leave the hordes and the beach hawkers behind, and come to understand just how close Goa comes to paradise.

On Colva beach a fabulous early morning spectacle unfolds. Sleek, black, catamaran like boats are grounded on the beach. It takes dozens of men to gather in the huge fishing nets, two teams a hundred yards or so apart— a virtual tug of war against the sea. With the nets almost gathered, a small lagoon forms, trapping the fish against the shore. The men are joined by women and children who stand knee-deep in the water sorting the fish. Much is mackerel but there is also pomfret, kingfish, swordfish and squid. Sometimes you will even see a small shark. The fish are then loaded into wicker baskets, balanced on heads, then marched off through the palm groves. The beach is then left to the sun worshippers, just the beautiful long dark boats remain.

If you want more of the real Goa head inland. Goa has the usual Indian options for getting about but a great way to combine staying cool with seeing the countryside is to hire a motorbike or scooter. Every time you leave a beach in Goa half a dozen young men will ask you if you want to hire their bike.

The landscape of Goa is stunnningly green, with rice paddies between stands of palm and cashew trees. Sleepy towns and villages punctuate the scene with elegant, though dilapidated, buildings, just the huge whitewashed churches being maintained to any degree.

An excellent trip from any of the beach communities is the state capital, Panaji, situated on the southern side of the huge Mandovi River estuary. The capital has few major sites, although its cathedral is magnificent. The real joy is just to wander through the streets admiring the faded elegance of its buildings and taking in its squares and gardens. Panaji feels much more European than most Indian cities as many of the buildings still bare their old Portuguese signs. And there are many opportunities to linger, in southern European style, at one of the city’s verandah bars.

Boat trips leave from the city’s quay and this is an excellent way to appreciate how much of Goa’s economic past and present is based on its waterways. Evening cruises incorporate displays of traditional Goan dancing and music — the perfect way to understand what a mix of European and Indian Goa really is.

Just a few miles to the east further up the Mandovi estuary is old Goa, the old capital. Old Goa was founded by the Portuguese in 1510, on a much older indigenous settlement. In the 17th century the splendour of its churches, monasteries and convents was said to rival Lisbon itself. Today it is not much more than a large village in population terms but the site is amazing, with some glorious ruins and buildings to take in.

Goas famous party scene lives on to some extent on the state’s northern beaches, though the sounds are more techno these days. For me, the perfect end to a day in Goa is a little more relaxed. A warm evening breeze, a plate of massala fried squid and a couple of cold beers, at one of the beach restaurants. Watching the tropical sun set out to sea, while gentle waves lap yards from your feet. How close to paradise? Pretty damn near.