Fontainhas: The Last Latin Quarter Standing

Fontainhas is the kind of neighbourhood that makes you slow down without being told. The lanes are too narrow for anything but walking. The houses lean slightly towards each other, their facades painted in the colours the Portuguese required — yellow, ochre, green, blue — peeling now in ways that only add to the beauty.

Every house here has a history. That blue one — a judge lived there. The yellow one — a poet. We know all of them.

Getting to Fontainhas

Fontainhas is in the heart of Panjim, easily accessible from any part of Goa. GoaTaxis drops you at the Altinho end of the quarter; budget two to three hours. The best light for photography is 7–9am or 4–6pm.