Hello all my lovely people!, welcome to my first post on this blog.
Today I'm gonna talk about probably one of the most favourite hangout spots of the people of Vasco, the St. Jacinto Island. I'm gonna tell you everything about the Do's and Don'ts when you visit this beautiful place, the best timing and the public transport facilities available to reach here and the nearby places you can go to grab a bite in case you hear your stomach growling.
Well, for people in Vasco, if it's a weekend and they just wanna get out of the house to get some fresh air, they have 3 main options, the Baina beach, which is just around 2-3 kms away from the heart of Vasco city. Next, there is the very famous Bogmalo beach, which is 8 kms away from the heart Vasco city and last but not the least, the very beautiful, St. Jacinto Island which is 6.2 kms away from the heart of Vasco city (lots of hearts here😁).
Before I get into the details, let me tell you, PLEASE READ THE DO'S AND DONT'S PART CAREFULLY!(ESPECIALLY THE DONT'S)
1.THE LOCATION
The easiest way to reach the island is by taking the Vasco-Cortalim-Panjim route, i.e the NH366.
To make things more clear, click on the link below to get the exact location. Technology is a blessing isn't it!
https://goo.gl/maps/2Jhx3M9QSTfnn2GS9
2.THE FUN PART
Okay, now that you're here, what do you do?Sightseeing and photography are what mainly people come here for. Other than that, few people also take part in fishing activities.The beautiful surroundings make for some great pictures. Ditch the selfies and take some proper pictures of you and your loved ones with the blue skies and the water surrounding the island making for a beautiful background.During monsoons this place is even more beautiful with the rain clouds adding more drama.(Monsoons and Goa together are like the chai and pakodas combination).
The bridge that I was talking about has almost no traffic on it except for some few vehicles moving in and out of the island and the vehicles of the visitors parked on the sides. At night the lights that line up on both sides of the bridge add to the beauty of the place. A camera with good low light photography capabalities can get you some great shots here at night.
There is also the St. Jacinto church which has a beautiful architecture. I won't go into the details of the church, I'll do that maybe in another post. I'll let the pictures do the talking now.
Please forgive my average photography skills.These pictures do not do justice to the beauty of this place. You gotta visit the island to experience it.
3.FOOD :
There are two restaurants within the premises of the island , 'Bridge and Tunnel,The Cocktail Bar' and 'Seagull Bar and Restaurant', as per Google Maps. Of the two I've personally seen Bridge and Tunnel while I have no clue about Seagull Bar and Restaurant. Probably Seagull Bar and Restaurant has been started just recently as I couldn't find any pictures or ratings on Google.
'Bridge and Tunnel,The Cocktail Bar' seems to be quite popular with a rating of 4.1/5 as of today . I haven't personally been to the restaurant but it looked quite classy from outside.
Locations of both the restaurants are provided below:
Seagull Bar and Restaurant :
https://maps.app.goo.gl/
Bridge and Tunnel,The Cocktail Bar :
https://goo.gl/maps/qsBAZaGQQiHeEUCk9
Other nearby restaurants are 'Shirodkars Bar N Restaurant' and 'Sheela Bar & Restaurant'
Both of these restaurants are within 500 mts from the island once you cross the bridge and get onto the highway, going towards Panjim, almost next to each other on the right side of the highway.
Shirodkars Bar N Restaurant has a rating of 3.6/5 as of today.
Shirodkars Bar N Restaurant : https://maps.google.com/?cid=11225987915086040887
Sheela Bar & Restaurant has a rating of 4.0/5 on Google
Today I'm gonna talk about probably one of the most favourite hangout spots of the people of Vasco, the St. Jacinto Island. I'm gonna tell you everything about the Do's and Don'ts when you visit this beautiful place, the best timing and the public transport facilities available to reach here and the nearby places you can go to grab a bite in case you hear your stomach growling.
Well, for people in Vasco, if it's a weekend and they just wanna get out of the house to get some fresh air, they have 3 main options, the Baina beach, which is just around 2-3 kms away from the heart of Vasco city. Next, there is the very famous Bogmalo beach, which is 8 kms away from the heart Vasco city and last but not the least, the very beautiful, St. Jacinto Island which is 6.2 kms away from the heart of Vasco city (lots of hearts here😁).
Before I get into the details, let me tell you, PLEASE READ THE DO'S AND DONT'S PART CAREFULLY!(ESPECIALLY THE DONT'S)
1.THE LOCATION
The easiest way to reach the island is by taking the Vasco-Cortalim-Panjim route, i.e the NH366.
Well, actually its called an island but it's not completely surrounded by water. A proper bridge made of cement with a tarred two lane road connects the St. Jacinto island to the NH366. There are no ferry services to reach the island.The island and the bridge can be spotted while you're on the highway.
To make things more clear, click on the link below to get the exact location. Technology is a blessing isn't it!
https://goo.gl/maps/2Jhx3M9QSTfnn2GS9
2.THE FUN PART
Okay, now that you're here, what do you do?Sightseeing and photography are what mainly people come here for. Other than that, few people also take part in fishing activities.The beautiful surroundings make for some great pictures. Ditch the selfies and take some proper pictures of you and your loved ones with the blue skies and the water surrounding the island making for a beautiful background.During monsoons this place is even more beautiful with the rain clouds adding more drama.(Monsoons and Goa together are like the chai and pakodas combination).
The bridge that I was talking about has almost no traffic on it except for some few vehicles moving in and out of the island and the vehicles of the visitors parked on the sides. At night the lights that line up on both sides of the bridge add to the beauty of the place. A camera with good low light photography capabalities can get you some great shots here at night.
There is also the St. Jacinto church which has a beautiful architecture. I won't go into the details of the church, I'll do that maybe in another post. I'll let the pictures do the talking now.
 |
| Jacinto during monsoons |
 |
| THE BRIDGE |
 |
| The Bridge at night |
3.FOOD :
There are two restaurants within the premises of the island , 'Bridge and Tunnel,The Cocktail Bar' and 'Seagull Bar and Restaurant', as per Google Maps. Of the two I've personally seen Bridge and Tunnel while I have no clue about Seagull Bar and Restaurant. Probably Seagull Bar and Restaurant has been started just recently as I couldn't find any pictures or ratings on Google.
'Bridge and Tunnel,The Cocktail Bar' seems to be quite popular with a rating of 4.1/5 as of today . I haven't personally been to the restaurant but it looked quite classy from outside.
Locations of both the restaurants are provided below:
Seagull Bar and Restaurant :
https://maps.app.goo.gl/
Bridge and Tunnel,The Cocktail Bar :
https://goo.gl/maps/qsBAZaGQQiHeEUCk9
Other nearby restaurants are 'Shirodkars Bar N Restaurant' and 'Sheela Bar & Restaurant'
Both of these restaurants are within 500 mts from the island once you cross the bridge and get onto the highway, going towards Panjim, almost next to each other on the right side of the highway.
Shirodkars Bar N Restaurant has a rating of 3.6/5 as of today.
Shirodkars Bar N Restaurant : https://maps.google.com/?cid=11225987915086040887
Sheela Bar & Restaurant has a rating of 4.0/5 on Google
Sheela Bar & Restaurant : https://goo.gl/maps/bmJvjPSP7539cBxq8
There is also a bar called Coelho Bar. It no ratings or pictures on Google.
3.PARKING
If you plan taking your vehicle, you won't have trouble finding parking here as this place isn't overly crowded.
One place you can park your vehicle is near the church. Be careful not to obstruct or block anyone else's path. Sometimes in the evening there are kids playing football, so there is a chance that the ball might land on your vehicle. I personally had an experience where a ball came rolling under the wheels of my car and I ended up driving over it and yes, it burst(the ball, not my tyre). So take care of these things while parking near the church.
Another place you can park your scooter/bike/car/batmobile is on the bridge. Yes, you can do it but only when the traffic is scarce and guys PLEASE DO NOT PARK YOUR VEHICLE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE FOR A PICTURE. It casuses a lot of inconvenience to the others using the bridge. It also leads to accidents.Some people enter the bridge at such high speeds as if they're gonna take off like a Boeing 737. So one of you has to be smarter. Be the smart one.
Always park your car a few car lengths behind or ahead of another car and never exactly parallel to it.
Two wheeler parking is a breeze. Just fill it, shut it, forget it and park it.
4.PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Fortunately for those who do not have a vehicle, it is still a pretty easy task to reach this island.
All you have to do is to take a LOCAL "Kadamba" Bus running on the 'Vasco to Panjim Via Cortalim' or 'Vasco to Margao Via Cortalim' route . Kadamba buses are Government run buses (Like the KSRTC in Karnataka). The reason I highlighted Local is because there are two types of Kadamba buses that you find at a bus stand. One is the 'Shuttle Service' or 'Shuttle' bus and the other is the 'local' kadamba bus.Among private buses, you have the 'Vasco to Ponda' Via cortalim bus. But guys, do not waste your time waiting for the Ponda bus. The best way is to take a Kadamba bus.
While at a bus stand, ask any one of the conductors and they will show you the correct bus. Asking the conductors is better than asking the other bystanders as they might not have a proper idea.Once you're in the bus just ask the conductor to drop you at the island. The bus will stop at the entrance of the bridge.While on the way, keep an eye for the island as you might want to remind your conductor once again to drop you.
In Vasco city you have a seperate terminus near the market bustand for Shuttle buses, so make sure you're are at the main Kadamba bustand which is further ahead.
To go back to Panjim/Margao stand at the bustop that is on the same side as the entrance of the bridge and take the Panjim/Margao bus.
To go back to Vasco, stand on the opposite side.
5.RIGHT TIME TO VISIT ST. JACINTO ISLAND :
The island is open to the general public during all times. But like all places this place too should be visited during the day if possible as, at night, more untoward incidents can happen (with men as well as women). Also, public transport is more easily available during the day.
During summers, avoid this place in the morning hours as the hot sun will drain you out.There are not much trees around where you can get some shade. In the afternoon obviously, the situation will be the same or maybe even worse.
I usually come here after 5pm because that's when you can enjoy the beauty of this place without draining yourself.
6. DO' AND DONT'S
DO'S :
1.Carry enough water with you. It really gets hot here sometimes if you come at odd timings during the day.
2.Carry a valid ID . Make this a practice wherever you go.
3.Keep your phones charged for those awesome pics and emergency calls.
DONT'S :
1. Anyone could be tempted to go out there with their girlfriends/boyfriends for some quality time. But the cops don't necessarily like it. If you're 18-24 years old and / if both you're parents do not know that you're dating or if you are not married to that person, then please be careful. The cops come here for patrolling quite often and many a times when they spot young couples(the guy and the girl could just be friends too), they come to you for questioning, and sometimes they even note down your names(in case they find you doing something inappropriate).
They ask for your ID's first and if one of you are under 18, you're under trouble. Then they ask you questions like "Where are you from?","What does your father do?", "Do your parents know about this?", "What were you doing here with him/her", etc.
If you guys are really just friends, you could try telling them that but it depends on them whether they would believe it. Whether what they're doing is right is still a debatable question
Drop your opinions about this in the comments below .
There is also a bar called Coelho Bar. It no ratings or pictures on Google.
3.PARKING
If you plan taking your vehicle, you won't have trouble finding parking here as this place isn't overly crowded.
One place you can park your vehicle is near the church. Be careful not to obstruct or block anyone else's path. Sometimes in the evening there are kids playing football, so there is a chance that the ball might land on your vehicle. I personally had an experience where a ball came rolling under the wheels of my car and I ended up driving over it and yes, it burst(the ball, not my tyre). So take care of these things while parking near the church.
Another place you can park your scooter/bike/car/batmobile is on the bridge. Yes, you can do it but only when the traffic is scarce and guys PLEASE DO NOT PARK YOUR VEHICLE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE FOR A PICTURE. It casuses a lot of inconvenience to the others using the bridge. It also leads to accidents.Some people enter the bridge at such high speeds as if they're gonna take off like a Boeing 737. So one of you has to be smarter. Be the smart one.
Always park your car a few car lengths behind or ahead of another car and never exactly parallel to it.
Two wheeler parking is a breeze. Just fill it, shut it, forget it and park it.
4.PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Fortunately for those who do not have a vehicle, it is still a pretty easy task to reach this island.
All you have to do is to take a LOCAL "Kadamba" Bus running on the 'Vasco to Panjim Via Cortalim' or 'Vasco to Margao Via Cortalim' route . Kadamba buses are Government run buses (Like the KSRTC in Karnataka). The reason I highlighted Local is because there are two types of Kadamba buses that you find at a bus stand. One is the 'Shuttle Service' or 'Shuttle' bus and the other is the 'local' kadamba bus.Among private buses, you have the 'Vasco to Ponda' Via cortalim bus. But guys, do not waste your time waiting for the Ponda bus. The best way is to take a Kadamba bus.
While at a bus stand, ask any one of the conductors and they will show you the correct bus. Asking the conductors is better than asking the other bystanders as they might not have a proper idea.Once you're in the bus just ask the conductor to drop you at the island. The bus will stop at the entrance of the bridge.While on the way, keep an eye for the island as you might want to remind your conductor once again to drop you.
In Vasco city you have a seperate terminus near the market bustand for Shuttle buses, so make sure you're are at the main Kadamba bustand which is further ahead.
To go back to Panjim/Margao stand at the bustop that is on the same side as the entrance of the bridge and take the Panjim/Margao bus.
To go back to Vasco, stand on the opposite side.
5.RIGHT TIME TO VISIT ST. JACINTO ISLAND :
The island is open to the general public during all times. But like all places this place too should be visited during the day if possible as, at night, more untoward incidents can happen (with men as well as women). Also, public transport is more easily available during the day.
During summers, avoid this place in the morning hours as the hot sun will drain you out.There are not much trees around where you can get some shade. In the afternoon obviously, the situation will be the same or maybe even worse.
I usually come here after 5pm because that's when you can enjoy the beauty of this place without draining yourself.
6. DO' AND DONT'S
DO'S :
1.Carry enough water with you. It really gets hot here sometimes if you come at odd timings during the day.
2.Carry a valid ID . Make this a practice wherever you go.
3.Keep your phones charged for those awesome pics and emergency calls.
DONT'S :
1. Anyone could be tempted to go out there with their girlfriends/boyfriends for some quality time. But the cops don't necessarily like it. If you're 18-24 years old and / if both you're parents do not know that you're dating or if you are not married to that person, then please be careful. The cops come here for patrolling quite often and many a times when they spot young couples(the guy and the girl could just be friends too), they come to you for questioning, and sometimes they even note down your names(in case they find you doing something inappropriate).
They ask for your ID's first and if one of you are under 18, you're under trouble. Then they ask you questions like "Where are you from?","What does your father do?", "Do your parents know about this?", "What were you doing here with him/her", etc.
If you guys are really just friends, you could try telling them that but it depends on them whether they would believe it. Whether what they're doing is right is still a debatable question
Drop your opinions about this in the comments below .
It's better to go in a group rather than just with your girlfriend/boyfriend.
2. Keep the intimate acts within closed doors : Yes, there are some couples who wish to take their love lives to the next level by trying out things out in the open. NO! please guys don't do it.
It's just not safe. Get a room, do what you want. You never know who would call the cops on you for such things, especially in St. Jacinto.
3. Park Responsibly : As I've mentioned earlier, don't make it look like you lack common sense. Park safely and responsibly.
4.Do not Drink in the public : This makes everyone else around you uncomfortable so please avoid it. Go to Coehlo's Bar instead.
All in all, if a relaxed evening with friends and family is what you are looking for, then this is a great place for you.
Hope you enjoyed this post. If you like it, share it with your near and dear ones. Leave a comment if you have something to say. Constructive criticism is always welcome!😊.
Share on Whatsapp
Thanks for so much information.. I'm definitely gonna visit this place ❣️
ReplyDeletenice blog 👌👌👌thnks for giving soo much information about d island.👌
ReplyDeleteThe Gracious Angeli Travel and Tours Hotel might be a suitable place to be for tourists with small budgets. Avail of great amenities, services and even more with the Gracious Angeli Travel and Tours Hotel in Baguio. Hvar Dalmatia
ReplyDeleteThis article will put to rest any misgivings you may have had about starting an online travel business. In 2007 I sold an online home travel business. https://www.magalufevents.com/
ReplyDelete