Travelling to Hotel Gautam Porvorim Goa - nearest airport and railway stations, road trip landmarks

On a recent trip to Goa, we stayed at Hotel Gautam, Porvorim which is located in North Goa. It was a wonderful 3-night stay in comfortable rooms with absolutely delectable customized vegetarian meals served in their in-house restaurant. Overall, excellent hospitality and a stay worthy of multiple visits. In this blog post, though, I would first like to focus on the location and travelling to the hotel.

Mode of Travel

By flight: As mentioned earlier, Hotel Gautam is in Porvorim, North Goa. It is advisable to take a flight to the new MOPA Airport (Manohar International Airport) rather than Dabolim Airport, as the drive to the hotel would be shorter from the MOPA airport. When booking your flight ticket, select Goa, North Goa with the acronym 'GOX'. [Note- Dabolim airport is 'GOI' - Goa International Airport]

By train: Those travelling by train can get off at Karmali or Thivim station. 

Travel tip: A good point to know is that if you plan to stay at the hotel for 3 nights or more, they will send a car to pick you up and drop you off at no extra charge, whether you are flying or taking the train. There may be a charge only if you are arriving early morning or late at night, so confirm the timings of the free car service with the hotel at the time of booking.

Hotel Gautam Location

The plus side of the location is that it is tucked well away from the main highway and thus quiet and serene. The downside is that due to its location in Porvorim, if you do not have your own vehicle, you would need to hire one to go anywhere, even to Panjim which is just a short 10-15 minute drive from the hotel. 

If you thought an auto would be the less expensive way to travel, note that while you can hire an auto from Panjim to the hotel, no auto driver is willing to pick you up from the hotel because it is not worth it for them as then they would be coming without a fare. At least heading back to Panjim or Mapusa, they may pick up a customer from the highway. 

In fact, whether a car or an auto, generally in Goa it is really very expensive to travel around in a hired vehicle. The drivers will not budge from the fixed tariff. For example, we had to pay Rs. 500/- for the 10-minute drive to the seafront promenade in Panjim, and the return auto tariff was Rs. 350/-.

The road trip to the hotel

Heading out from MOPA airport, you will be going past lots of lush greenery and eventually, the main highway that will take you towards Porvorim. Gradually you will see the residential area dotted with shops as you go closer towards the hotel. You will pass Techno Park on your left and then Angel's Resort on your right with its pink-roofed cottages, and then a well-known landmark - the beautiful grey temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva

Further on, you will see a number of eateries, including Cafe Bhosle, and shops, including wine shops and the well-known Sawaikar's Cashews store. 

Sawaikar's Goan Cashews and Dry Fruits Store

Just ahead of this, you turn left when you see the Hotel Gautam signboard. 

From there, it is a straight road, going past the Bella Vista Society bylanes, and the Shirodkar wine store. Keep going straight and you will see this photo-

Here, do not get confused by the arrow, as you will think you have to turn right into the lane where you will see the blue and white villas that are part of the hotel, but note that this is not the main entry. Instead, just stick to the left side and you will see the entrance gate of the hotel. 

Take the road to the left, not the right

You have arrived! 

Contact Information

Hotel Gautam
Off Chogm Road, near Bella Vista Society,
Porvorim, 
Goa – 403521          
Ph: 0832-2416363
Website: https://hotelgautam.com/hotel-goa.html