Delighted by a relaxed walk on the beaches and witnessing the setting sun is certainly one of the pleasant sights that no one can afford to miss. Most of the beaches have got small food outlets that offer yummy cuisine delicacies at reasonable rates. Formerly known as Gaspar Dias, Miramar Beach is one of the famous and the nearest beach from Goa’s capital city, Panaji, just around 2 miles away from Panaji city centre in the north and a kilometer from another famous Dona Paula beach.

Goa itself has a long history that dates back around 500 BC, which said to be the later Vedic period when the Hindu heroic Mahabharata was written, Goa is referred to with the Sanskrit name Gomantak, a word that carry many meanings , suggesting generally a productive land; however, the Portuguese are believed to be the first named it Goa. Before their arrival, Goa or Gowapura was the name merely of the port town near the mouth of the Mondovi River. Saraswat Brahmins, a sub sect of the Brahmins, called Gaud Saraswats, known for eating fish, are believed to be the earliest wave of Brahmins settled in Goa. They are said to have origins from the banks of River Saraswati, one of the most famous religious river in the Hinduism, these people are supposed to have arrived in Goa around 1000 BC.

Such earliest existence of the Saraswats somehow support the origins of a very popular speculation of the origin of Goa that says, the Lord Vishnu, in his sixth epithet as Lord Parshurama shot an arrow from the top of the western Ghats into the sea and ordered the sea to withdraw from the area where the arrow fell, thus claimed that area to be his kingdom. In the early times of its history Goa used to be the part of the Mauryan Empire of the Emperor Ashoka, and the area has been known to other ancient civilizations by different names, such as Goparastra, Gopakpuri, Gomant, Govapuri, Nekanidon, Tricadiba, Nelikinda, Sibo, Sindabur, Chintabur and some other names as well.

The Hindu dynasties ruled the Goa for almost 7 centuries and the death of the last Hindu ruler Chalukya in 1198 attracted the Muslim invaders who finally occupied the Goa, though the Muslim rulers, Bahaminis were once defeated and thrown out in the early 1400, yet they returned again in around 1470, hence the Goa tuned to be the part of the Muslim Bahamani Kingdom of Deccan. After the death of Sultan Adil Shah Goa was taken over by the Portuguese in the year 1510, this was the time; the Christianity was introduced to Goa by Portuguese. Being suppressed by the Portuguese in every way it was eventually in the city of Bombay that the nationalist movements arose to challenge Portuguese colonialism.

The most influential Goan nationalist, Tristao de Braganza Cunha, established a relationship with the Indian National Congress. It was his anticipation, as well as Nehru’s, that once the British had left the subcontinent, Goa would almost instantly be vacant by the Portuguese government. Indians tried many times to talk on the issue of Goa with the Portuguese but they were always refused, which eventually resulted in a military invasion through the 30,000 Indian troops by the orders of then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The ill equipped Portuguese forces were outnumbered and the Portuguese Governor General Vassalo da Silva surrendered. Visiting Goa enables you to witness the number of historical evidences in and around Goa, reaching to this destination has never been difficult as there are direct flights from the all major international cities and you can even arrive in India then make a by road expedition to Goa. Direct flights to Goa, though is an easy and time saving option, yet it needs an advance reservation to avail the best available fares for bargain flights to Goa. Miramar offers a spectacular sunset over the sea; you can also spot a range of migratory birds along its coastline.

The most attractive thing about the beach is that it has extremely peaceful environment that is totally free of irritants. The beach is ideal for a long walk offering panoramic views of Fort Aguada and river Mondovi where it meets the Arabian Sea. Miramar is a stunning golden beach of spongy sand girdled with palm trees, and lies adjacent the estuary of Mondovi River as it opens into the Arabian Sea. The beach is ideal for a calm stroll and soaking up the sun in solitude. This bow-tie shaped beach is rimmed by soaring coconut trees and white & gray sand beach offers a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of worldly affairs.