Who doesn’t like an haunting story or two? Elders and wisemen have constantly told and re-told us haunting stories or paranormal activities that either they or someone they know stumbled, investigated, experienced or simply passed upon.
Goa is renowned for its vibrant nightlife, beach celebrations, water sports, casinos, and delicious cuisine. But the city has a sinister underbelly that has been hidden, and for good cause. Churches may be found all around Goa. Ironically, they are also the subject of an excessive number of ghost and spirit stories. It doesn’t matter if the reports of paranormal activity in and around these locations are true or just rumours. Not for the faint of heart are the Goan horror tales. The air is nauseating on the other side, despite how beautiful and breezy the Goan beaches appear to be. You’re in for a scary surprise even in broad daylight if you believe that staying indoors at night will keep you safe.
If you are travelling to Goa, consider adding a different kind of adventure by visiting some of the city’s most eerie locations. And if you live there, be sure to at least once check them out.
Going to places with a history that others find unusual is the flip side of adventure travel. Haunted places of interest frequently have a significant impact on local culture. Goa has some of the best spots to go if you want an adrenaline rush and to explore these eerie locations.
The following ghost stories in Goa may be fictional for some, but these urban legends of Goa will find support in the form of locals and those who did experience something paranormal in Goa. So, read, feel scared, and tell us your experiences in the comments below.
Ghost Story in Goa #1 – The Haunting Tale of The Creepy Arch
Every night, after finishing their shift at the neighborhood hospital, Pedro and Miguel would walk past a nearby seminary. Anything they had in their bag would always spoil on the way home. Sometimes it was fruit, candy, or even milk packets. The food stays fresh on the days when they follow different routes.
It irritated Pedro. Miguel was informed of this, and the two of them decided to look into it. They didn’t approach the seminary arch directly; instead, they stood back and began scanning the famed arches for any suspicious activity.
One moonlit evening, they witnessed a ghostly apparition making rounds close to the arch dressed as a Portuguese soldier. They froze. They ran away from the scene and went to tell everyone what had happened.
Although food no longer spoils upon passing the Rachol Seminary arch, on certain days the sentinel’s soul moves back and forth beneath the arch, barring entry to those it deems unworthy. In actuality, this is nothing new; the ghost is thought to have existed since the Portuguese era. The soldier is said to protect this village by forbidding entry to anyone he thinks is unfit for Rachol village.
Ghost Story in Goa #2 – The Woman Who Never Forgives
James, Frida’s father, was a correctional officer at a small-town jail. After his shift, he would travel through Verem, Guirim, and eventually Saligao on his way home. James was reading a newspaper and drinking tea one evening while parked on a hillside not far from the Saligao circle. Suddenly, he felt a beating in his body. It was similar to the sensation you get when listening to music with a lot of bass.
He set down the newspaper and peered in his rearview mirror, where he noticed a white figure standing outside his car. He pulled out his revolver, grabbed it, and leapt out of the truck. He observed a man moving quickly in circles around a large banyan tree outside the truck. Within a short second, the spirit moved over to where he was standing and simply passed through him to vanish forever.
A ghost by the name of Christalina is rumored to haunt the Goan village of Saligao. The villagers had earlier advised their youngsters about approaching the dreaded banyan tree, which was thought to be the home of Christalina. The idea is claimed to have come from a tale of Padre Lourenco, a Jew. Padre went for a stroll along the seminary road, but much to the surprise of his family, he did not come home that evening.
His family hired several laborers to search for him the following morning out of fear for the worse. What they discovered was terrifying. They discovered Padre face-down on the ground, his body covered in muck. They brought him to the priest right away and begged him to take care of him. The following four days went by without Padre making any noise or movement. To the priest’s astonishment, Padre was seen floating in the air on the fifth day, yelling “Christalina!” His face was scarred and covered in blood. The word of this incident quickly reached the nearby villages.
Ghost Story in Goa #3 – The Silent Pillars of Fear
Jennifer was traveling through Panaji, then through Mala and Santa Cruz. Together with her mother and sister, she was driving. Even though it was late, they still seemed refreshed and awake. They noticed two young men standing still on the bank of the river bed just as they arrived at the “Char Khambe” near St. Cruz.
They were not conversing. Their phones were off. They were motionless, simply standing there. Jennifer’s mother froze. Without shifting or moving the rest of their bodies, the two guys gently turned to face them. Jennifer was certain that they had eyes as lifeless and dark as pitch. Actually bare. Nothing but a void—not dark, not reflecting any light at all. They left quickly and continued driving until they arrived in Calapur.
The Four Pillars, also known as the “Char Khambe,” are painted white and may be found in the Khazan lands along the former Santa Cruz and Panjim routes in the Portuguese region of Rio de Ourem. The Vasantrao Dempo Marg is the new name for this street. According to legend, this location is haunted, with full moon evenings being the most active.
The area is said to have an uncanny atmosphere, according to commuters who have taken that route. Additionally, they have reported seeing several apparitions at night. Locals claim that the region is cursed and jinxed, which is one of the causes of the countless accidents that occur here. A woman wearing a white saree and purportedly seeking for a ride is another sighting. People have even reported hearing screaming and experiencing sudden bike breakdowns as soon as they arrive at the Char Khambe.
Ghost Story in Goa #4 – The House That Watches
While his mother did when she was a teenager, Vinny never lived in a haunted house. Houses on her block and in her neighborhood in Raia also had unusual goings-on. A family resided a few houses away from her. The girl had a terrible headache when she went to bed one night. She was gone the following day, having died of an aneurysm.
After her funeral, the family left the house to distract themselves from the grief, and Vinny’s uncle—his mom’s brother—was requested to check on their pets in the residence where the daughter had died.
His mother walked to the antique piano on the ground floor as they entered the house, while his uncle and father proceeded to the basement to check on the animals. When she felt something brush her ankles, she was still playing it.
She reasoned that a cat must have emerged from the cellar and moved past her. Her game continued. Then it came back to her again.
She searched underneath the piano but found nothing. She felt hands tightly grab her legs as she restarted. Her father and uncle were waiting for her as she hurried to the basement entrance.
Once again outdoors, his uncle noticed his mother was uneasy and enquired as to what was happening. He turned white when she explained what had occurred. He revealed to her that the deceased daughter and her deceased father used to play a game. She would scurry underneath him as he played the piano, grip his ankles, and move his feet up and down the pedals.
In D’Mello House in Santemol, two brothers allegedly resided. One of the brothers was killed as a result of a violent altercation over how to divide his family’s property. Since then, the now-abandoned house has reportedly been the scene of ghostly activity. The house frequently makes sounds like glass breaking, windows slamming shut violently, and terrible screaming.
We run into a number of problems with land and property in our daily lives. Conflicts over inherited property may lead to disputes with one’s own sibling. Similar is how the haunted house tale began. The D’Mello home in Santemol is currently regarded as a particularly frightful location. The home is allegedly cursed.
Ghost Story in Goa #5 – The Iconic Death Story of Two Lovers
This horror tale opens on a pleasant day during the height of the rainy season. At two past midnight, Jerry and his pal Peter decided to spend the day on the Dona Paula cliffs. A dense fog crept up from the shore, as is common in Goa during the monsoon season and frequently occurs before the advent of a genuine storm.
As they descended from the top of the Dona Paula steps, the two were engulfed by the clouds and lost sight of one another.
Jerry started yelling Peter’s name as he hurried into the dense fog, desperate to reach him. He fell over on the rocky portion of the slope to the dry side of the beach after stumbling down the steep steps due to his inability to see clearly. He was fortunate that the tide was low.
Unexpectedly, a neighborhood watchman who was sipping on a beer on the rocks discovered his body. He feared Jerry was dead, but upon closer scrutiny, discovered that he was only just barely alive. His body was covered in cuts from jagged rocks, and the only thing he murmured was the name of his son, Paulo, in the quietest voice.
The watchman dashed back to seek assistance nearby, but when he got there, no one was present. The lift operator’s cabin is where the villagers claim to always hear her wailing for her child. Although the watchman had never believed in ghosts, that day he came across a tale that eventually became a legend.
Dona Paula has a reputation for being haunted due to various legends that surround it. The beach is named after Dona Paula de Menezes, a Portuguese viceroy’s daughter who fell in love with a local fisherman and gave his name. Her family disapproved of their relationship, so she leaped from the cliff into the Arabian Sea as a result. The locals recount how they saw her emerge from the water in the night while wearing nothing but a pearl necklace. As a result, it is advised to stay away from this haunted beach at night.
Ghost Story in Goa #6 – The Highway To Hell
At three in the morning, it was entirely dark and silent as Bostiao and Roger worked in a remote area. Bostiao was in the driver’s seat and Roger was in the passenger seat, both of them dozing. Bostiao believed he was only conversing when suddenly a muffled voice roused Roger from his sleep. He shut his eyes and informed Bostiao that he was attempting to sleep.
Then, after a brief period of heavy breathing, they both heard a clear young female voice ask, “Oh my God, am I dying?” Both of them sat up straight; Bostiao almost moved away. After a brief period of silence, they heard the click of an oxygen bottle regulator and what sounded like a hissing leak. Both of them turned to the back but there was no one.
In addition to having an intriguing history, the section of road between Dhavali and Bori known as Baytakhol has been the scene of countless car accidents involving passing automobiles. According to legend, seeing a young girl screaming loudly in the middle of the road terrifies onlookers. As one tries to look back and understand the situation, the girl suddenly disappears, causing the driver to lose control of the car and cause numerous accidents.
Goan Horror Story #7 – The King’s Haunting Roundtable
Three friends were strolling through a forest a long time ago. One carried gold, another big sums of money, while the final one carried pricey spices. Everything was alright at first. Along the way, the three of them exchanged anecdotes, but greed wasn’t far behind.
The first and third friends made the decision to work together to kill the person carrying the money. Then they might divide it among them. When they finally had a chance, they murdered him and interred him in the woods.
The two buddies were being followed, although they were unaware of it at the time. The second friend had conned the same man out of all of his money before leaving on the trip. The stranger kills both of the other companions at precisely the appropriate time and dumps them into the same hole as the first one.
Three Kings Church is one of Goa’s most eerie locations due to its eerie surroundings and eerie air. There are rumors that the three Portuguese kings who once resided here are still haunting the area. It is stated that these three kings ruled the church, but they later engaged in violence against one another, killing each other, and burying their dead remains on the church grounds. A holy sanctuary that has gone rogue is situated in the peaceful community of Cansaulim, 15 kilometers from Valsaav in South Goa.
People claim that the ghosts still haunt the location because they can feel their overwhelming presence. Three Kings’ Church is a fantastic location for individuals who enjoy being intrigued about phantom creatures and wish to take in the gorgeous surroundings of this church despite the haunting stories. The church walls and interior have seen numerous reported ghostly sightings. Surprisingly, the GRIP team of the Indian Paranormal Society visited the location and verified the rumors.
Goan Horror Story #8 – The Feast of the Beast
Emmanuel slept in a run-down motel a few years ago that was close to Anjuna. In the 1930s, the hotel was constructed. He did discover an oddity: In room 004, a wooden board that had protected a ceiling hole leading to a tiny attic space was broken into two pieces and lying on the floor.
He looked over the parts. It would have required a lot of force to break the inch-thick board. He believed someone had been dispatched by the hotel owner to work on the attic. He was paralysed by terror. There must be someone up there, he reasoned.
With a hint of frustration that the owner hadn’t alerted him, he sent the images to the landlord who was gone and asked if anyone had been there. He said, “Please call me as soon as you can,” in response. When he called, the owner informed him that the previous two visitors had reported the same incident. He pledged to swap out the board.
Emmanuel returned to the hotel in the same room a month later. One night at home, around four in the morning, he awoke. Goose bumps appeared all over his body. I had the impression that someone was rubbing hands with me.
Then, out of the silence, he picked up a dragging sound coming from above his bed. It appeared as though someone were tugging a potato sack. Upon realizing someone was up there, he froze. No animal could possibly produce such noise. He took a cricket bat with him and proceeded to the restroom after gathering the confidence to turn on the light after waiting for five minutes.
He then noticed that the freshly installed board covering the hole had split in half! He had the flu. The sound of dragging had stopped. However, he also heard whispering. The attic was the source of the audible noise. He could hear one phrase repeated again in what appeared to be children’s voices: “It’s your turn… Now it’s your turn…”
To restore some sense of normalcy, he turned on all of the lights in the space. 5 a.m., and it was still dark outside. He tried to relax by watching TV. The murmurings ceased. Emmanuel was never able to identify what it was.
The “ghost” hotel, as the locals call it, is a creepy small building that has been abandoned for years at the end of the Agonda beach in Southern Goa. The hotel, known officially as Sina Hotel, was 25 years ago in the midst of being transformed into a sizable resort.
The villagers claim that the owners ran out of money and that building unexpectedly ceased following the assassination of one of the owners. They then began to notice strange occurrences in the building’s rooms. Ghost Hotel is a well-known abandoned hotel complex in Goa that was constructed by the Russians. It is renowned for frightening tourists with its eerie antics because the hotel complex was never finished because of legal issues.
Goan Horror Story #9 – Burning Bridges
Tracy wed Dr. Felix, a local politician, in the 1940s. Her garment unintentionally caught fire on the evening of their wedding, leaving the young bride with horrific burns. Although she initially lived, she eventually died. It was stated that Tracy’s love for her husband was so intense that she was unable to sleep.
Tracy was laid to rest by the banks of the nearby river. From the bridge, one may purportedly see the dead newlywed, clad in white, strolling the banks (which was built after she died). She allegedly looks to be on fire while either going through swamps, leaping headfirst into rivers as if to put out the flames, or pensively strolling alongside rivers.
The Borim Bridge, which connects Margao in South Goa with Ponda in North Goa, is known for its numerous ghost stories. Many children are alleged to have been sacrificed during the construction of this bridge, and there have even been instances where witnesses have reported seeing a woman jump into the river.
According to the plot, a woman who appears to be insane rushes to the edge of the road before jumping from the bridge and into the river below. All traces of the occurrence appear to vanish when one rushes to learn what transpired. There don’t seem to be any waves or splashing noises coming from the sea. She is seated in the back seat of the car when you get back in it and begin driving. People seldom ever visit Borim bridge because of this eerie legend.
Goan Horror Story #10 – Tragedy of The Seven Souls
Tony, then 10 years old, was awakened one night by the opening of his bedroom door and the presence of someone sitting on his bed. The bed sank under a person’s weight, and he felt the graze of his leg. He opened his eyes and saw it was simply his mother.
“It was not my mum. At the foot of my bed, I discovered a youngster of my age who was missing both of his eyes and had black, empty sockets. He held out his hand, revealing a small box inside. Though surprised, I extended my hand. He retreated. I swung again and commanded, “Give it.” Then When he opened his eyes after blinking, the sensation had vanished. But where he had sat on his bed, he could still make out a wet footprint. The bed had a damp appearance, as if someone had just sat there after stepping out of a pool of water. He experienced 7 distinct apparitions during the ensuing 7 months.
In February 2012, a serious accident happened at the Aldona-Calvim ferry crossing, on the Aldona side. Four students were among the seven persons killed when a minibus plummeted into the river. The group of travelers, who included the students, were scheduled to board the Carona-Calvim boat to travel to their island residences.
Even though this bridge was restored as a result of the tireless efforts of the townspeople, it still gives off a creepy vibe to those who pass by it during ominous hours. The three children who perished in the crash are rumored to still haunt the location.
Goan Horror Story #11 – Road To Endless Torment
After being found guilty of a horrifying and puzzling murder spree, a man was executed in 1957. The villagers left his body hanging for days because they were so filled with rage and loathing. According to the story, none of the locals showed even the slightest hint of regret, much less forgiveness.
The tree he was hanged on has since been cut down and transformed into a roadway that runs through two states. According to those who have seen him, he appears as a ghostly male form, but as soon as the image of the figure enters your consciousness, it abruptly and almost maddeningly vanishes into the night.
The Mumbai to Goa Highway, popularly known as NH-17, is without a doubt the location that will give you the longest shivers. This route is thought to be frequented by witches looking for meat. Therefore, it is advised that non-vegetarian food items be avoided when using the infamous NH17, especially after midnight.
Goan Horror Story #12 – The Cursed Family Home
Mary D’Souza climbed into bed next to her late husband Jakris and stroked his pillow. Mary had been a widow for a year, but she was still getting used to it. Maybe it was ridiculous to assume she would ever adapt after 40 years of marriage.
Tommy, the golden retriever, appeared to comprehend this right away. Mary was on the verge of falling asleep when Tommy did something he had never done before that chilly, moonless night. His head was placed on the pillow as he leaped onto Jakris’ side of the bed.
Mary didn’t order him away, which is something Jakris would never have permitted. Instead, she curled up next to Tommy and fell asleep to the soothing sound of his snoring. The following night was the same as the previous one.
It had developed into a soothing pattern during the previous year. However, one night Tommy had abandoned Mary. But Mary descended the stairs to the foyer after hearing nails clicking on the wood floor downstairs. Tommy wasn’t, though, pacing in front of the entrance. He was dancing instead. Also, wagging. and bowing and wriggling. The same way he used to when Jakris returned from work.
Mary thought that this must have happened because it seemed as though Jakris had just returned home.
Verna’s Rodrigues house is the stuff that spooky tales are built of. This historic mansion is located about 10 kilometers north of Margao in Goa and is thought to be haunted by the Rodrigues family’s ghosts.
People reportedly noticed the windows automatically opening and closing. Not only that, but there have also been instances of lights flickering at strange hours of the night, kitchen utensils being discovered in various locations, and linens going missing without anyone entering the house.
Goan Horror Story #13 – The Road of Wailing Souls
A mysterious, bone-chilling cold struck 15-year-old Jacinda Nunes at a housewarming party in 1972.
She walked upstairs to try and warm up. Then, everything really started to go wrong. A black shadow began to move across the home and came closer to the girl. In the meantime, posters were uncontrollably falling off the walls below and piling up on the floor.
When the girl returned downstairs, she was startled to hear herself uttering these odd words: “The drugs and addiction were my fault, and I accept responsibility for that, but I was not that way deep down.” I want to express my regret to everyone involved for what I did. That the girl did not use drugs or even have an addiction made those statements much bizarre.
The residents of the house, who were students, didn’t find her statements particularly weird. The home had previously been occupied by a man who had a very significant addiction. He jumped off a footbridge into the river below to end his life. Later studies revealed that many people are drawn to the bridge and commit suicide by jumping off.
Tragedies are frequently associated with haunted locations. The Jakni Bandh is no different. A school bus once overturned due to the driver’s error, killing all of the passengers. The majority of these passengers are schoolchildren with small children. Many people have mentioned hearing little children crying at night. Locals frequently claim that while crossing this bridge at night, one can hear the cries of sobbing children.
Goan Horror Story #14 – Demonic Road That Leads To Nowhere
A lighthouse keeper once fell overboard while sailing and drowned soon before Christmas in 1966 after being trapped in a gale. Since that time, problems with the lighthouse’s machinery and lighting have been attributed to the keeper’s ghost. The fact that villagers have reported seeing an enigmatic figure materialize on the ocean to guide errant vessels to safety close to the reef is even more terrifying.
Sometimes the worst is right in front of you. There is a profound sense of fear in forests. Igorchem Bandh is the only one who is more accurate. The Raia road that is rumored to be haunted is located behind the Church of Our Lady of Snows. People who have crossed the Igorchem Bandh stretch have recorded multiple instances of paranormal activity (or Igorchem road). Locals highly advise against walking on the street between 2:00 and 3:30 p.m.
