One of the most exotic places of South Goa — the San Jacinto Island is located just few kilometers north-east from the Dabolim International Airport. People say that in the 30’s years of the 20th century, the San Jacinto inhabitants made a vow never to give the island on a lease or allow construction companies build touristic or industrial facilities on their land. That’s why nowadays this small island is a lovely green area, which has preserved the purity and charm of amazing Goan nature.
Sao Jacinto Island or San Jacinto Island Panjim is a small island lying in the Mormugao bay. It is a lovely little place located about 7 km from Bogmalo beach. This tiny island was blessed with incredible, breathtaking natural beauty where you can catch sights of plate corals.
Most of the island is covered with forests and just the south-western coast is dotted with old houses. There is an old chapel situated here that has an underground tunnel to the other side of the river to Siridao. The main attraction of the island is an old picturesque chapel, which can also be sighted while traveling form the Dabolim airport. This church is called as the St Hyacinth Church that celebrates the feast on the last Sunday of September. One can even see an Old Portuguese lighthouse on the island. Beyond it, a path will take you up the hill to a view-point, where you can get excellent view of the surroundings. In the middle of the island is an old spring still used by the local people for their drinking water.
On the way to Vasco city, almost nearby, you can see standing proud from the water, a completely tiny island with a cross in the middle which is known as San Antonio Island. In the year 1927 a vow was made by the inhabitants of the San Jacinto Island who purchased the place not to sell or lease it out to any projects. Therefore the island still has its natural charm.
It is accessible by a boat. The island is also connected by a causeway with Panaji-Vasco highway. Sao Jacinto Island is blessed with immense natural beauty. In fact the boat ride to the island itself is very enjoyable with the plate coral seen beneath the water surface.
St. Jacinto Church
St. Jacinto Church, St. Jacinto Island, Goa is called ‘ Sao Jacinto Igreja em Goa’ in Portuguese. The St. Jacinto Church, St. Jacinto Island, Goa is also known popularly as the Sao Jacinto Church locally in Goa. The existence of a chapel on the island of St Jacinto can be traced to way before 1731. The St Jacinto Chapel was then rebuilt in 1789. The St Jacinto Island chapel was replaced by a bigger structure in 1830 to accommodate the growing crowds of parishioners. The St Jacinto Chapel was elevated to the status of a Parish in April 16, 1853.
The St Jacinto Church mostly caters to the religious needs of the devotees staying on the island itself and the nearby areas. Most of the parishioners of the St Jacinto Church tend to be from the fishing community who are engaged actively in fishing boats and trawlers off the seas of Mormugao. The number of Parishioners at the Church of St Jacinto is around 300.
The Feast of St Jacinto the Patron Saint is celebrated with much devotion by the parishioners on the last Sunday of September every year.
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How To Reach San Jacinto Island Panjim
It is accessible by a boat. The island is also connected by a causeway with Panaji-Vasco highway. Sao Jacinto Island is blessed with immense natural beauty. In fact the boat ride to the island itself is very enjoyable with the plate coral seen beneath the water surface.
