Discover A Different Goa With Arco Iris Boutique Homestay
I had been chasing Arco Iris Boutique Homestay for quite a few years. The very first time when I wanted to sojourn at this beautiful heritage home in South Goa was in 2017, and then later in March this year just before the nationwide lockdown happened.
Well, I got here after 8 months of my pandemic life. I guess this was “the time” to be here.
Arco Iris, a 250-year-old Portuguese mansion, is your dream home hidden somewhere in an unruffled village of Curtorim. It’s your haven of oblivion. A place where you just be.
The most unique aspect of this Portuguese mansion is that it exudes its original charm even today. It takes you back in time. The house was in ruins more than a decade ago. It was one of those old, crumbling houses that you see everywhere in Goa.
Beni and Ganesh, the owners of Arco Iris, very passionately, rebuilt the decaying Portuguese house without taking away its traditional soul. The house is a glorious homestay today that opens its doors for travelers from all across the globe.
If you care to discover a different Goa, the Goa beyond its beaches and parties, Arco Iris would be happy to satiate your curiosity.
Arco Iris is a COVID safe homestay, too. The staff disinfects your luggage at check in. After you have sanitized your hands at the entrance, you are escorted to a pre-sanitized room. For guests’ safety, the entire house is thoroughly sanitized after each checkout. Not to mention the staff and the members of the family meet you with their face masks on.
Discover A Different Goa With Arco Iris Boutique Homestay
The house and its colonial grandeur.
Neemrana Hotels are renowned to be exquisite, which is why I entered Arco Iris with a certain anticipation. Well, I felt its splendor right away. I could barely decide where to fix my gaze and what to admire, as there’s so much to be captivated with. The huge living room in the front is a lovely place for tea and conversations, and also some quiet time.
The dining area has its own distinctive aura that just envelopes you. The wooden stairs leading to a bedroom and a birdwatching den upstairs is charm personified. And, the courtyard lull is the essence of Arco Iris – the Susegad life of Goa, the legacy left by the Portuguese.
Each room has its own color theme representing a rainbow – blue, orange, indigo, violet, and yellow.
Beautiful Corjim Lake across the road.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of staying at Arco Iris is to be able to see the lake right from the courtyard. It was such a joy to take in the beauty of the calming lake while lounging in the courtyard or in the front portico.
Arco Iris is an abode for nature lovers, too. The house is steeped in lushness. Each morning as you wake up, you have the mellow sunshine greeting you through the trees. It was so refreshing to take a stroll in the front yard of the house and feel the fresh ambience.
It’s also a place where you can laze in a hammock under a tree with a book. Did I mention Arco Iris has quite a great collection for avid readers?
There are quite a few seasonal lakes around Arco Iris. I usually went for morning walks along Corjim lake, which is closest to the house.
The other nature walks that I enjoyed around the homestay were along the backwater and the paddy fields.
Birdwatchers, it’s your place to be!
Arco Iris has quite a few birdwatching trails around it. You can begin your quest with strolling along the lake and capturing the cute diving ducks followed by waders, large-pied wagtails, red wattled lapwing, shikra, the white-breasted waterhen, white throated kingfisher and river tern.
Curtorim has many wetlands, which helps in local agriculture for numerous crops to grow through the year. The natural habitat attracts a wide range of birds. There are over 250 varieties of birds found in Curtorim. So yes, it’s a place of rich biodiversity.
Make sure you carry your zoom lenses for those amazing bird photographs.
Also read: Olaulim – A Secret Of Goa
Cycling tours that you can take.
Besides your stay at a quiet and secluded Portuguese homestay in South Goa, it’s also your doorway to many nature and heritage excursions that you can take on a bicycle.
I visited St. Alex church, a 15th century church, which is just 2.5 km from Arco Iris Homestay. It’s a beautiful walk in the morning and in the late afternoon, if you want to skip the bicycle. There’s also a scintillating lake called Curtorim Lake right next to the church.
And, just across the road, after you have walked a little while, there’s Zuari River. Make sure to visit the river at sunrise for its beauty to come alive. Zuari is the largest river of Goa and it originates at Hemad-Barshem in the Western Ghats.
If you are inquisitive about Goa’s heritage, do sneak in the Braganza House, a 450-year-old grand mansion in Chandor village. It still has a generation living in one of the portions of the house. However, be sure to ask the caretaker about photography charges before you even make your way inside the house.
Delicious food from Beni’s kitchen.
The best part about a homestay is the hominess that you get to experience away from home. I remember the very succulent red sauce pasta and other delicious continental dishes, such as mushroom with cream and grilled chicken prepared by Beni for dinner one evening.
It was heartwarming to experience such nice hospitality even during a pandemic.
Arco Iris is your escape from the mundane, hectic and often materialistic life that we live in our cities. It’s your place to find the real you.
Also read: The Slow Life At Vivenda dos Palhacos
Note: I visited Arco Iris in collaboration with Neemrana Hotels. However, as always, all opinions and photos are my own.
Is Arco Iris your kind of a vacation? Would you explore Goa beyond its beaches?
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to receive ‘new posts’ straight in your inbox!
