A Little More Than a Getaway
One such experience takes guests to Divar Island, while another combines a heritage walk through the Fontainhas area with a visit to a local Goan home.
There is a version of Goa most visitors are familiar with. The beaches, the cafés, the markets, the nightlife and the familiar holiday itinerary. But spend a little more time looking around and there are other stories waiting to be discovered, from the old houses and their histories to the food traditions, local crafts and people who continue to shape the character of the state. It is this side of Goa that Renaissance Goa set out to explore through its two-day Day of Discovery programme, held on October 31 and November 1.
Titled ‘Layered Like Goa’, the event was designed around the idea that a destination cannot always be understood in a single visit or through a checklist of places. Instead, it is often the smaller encounters that leave an impression. A meal that introduces you to a local ingredient, a conversation with someone who has lived in an old Goan home for generations, or the chance to sit down and try your hand at a traditional craft can offer a different way of looking at a place.
The discovery began at the hotel itself, with a traditional Goan thali at The Bloom Kitchen, followed by an Azulejo tile sip-and-paint session. The food experience brought together familiar Goan staples such as poi and red rice, along with accompanying preparations. Even the serving platters had been specially commissioned for the hotel, with designs inspired by Goa’s Portuguese-influenced visual history. The idea was to bring the region’s culinary and artistic influences together rather than treat them as separate experiences.
The tile workshop offered a closer look at the craft behind the familiar blue-and-white patterns seen across parts of Goa. Guests were introduced to the different stages of tile-making, including the firing process, glazing and the use of colours. The traditional Azulejo tile is a six-by-six-inch square, and the workshop explained how the finish, texture and slight imperfections of a tile are part of its character. Guests could choose from different patterns, including designs inspired by the colourful houses of Panjim’s Latin Quarter, and paint their own versions.
It was a hands-on activity, but also an opportunity to understand how a decorative element that many visitors might simply photograph has a history and a process behind it.
The afternoon moved outdoors with a poolside sundowner before which guests headed out for an additional cultural experience. The evening brought a different kind of discovery through a beverage ritual and dinner at Casa Limone. The programme also introduced the hotel’s Beverage Rituals Collection 2026, with a Renaissance punch bowl ritual and an Italian-inspired dinner.
The second day began with a wellness session before guests returned to The Bloom Kitchen for a breakfast experience built around local flavours and culinary stories. The Makers Market at Fiore brought Goan makers and their work into the hotel, creating an opportunity for guests to interact with people whose skills and products are part of the region’s cultural fabric.
The afternoon was reserved for one of the more interesting parts of the programme: a Navigator-led exploration of lesser-known neighbourhoods. The hotel’s Navigator concept is built around helping guests discover places and experiences beyond the usual tourist trail. The team works with local hosts and curates experiences that offer a more personal introduction to Goa.
One such experience takes guests to Divar Island, while another combines a heritage walk through the Fontainhas area with a visit to a local Goan home. The hotel has also partnered with a host named Iris Antonio, who belongs to the seventh generation of his family to live in a house that is nearly a century old. Guests are invited to explore the home and enjoy a meal or a tasting experience there. The feni tasting, in particular, is not a standard bar experience. The feni served is made by the host himself, giving guests an opportunity to understand the drink through the person making it.
The hotel is also looking at adding the Museum of Goa to its regular Navigator experiences, having introduced it as an additional outing during the two-day programme. These experiences are reviewed and refreshed, with the intention of giving returning guests something new to explore.
What makes a programme like this interesting is the attempt to bring together experiences that might otherwise be approached separately. Food, architecture, art, neighbourhoods and local hospitality all become part of the same conversation. The idea is not necessarily to pack a holiday with activities, but to give guests a few more ways to connect with the place they have travelled to. Goa has plenty to offer beyond its most recognisable attractions, and Day of Discovery was an invitation to look a little closer. Sometimes, the most memorable part of a trip is not the place you set out to visit, but the story you happen to discover along the way.