The irrepressible Fiona Caulfield writes in the new Love Goa guide, that “by the end of the 16th century, Goa, then known as Goa Dourado or Golden Goa, was the capital of the world’s spice trade and one of the richest places on earth, with a population larger than London or Paris.”  The convents, seminaries and parish churches, like the dazzling Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. While in Goa, she also suggests a visit to Tiracol Fort, a well-preserved and compact 17th-century building, perched on a cliff at the northerly tip of Goa, which is run as a seven-room heritage hotel and “lovely for lunch”. With her usual attention, she cautions to allow two hours to enjoy “winding your way through small villages and catching the ferry across the river to reach this stunning place.”

Love Goa is latest in Fiona Caulfield’s series of exuberant, exquisite guides to India, remarkable for their depth and dedication to the local, authentic and beautiful, each printed on handmade paper and presented in a satchel of locally woven cloth. Get all five Love Travel Guides — Jaipur, Bengaluru (where Caulfield makes her home), Delhi, Goa and Mumbai — for $220, 15% off with shipping. We also suggest the new Blue Guide India, which William Dalrymple called masterful for its “accuracy, wit, discrimination and remarkable comprehensiveness.”