Below is presented just a few sample places of interest around Mount Valley Guest House beginning with Guirim village and moving outwards:

GUIRIM VILLAGE
Guirim is a beautiful agricultural village located in the Bardez Taluka (district) of the North Goa.  Also called Monte Guirim because of being situated on the slopes and at the foothills of the hillock of Guirim. Guirim village is divided into two by the National Highway 17; the Vhoddlem (big) Guirim and Dhakttem (small) Guirim. In Portuguese language its Monte de Guirim, in local Indian Konkani language its Monte Guirim and in plain everyday usage it’s referred to as just Guirim.

Attractions of Guirim village are: Church of St. Diego- 1604, local feast celebrated in November. Assumption Chapel– around 230 years old. St. Anthony’s School at Monte Guirim - managed by the Capuccin-Friars.  Mount Valley Guest House is located bang in the heart of an Indian Goan village of Guirim.

Guirim is an agricultural village of Goa, garlanded with swaying paddy fields, farms of tender vegetables like onions and sweet potatoes, delicious fruits including watermelon, mango etc. and during monsoon, one can see the whole Guirim splattered green by nature.

MONTE GUIRIM
Called in Konkani, Monte Guirim, and in Portuguese, Monte de Guirim, this is a hill or small mount that has been engaged by the Goa Catholic Church run institutions for the last five centuries. In Portuguese language “Monte” means Hill.

In the late nineteenth century, a Fr. Luna took over the place and began to teach the children of the surrounding villages of Guirim. This became the renewed Monte Guirim. Today, the most important institution is the St. Anthony of Padua High School a co-education English medium school and St. Anthony’s Boarding house for boys. For more information please visit www.monteguirim.com

Mount Valley Guest House is situated right at the footsteps of the hill of Guirim, hence from the terrace of Mount Valley one can get undisturbed views of the mini dense forest cover of Monte Guirim. (Click here to see more photos).

SALIGAO SPRING, SALMONA
In the north Goa village of Saligao, there are two beautiful natural springs. One is the Salmona spring in Arrarim and the other is the Aquem (Akhem) spring or fountain in Mollembhatt. The water of these springs is sweet and fresh, not brackish. The Aquem spring–referred to in Konkani as AkhenchiZhor–is well known, even in the neighbouring villages of Nagoa, Parra, Guirim and Sangolda. This natural spring emerges from hard and compact rocks and the villagers bathe in its waters with a strong belief that the spring has medicinal properties. Indeed, legend has it that the spring waters have cured people with poor eyesight and certain skin ailments. Source of Information: http://saligaoserenade.com/2008/08/aquem-spring/   The Saligao Spring of Salmona is located very close by to the tourist accommodation of Mount Valley Guest House in Monte Guirim.

BODGESHWAR TEMPLE
Very close to Mapusa city is the temple of Sri Bodgeshwar which is the holy shrine of Kanakeshwar Baba also called Bodgeshwar after whom the temple is named.  Sri Bodgeshwar is commonly regarded as ‘Angavani’. This term ‘Angavani’ means a God to whom a devotee can make any wish and the God will fulfil the wish of the devotee. Lord Bodgeshwar is locally considered as the Guardian of Mapusa. The statue of Lord Bodgeshwar in the Bodgeshwar temple at Mapusa has a shaft in his one hand. According to the legends and common belief, it is said that Lord Bodgeshwar helps the lost people to reach their home. After that, as a sign of relief the Lord bangs the shaft on the floor and then disappears. The most important festival of Lord Bodgeshwar is held in the month of December and January. The annual fair known as Zatra is also held at that time. This interesting temple is just a couple of kms away from Mount Valley Guest House of Monte Guirim. (Click here to see more photos).

SAI BABA TEMPLE
This temple is dedicated & devoted to the modern day Hindu saint Sai Baba of Shirdi. This is a recently developed Hindu temple that is located around the vicinity of Mount Valley Guest House of Monte Guirim. This temple of Sai Baba is a modern day construction that is very spacious and basic from design point of view.  Located just at a comfortable distance of around 2 kms only from Mount Valley. One can reach it by bicycle or bike in short time (Click here to see more photos).

OTHER TEMPLES OF INTEREST AROUND MOUNT VALLEY:

Shri Sidhapurush Narayandev Temple
Shri Bhumika Devi Temple  
Ganapati Temple

SALIGAO CHURCH
The church of Saligao is one unique church that sets itself apart from all of the other churches of Goa. The first piece of Gothic architecture in the whole of Goa and the only type of structural design connecting to East Germany. 

The Saligao church was the first church to be illuminated at night for the benefits of tourists to enjoy its splendorous beauty even in the night. Its lit view in the evenings and the nights has an electrifying magnetism. Early night time is the best time to view this exquisite piece of Gothic architecture in Goa.

At daytime, this splendid church of Saligao stands shining bright amidst the carpet of green and at night  it looks like a sparkling jewel in the fields as you drive by on the Chogam road from Panjim to Calangute.

Saligao village is the immediate and neighbouring village to Monte Guirim and hence Saligao Church is just a stone’s throw away from Mount Valley Guest House in Monte Guirim. (Click here to see more photos).

CHORAO ISLAND
Chorao is an island of Goa along the river Mandovi near Panjim city, Goa, India. The Chorao Island was historically and originally called Chudamani, meaning stunning precious stone in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. The Islanders call it Chodan or Chodna in the local Konkani language of Goa.

One can reach Chorao Island by taking a ferry from the village of Ribandar which is on the road to Old Goa at around 3 kms from Panjim. There is also a ferry linking Chorao to Pomburpa on the island's west. One of the roads moves northwards to Mayem and Bicholim and the other road passes uphill by the majestic 16th century church of Sao Bartholomew.

The tourist attractions of Chorao Island are Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Saptakoteshwar temple, Church of St Bartholomew, chapel of Nossa Senora De Saude and Church of Our Lady of Grace.

This island is easily accessible and at a comfortable distance of around 08 kms only from Mount Valley Guest House in Monte Guirim.

SALIM ALI BIRD SANCTUARY
Goa has been bestowed with only one bird sanctuary and it is situated on the western tip of the Chorao Island on the Mandovi River. This bird sanctuary has been dedicated and named after the eminent Indian Ornithologist (bird lover) Dr. Salim Ali. Interested in knowing more about Dr. Salim Ali then visit http://www.birding.in/dr_salim_ali.htm

The size of the Salim Ali bird sanctuary is small being only 178ha (440 acres) or 1.8 sq. kms. This birdregionin Goa is concealed with a dense layer of mangrove forest.A km of walkway into the mangrove forest leads one to a dock where you can watch some bird’s crossing.There is a boat facility to take around the sanctuary. A minimum of 08 bird enthusiasts are needed for the group bird watching boat trip. The best time to visit the place is early morning and late evening when you can see lot of birds. Bird Sanctuary Bird Spotting & visiting timings are 06:00am mornings till 06:00pm evening.

The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is splashed by tiny natural river streams and tributaries, these water bodies attracts a variety of birds such as eagles, kites, kingfishers, egrets, parrots, cormorants, herons etc. Coots and Pintails stopover during the winter season. Besides birds, the bird Sanctuary also has animals like crocodiles, jackals and otters in their natural undisturbed habitat.

This world famous Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is situated at a distance of 8.3 kms from Mount Valley Guest House of Monte Guirim. Its only a short ride by bike. For BIRDS OF GOA & AROUND MOUNT VALLEY IN MONTE GUIRIM click here.

MAPUSA FRIDAY MARKET
This is a weekly market and a weekly shopping affair that repeats itself every Friday of the week. It’s a major tourist attraction as on every Friday the main market of Mapusa expands to accommodate the tribal’s, the sellers from other villages of Goa and for the farmers and traders from all parts of Goa and from kudal, sawantwadi, and banda in neighbouring Maharashtra. Most of the farm products sold over here is direct from the farmer to the consumer with many organized middlemen too. Fresh fish, fruits, spices and home made delicacies are ready for sale here.

Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for straw hats, Goan Homemade Churisso (pork sausages) etc. String of Churis or Churisso (pork sausages) - Goa's mouth watering sausages, spiced and marinated in feni (local alcoholic drink).The sausage can be fried, or boiled, or added to an ordinary dish for sausage taste. You name it and you get it at the Mapusa weekly market fresh fish, dry fish, fruits , vegetable , spices , kitchen tools everything .There are no fashionable stalls , no glamorous shops it’s a plain village bazaar , but the produce are fresh and appealing.

The attractive thing about Mapusa Friday markets is the explosion of colours that you see, the energy of the people, the pleasant smiles with which they address you and the authenticity of a local market.

Mapusa market is the main market for all the surrounding villages of Mapusa. All the roads from Monte Guirim head towards this main market and city of Mapusa.