Most hippies in Goa are gone, but peace, love - and more - remain

Evidence of Goa’s Christian heritage can be seen in almost every village. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Tribune

March 15, 2016 8:37 AM PT

Ever-tolerant Goa, India, has evolved from a hippie haven to a vacation destination that still celebrates peace and the past.

One of the biggest churches in Asia, Se Cathedral was erected in Goa during Portugal’s colonial rule. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

Cows share the sand with sunbathers on Vagator beach in Goa. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

A few aging hippies remain in North Goa, a popular hangout for followers of the counterculture in the 1970s. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

Cows roam the beaches of Goa. Revered by Hindus, they cannot be harmed and move around at will. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

Rocky outcroppings separate beaches along Goa’s 66 miles of coastline on the Arabian Sea. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

The Vagator beach is among the most popular in North Goa. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

The body of St. Francis Xavier lies in a silver casket resting in a chapel in the Basilica de Bom Jesus in Old Goa. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)

The colonial architecture of Se Cathedral resembles that of southern Europe. The church is one of several in Old Goa’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Katherine Rodeghier / Chicago Tribune)