A typical Goan fishing village with a long history behind it, Britona is located – like numerous villages in the Goan landscape - along the bottom of a hill and along a beautiful water-body. This is the Mapusa river, a tributary of the Mandovi. A picturesque place with winding narrow streets, it has all the charm of traditional Goa with a large number of examples of vernacular architecture, and old family homes of the Portuguese era situated here still. There are a few ship-breaking units where one can see the locals repairing boats. The village boasts two prominent chapels, and two temples, a mosque, and the beautiful church of Nossa Senhora de Penha de França, built in 1626, the entrance of which offers a mesmerizing view of the Panjim bridge and city beyond. Walking along from the centre of Britona until the Church also provides views of vast paddy fields watered by the tidal creeks that feed into the river on one side, and the hill forested with teak, mango and cashew trees.