Floors behave differently at the top and bottom of Reis Magos. Up the slope, rooms are breezy and sunlit, a rug dries quickly, and wool or cotton does well; the one risk is the strip of floor by the south window, where an edge of the rug can bleach paler than the rest. Turn it now and then, or choose a colour that fades evenly. Down by the river, ground floors are damp underfoot throughout the monsoon. There a rug should be light enough to lift and hang, with no rubber backing, and fitted carpet is best forgotten. Old tiled floors deserve a rug that frames them instead of hiding them.
- Hillside living rooms: a large flat-weave or wool rug in a mixed pattern, which disguises fading near the sunny window.
- Ground floors in riverside houses: cotton dhurries on a non-slip underlay, taken up and dried whenever the tiles turn clammy.
- Villa bedrooms kept air-conditioned: fitted carpet is possible here, because such a room stays closed, cool and dry all through the wet months.
Reis Magos is on the north bank of the Mandovi, facing Panjim across the water. Its restored fort and white church stand on the slope above the river, and the village of Verem below runs along the road to Betim and the bridge.
Homes here are old riverside houses, hillside villas with views of Panjim and the river mouth, and some apartment buildings near Verem. Windows facing the water are the main feature.
The slope faces south over the river and gets sun for most of the day, with a steady breeze. Humidity is high and salt moderate.
Riverside and backwater homes
Ground floors near water are damp underfoot in the monsoon. Use rugs that can be lifted and dried, not fitted carpet, and avoid rubber-backed rugs that trap moisture against the floor.
Hilltop and plateau homes
Airy rooms on high ground dry quickly, which is good for natural-fibre rugs. Large open windows mean more sun on the floor, so choose colours that will not show fading along one edge.
