The state of Goa in India, was a Portuguese colony until 1962, and is famous for its Indo-Portuguese culture and architecture. Goa's beaches reflect its colourful mosaic of history.
The combination of the "sosegãdo" or laid back lifestyle, bracing weather and Goa's carnival-like nightlife has been known to lure many into a psychedelic trance.
As you vacation in Goa and feel the soft sand beneath your feet, you'll find that there is no place like a warm, inviting beach in Goa to make you feel at peace with the universe.
Since we usually stay at my parents' flat at Monte-de-Guirim, near Mapusa, the only time we check into a hotel or resort is when we don't have our own transport and want to spend more time at the beach. The transport in Goa being what it is, its always better to have your own car or bike.
I love to spend my Goa holiday gorging on the local crab, king prawns and typical Goan delicacies like chicken rechãdo and xãcuti. I also make it a point to visit my aunt's house in Mapusa, where she always has a delicious plate of fresh oyster deep fried in rava ready for me.
The local brews, like cashew and coconut "feni," with their strong aroma, are definitely not for the faint of heart (or stomach). If you visit in the right season, you can sample the local "Urak," a lighter and sweeter-smelling distillate of feni.
How to get there: You can take a cheap flight to Goa from Bombay (Mumbai). The more adventurous can opt for an eight-hour trip to Goa by Konkan railway or a sixteen-hour bus journey from Mumbai.
Where to stay: Beach resorts and budet hotels are numerous, and accomodation is often included when you opt for a cheap Goa holiday package or tour.
The beaches of Goa are like the curves of a woman's body - warm, inviting, sensous.
Goa's beaches are speckled with quaint little beach shacks that serve ice cold beer and spicy Goan cuisine. It is easy to find cheap accomodation in a beach resort or hotel very close to the beach in Goa. The list below includes some of my favourite Goa beaches. You won't find any of the more popular, overcrowded beaches here - like Colva and Calangute beach - that are done to death in every Goa travel guide or information brochure.
These are only the best beaches to visit, some a little off the beaten track.
North Goa Beaches Candolim Beach Sinquerim Beach Baga Beach Bambolim Beach Arambol Beach Vagator Beach |
Candolim Beach
Candolim is the birth place of Abbe Faria, a Goan Freedom Fighter and the Father of Hypnotism. When we stay at Candolim, we usually book one of the rent-back apartments a stone's throw away from the beach.There is little or no shelter close to the beach, but you can hire out a beach umbrella, sample the good food available at the beach shacks that dot the beach, and sun yourself in solitude. This Goa beach is very popular with package tourists, but is still not too crowded.
Sinquerim beach has clean, white sand, and is close to the historic Fort Aguada, the early 17th century Portuguese fort that was built by the Portuguese to control the entry into River Mandovi and to protect old Goa from enemy attack.
You can take a long walk from Sinquerim beach all the way up to Candolim beach, which continues all the way north to Baga.
Baga Beach
Baga is a small fishing beach with a grove of shady palms close to the water’s edge. There are few buses that come all the way to the beach's edge, but none after dark. Its a long walk to the Calangute taxi stand from the beach, so if you plan to stay after sundown, make sure you have your own transport.
Baga is really an extension of Calangute beach. But unlike Calangute, which is crowded, steep and marred by dangerous undercurrents, the beach at Baga is flat, safe for swimming, and has clean, white sand.
A little creek joins the sea between the beach sands and a hill that is home to the Retreat House.
Although not among the famous "nude" beaches of Goa, Baga is very popular with topless sunbathers who strip off to catch some sun, while the locals gawk. You can catch some action of a different kind if you like water sports and fishing. After dark, night-time revellers frequent Tito's - one of the more lively watering holes of Goa's nightlife.
Baga has a Saturday night flea market and you can shop for colourful Kashmiri handlooms and other artifacts all along the road leading to the beach
Bambolim Beach
Bambolim beach is a small, clean, largely undiscovered beach, in a shaded spot before the mouth of the river Zuari. The entrance to the beach is easily missed and lies along the hill between Goa Medical College and the Goa University.
The road goes all the way down to the Bambolim beach resort from where you can make your way to the beach. The beach is carpeted with broken mother-of-pearl and other shells, which makes it a haven for shell-collectors. Thick coconut groves line the beach and provide shade and privacy. Its a beautiful beach for a quiet, cosy picnic.
You can enjoy lunch at the Bambolim Beach Resort restaurant, serenaded by one of the local singers or bands. When you decide to head back home, take the road that goes to the beautiful Goa University all the way up to Dona Paula.
A little off the road before Dona Paula just before the National Institute of Oceanography, is a restaurant called White House. It serves excellent seafood and has a view of the bay to die for.
Its also one of the few pet-friendly restaurants in Goa, so if you have a well-behaved pooch along, you won't have to tie it outside till you finish your dinner.
Arambol Beach
Arambol Beach is near the traditional fishing village of Arambol and is an isolated stretch of beach known for its rocky and sandy terrain. Until recently Arambol was a favorite Goa beach for hippies and its claim to fame was the wild parties it was host to.
The main beach is relatively good for swimming. To the north are quiet bays where you can take long walks with starfish underfoot. There's a hot spring near the main beach that runs into a freshwater lake. Sporty types can enjoy activities like dolphin watching boat trips and paragliding.
Vagator Beach
Vagator is one of the more beautiful white sand Goa beaches. To reach the beach, you have to walk down a steep cliff. The sea here is not safe for swimming, but during the tourist season, it has an active nightlife.The south beach is fairly spread out and more secluded. A little further south of the main beach you'll find the quiter Little Vagator or Ozran beach with a fresh water pool. You can also visit the nearby Chapora Fort. Accomodation is not always easy to find because there are few hotels here.
Benaulim Beach
My strongest memory of Benaulim is that of being bitten by a stray dog. But I also remember all of us - the entire family - feasting on a delicious meal of shellfish we dug out in bucket-loads from the sand. Benaulim beach is more peaceful and serene than Colva and still rather undiscovered by domestic tourists.
According to Hindu mythology, this is the place where the arrow of Lord Parsurama landed when he created the state of Goa. Known in Sanskrit as Banali, it was changed to Benaulim by the Portuguese. The main attractions on this beach are the dolphin cruises.
The church of St. John the Baptist on the hill is a wonderful example of Goan Christian architecture. With the first drops of the Indian monsoon, the village breaks into a celebration of thanksgiving for the Feast of São João.
Palolem beach, situated in the Canacona distrct, is also known as "Paradise Beach". Until a few years back, it was among the virgin beaches of Goa. It is a fishing beach popular for its dolphin cruises and fishing trips.
At the northern end of the beach is a tiny, island in the middle of a fresh water stream that can be reached by swimming across at low tide. The Gaitonde's tent resort is one of the more popular places to stay, but be sure to book well in advance. You can laze in a hammock and sip your beer while enjoying the delicious fresh catch brought in by the fishermen.
There are a lot of little resorts along the beach with bamboo huts on stilts. The accomodation is nothing fancy, spartan even, but at less than $10 per day you can't really expect more.
Agonda Beach
Agonda is a virgin stretch of beach twelve kilometres from Palolem and, until recently, was undiscovered by tourists. It is sometimes frequented by day picnickers. The waters are crystal clear and its easy to see the bottom of the shore while swimming. Watch out for the sharp barnacles if you decide to climb any of the rocks there.
Until recently there was just a solitary shack on the beach, however that may not be the case any longer. If you find it difficult to get accomodation here, you can stay at Palolem, and drive down to Agonda for the day. The more adventurous can rent a bicycle in the village and cycle cross country to the beach.
Cavelossim Beach, is a small stretch of beach eleven kilometres south of Colva beach. South of Cavelossim beach is the Mobor beach that currently boast of five star resorts like the Leela Beach Resort.
Both beaches are relatively isolated and there are few beach shacks here. Mobor has a fishing village with a small lagoon near the mouth of a river, and its fun to watch the seagulls that come to feast on the fish drying on the sand.
