Favourite Beaches of Goa
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.
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
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
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.
See photos of our recent trip
to Palolem
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.
Mobor and Cavelossim Beaches
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.
