Goa, in India, is world famous for its beaches. The Goan coast is lined with a number of beaches, each with a distinctive flavor, some have golden sand, some have white sand, some have fine sand grains, some with bigger sand particles, some full of shells, etc…But one thing common is the distinctive blue Arabian Sea and the swaying coconut palm trees. The Goan beaches are either a part of a continuous beach belt or are distinctive beach separated from other beach belts by a stretch of hills or rock formations that dot the Goan coastline. Some of the beaches are given here below:
Anjuna Beach
Goa Anjuna beach is one of the most popular beaches in Goa. The beauty of the white waves rushing to embrace the pale golden sand on the beach can be witnessed in full form at the Goa Anjuna beach. Goa Anjuna beach is a perfect haven for the hippies and you will come across some of them who have been staying on this beach for a couple of months. It is in the late 1950s to mid-1960s that Anjuna beach was “discovered” by the hippies. From then on began the trend of moonlit parties which is one occasion the hippies and now the tourists look forward to.
Goa Anjuna beach comes to life with the flea market and the full-moon beach parties at Goa Anjuna beach that continue through out the night. The flea market at Goa Anjuna beach offers a tourist just about anything he desires, right from swim suits to water-sports equipments to second hand bikes to cameras to various trinkets that can taken away as souvenirs to…just about anything. The Anjuna beach flea market is held on Wednesdays and if you are good at bargaining, then you can walk away with good stuff at throw away prices. You will also be able to find a mixture of good Gujarti, Kashmiri and Tibetan handicrafts. Apart from all this, you can also treat yourself to delicious Goan cuisine…right from mouth-watering prawns to heavenly pork vindaloo.
Agonda Beach
Goa Agonda beach is a long and lonely, fringed with palms and casuarinas and dominated by a large hill to the south. If a person is looking for for some quiet moments, Goa Agonda beach is the place to be.Goa Agonda beach is special because you will find absolutely no tourists, no souvenir stalls, no restaurants, nothing. Just the trees, the beach, the big beautiful ocean and you. It also makes for a great day trip from Colva and Cavelossim. For real adventure, hire a tent and camp for the night, listening to the crashing of the sea waves.
Candolim Beach
Goa Candolim beach comes as an ideal beach for those who are slowly getting tired of the crowded beaches of Calangute or Anjuna. Though tourists quite often frequent Candolim beach, you can still find some quiet places for yourself. If you want to try your hand at fishing, you are welcome to do so too. Some hotels at Candolim beaches offer yoga and meditation session which will give any tourist a sense of relief from all the stress and fatigue that he has been trying to run away from by being in Goa. Goa Candolim beach offers a variety of sports activites, right from parasailing to water-sking. There are special guides to help you through these daring water sports activites. Besides the main attraction at the Candolim beach in this Indian state of Goa is the special boating excursion especially during the evenings which offers you beautiful views of the sunset…you can really feel the sun touching its all-glory orange and then slowly sinking into the sea. This excursion is definitely worth a try.
Baga Beach
Goa Baga beach is an option for those who want to be away from the hustle-bustle found on the other beaches. Baga beach in Goa looks as if it has come alive out of a painting… majestic white waves rushing to wipe out the feet imprints left by you on the brown sand while the wind continues to flirt with the palm trees. Goa’s Baga beach is a small but perfect beach located between its two more famous cousins, Colva on one side and Calangute on the other. It is a good place to enjoy some quiet moments and dwell in peaceful contemplation with oneself.The Baga beach is more of a fishing beach with the tourists from across the world trying to get that big catch.
The Baga River flows down from one side offering a pleasant diversion for children and those who love the water but can’t risk the rip currents that swirl round the mouth. Where the river and the sea meet, and on the far right bank, tourists at Baga beach will see a group of black rocks against which the sea crashes.
Palolem Beach
If you drove in from the southern state of Karnataka and wanted to discover the nearest, reasonably well-known Goan beach, the chances are that you’d be directed to Palolem. It’s a beach of white sand facing a blue bay between two headlands. The little wooded islands on the northern headland look interesting but as we’ve never ventured onto any of them we don’t know what landing on them would be like. If you’re interested, try to persuade one of the fishermen – this is also a fishing beach – to ferry you across.
They do offer to take you out to spot dolphins. Tourists have discovered Palolem and so there are a few shacks selling seafood snacks, souvenirs and clothes of the shapeless, bright, informal kind. Panaji, the capital, is more than 70 km away. GoaPalolem is just 3 km away from Canacona Railway Junction, now on the Konkan Railway. You can hire taxis and auto-rickshaws to reach Palolem beach from Margao, 40 km away. There are regular buses from Margao to Palolem that would drop you at Canacona village.
Colva and Benaulim
With 20 km of virgin white sands, palm fringed, and sun drenched beaches, Colva is the most loved beach of Goans. Colva, unlike Anjuna or Calangute, gained popularity only lately. It was little disturbed and life moved on quietly. But those are the things of the past. Over the years, many hotels and buildings have sprung from nowhere. It is developing at a good pace.
Vagator and Chapora
The soft white sands, the black lava rocks, the coconut palms, the lush green landscape, nature playing its own music, and the sea turning from aquamarine to emerald green-Vagator and Chapora, overlooked by the 500-year-old Portuguese fort, leaves each visitor awestruck. Yet to be disturbed by the hustle and bustle of tourists, life goes on peacefully, in the background, in Vagator and Chapora. The world-famous Anjuna Beach lies to the south of Vagator. Vagator and Chapora are rich with rural life.
Chapora is a fishing village. So a large number of fishermen in their traditional attire can be seen. Anyone patient enough to listen to the numerous stories of the sea, they have plenty of them. Colorful women can be seen haggling and hocking fish by the roadside.
Dona Paula Beach
The beach is named after Dona Paula de Menzes, daughter of a viceroy (in colonial India), who threw herself off the cliff, when refused permission to marry a local fisherman, Gaspar Dias. The myth says that Dona Paula is entombed in the Cabo Chapel of the Raj Bhawan and is supposed to be seen emerging from the moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace. With the romance and myth attached to it-haunted by Dona Paula de Menzes-tourists throng the Dona Paula Beach not only in search of the deceased beloved, but also to indulge in water sports on the clear waters.
The Dona Paula Beach offers an opportunity to the tourists to have a sunbath and buy cheap seaside goods from local vendors. This beach has also been the location for many Indian movies, the most famous being Ek Duje Ke Liye. Given this dual attraction, Dona Paula Beach has become a popular tourist spot.
Varca, Cavelossim, Mobor
Varca, Cavelossim, and Mobor are the most beautiful beaches south of Benaulim. These beaches are much cleaner and quieter than most of the famous beaches of Goa. There are numerous beach shacks offering a variety of Goan dishes and seafood at reasonable prices. There are several food joints around Dona Sylvia where you can get entire package of good food, good drink, nice service, and a pleasant service in quite reasonable rates. There are facilities for Dolphin watching at Betty’s Place as well as boat trips for Dolphin watching up river Sal.
There are plenty of transportation facilities available to reach these beaches from Margao. From Cavelossim village, Margao is 18 km away and buses and autos are available easily. You can also hire taxis from Dabolim Airport (41 – 48 km) to reach the beach resorts here. To move locally, use cycles and scooters that are available on hire.
