Goa Beaches PALOLEM BEACH This idyllic crescent shaped beach is almost at the southern end of Goa in Canacona about 2 km from Chaudi bordered by swaying palms, this picture postcard beach with white sands is a perfect destination to take it easy. Many Cafés with Internet facilities and variety of cuisines cater to the tastes of the local as well as foreign tourists. There are some unique shacks which have elevated lodgings among the coconut palms offering a very distinct experience. Palolem is 70 Km from Panaji and has excellent motorable road with good transport facility. CAVELOSSIM & VARCA BEACHES These beaches boast of virgin white sands peppered with black Lava rocks. Many tourists seeking peace and tranquility prefer these beaches. The shacks here offer a variety of fresh sea food at very reasonable rates and there are boat rides available for dolphin watching. These beaches are located in South Goa & easily accessed from Margao. COLVA BEACH It is the queen of the beaches in South Goa. 20 Km of pure white sands exquisitely bordered by gently swaying palms offer a seaside experience like no other. Many tourists choose this beach with its serene tranquility to the crowded beaches of Calangute or Anjuna. You can just laze it out with a book where the gentle sounds of the waves lapping at the shore will help you to relax in a almost trance like state. The various shacks that serve a variety of cuisines also offer a great choice of cocktails and mocktails. Colva is very close to Margao and also has excellent lodging facilities. BENAULIM Located just next to Colva is the Benaulim beach which is ideal to just throw away all your worries and relax. Away from the buzz of usual tourist hustle – bustle, this quiet beach offers you a unique ambience of serenity and peace. Catering to your needs is an art perfected by shack owners who have assistants at your beck and call offering you all that you want to eat and dinner wherever you prefer to sit or relax on the beach. A little distance away situated on a hill is the Church of St. John the Baptist which is worth a visit. Thanks giving for the monsoon is celebrated by the Feast of St. John the Baptist (Sao Joao). DONA PAULA BEACH Though not exactly a beach, it is a nubbin of rocky land in the sea where legends says a Portuguese young lady Dona Paula de Menezes committed suicide due to unrequited love. The view from a specially built terrace is breathtaking where one can see the Zuari bridge over the river Zuari on one side where the other side looks to the port of Marmagoa where huge ships can be seen anchored. Exotic food and cheap beachwear are the highlights of this popular tourist destination. AGUADA BEACH At the base of the famous 17th century fort this beach is at the junction of the river Mandovi and the Arabian sea where the fort was constructed by the Portuguese to control the maritime activities. Now amongst the fort is the suberbly built fort Aguada Hotel which offers five – star facilities to the visitors. Café's and Restaurants to carpets and jewellery, this beach offers everything including water sports for the adventurous and sensual massages for the fitness oriented. A circular light house and a helipad offers a different experience to the visitor. Aguada beach is close to Panaji and Calangute. SINQUERIM BEACH Around the Fort Aguada is the Sinquerim beach where the Taj group of Hotels has set up a Heritage complex. This beach offers a great sandy stretch right upto Baga and is frequented by many tourists who prefer to walk on this firm sand rather than take the road. CANDOLIM BEACH A relatively quiet beach, it is one of the cleanest and best beaches in North Goa. Between Sinquerim and Calangute it offers lip-licking good food and amazing cocktails. Many hotels here offers Yoga and meditation sessions which help you truly relax in the Indian way, Also for the ones who like it rough, there are many adventure sports like parasailing and waterskiing, of course under the able guidance of experts who make your holiday experience a safe and enjoyable one. Many boat excursions offer special sunset cruises for those unforgettable moments in your albums. BAGA BEACH A quiet restful beach where the hustle – bustle of Calangute and Candolim is only a memory, Baga offers a quiet & tranquil beach where many foreign tourists do sun bathing and domestic tourists do sea bathing. It is unique in a way that the Baga river flows on one side and serenely joins the sea. CALANGUTE BEACH If Colva is the queen of South Goa then Calangute is definitely the queen of the beaches in North Goa. It is so famous that in International tourism industry Goa and Calangute are synonymous. It is 7 Km long stretch of sand that offers everything to the tourist from exotic food to titillating trinkets, to luxurious carpets, you name it, you get it. This beach is crowded with not just the foreign and domestic tourists, but also the locals enjoy the sun, sand and surf here. Calangute also offers fantastic night life with great music and dance. MIRAMAR BEACH The city beach as it is known because it is located in the capital city of Panaji. This beach is at the confluence of the river Mandovi and the Arabian Sea. It offers excellent opportunity for morning as well as evening walks for the fitness conscious. The sunset which offers a fantastic view of the red-gold sun dipping into the steel grey amber flecked waters is an experience worth capturing in your cameras. Surrounded with many posh hotels and restaurants, this beach is ideal for the holiday maker as well as the businessman who wishes to relax. AGONDA BEACH Just 10 km from Palolem is the quiet little beach of Agonda. Dominated by a large hill on one side, this beach is filled with coconut trees and casuarinas has lovely white sands. Those who want total seclusion will find this beach a ideal escape, there are no shacks, no Cafes only peace and tranquility. BOGMALO BEACH A beach near the airport and the sea port of Goa, that is Bogmalo, a quiet little sandy beach just 2 Km from Goa's airport Dabolim. Here one can lose himself in the serenity of the white sands and the calm blue sea and yet not be away from all the modern amenities. It is a perfect place to enjoy the ambience of a Goan fishing village and yet be close to the bustling port city of Vasco. MAJORDA BEACH From Bogmalo down south, there is Majorda beach and the Majorda Beach Resort. Majorda beach can be reached from Colva beach, which is around 8 km away. It is a part of a 30 kms long stretch of villages along the uninterrupted beach from Velsao to Mobor at Cavelossim in South Goa. Goa Majorda beach is very famous for delicious breads. Majorda beach in Goa has a very interesting history behind it. Majorda is the village where the Jesuits, fond as they were of the good things of life, discovered the best Goan toddy (sap from the coconut palm), which they used to leaven the bread. Naturally, then, Majorda in Goa is the place where the Goans were first trained in the delicate art of baking European breads. VAGATOR AND CHAPORA Vagator is a beach near Chapora fort and is easily accessible either from Mapusa or Panaji. The sea here is tempting but not always safe for swimming. You can see the traditional way of fishing is done in Goa where the fishermen dressed in their colourful attire merrily venture into the sea or come proudly displaying their catch. Besides this there are several high end multicuisine restaurants here to cater to many a taste. Vagator has a lot of cottages adorned with colours of lemon, purple and fuchsia the seawater matches these colours in the progress of the day. ARPORA Just off Baga, over the bridge on Baga river is the village called Arpora. This tiny village hosts some of the restaurants in Goa and the night life here is the best with sizzling music and dance. You can even experience an elephant ride here. ANJUNA BEACH The most "happening" place is the Anjuna beach. It is around 18 Km from Panaji and close to Vagator and Chapora. Tourists flock to this beach and no wonder as the natural beauty here is just beyond description by mere words. It has to be experienced! Especially a place in Anjuna called Ozran. Not only tourists but the locals haunt this place for its exquisite view. Main attractions of Anjuna are the magnificent architectures of the Albuquerque mansion built in 1920. which has unique octagonal towers flanking it, the Mascarenhas mansion and the historical Chapora fort. The other great attraction is the famous full moon parties and the Wednesday flea market. Full moon parties with trance music is sure to transport you into dimension less world and the Wednesday flea market will provide anything and everything from sunglasses to antiques, from second hand bikes to swimwear. Anjuna is definitely a "not to miss" beach. ARAMBOL BEACH Arambol beach is also known as Harmal by the locals. Equally loved by the locals as well as the tourists, it is a lively place on Sundays, rest of the week one can enjoy total peace and calm on this vast, unspoilt tract of clean, soft sand. It is a place where one can really find an inner peace rarely afforded in todays racing world UTORDA BEACH Utorda beach is just 14 miles from Dabolim airport. The Goa beaches in this region are exceptionally beautiful, with incredibly long unspoilt stretches of gorgeous soft sand. Here one can enjoy the warm seas, immense palm-fringed beaches and wonderful white sand that make Goa holidays so memorable. At Utorda beach vast amounts of space that invite sunbathing, swimming and leisurely walk on sand. Also can sample simple beach restaurants serving up delicious local seafood as well as the top-quality food available in the larger resort-style hotels. VELSAO BEACH Velsao Beach is one of the most vivacious tourist destinations in the Beach Capital of India-Goa. This small stretch of sandy beach lies on the southern coast of Goa. With the Bogmalo beach on the north and the Majorda and the Colva Beach on the south the Velsao Beach is easily accessible and makes an excellent day trip from the other beaches of Goa too. Velsao is a storehouse of natural treasures. The sands seem to beckon the tourists for a walk. The pure air, the cool breezes on the beach, warm waters create the perfect backdrop for a picture. The ambience that is developed is ideal for an unparallel holiday. Away from the madding crowd in the lap of nature you can unwind, relax and rejuvenate yourself. In true sense you can enjoy nature at its best at the Velsao beach. The first hand experience with the rural life will make you relish the sweetness of simplicity in each aspect of life. MANDREM 32Kms from Panaji this beach offers complete relaxation, peace and solitude; free from the hectic day-to-day life. Geographically Mandrem is surrounded by the villages of Morjim, Parxem, Chopdem and Arambol. One can have a good walk into Mandrem village and enjoy the colour of local life and also visit Suhas Parsekar's organic farm, where fresh organic fruit and vegetables are sold. AROSSIM BEACHES Arossim beach is just 13 miles from Dabolim airport. Arossim holidays are a well-established favorite with couples and families seeking a beach-based holiday amid typical charming Goa countryside with lush fields, rice paddies and palm groves. The Cansaulim church is located here. MOBOR BEACH Mobor beach is situated in the north of Goa. Mobor beach in Goa is very beautiful, very clean. The Islands in the river are unique, the waters around yield a rich harvest of oysters.