Goa
beaches
Tour
to Goa is a visit
to paradise,that is
embedded between the
seas and the lush
forested hills,offering
glittering sands,
swaying coconut palms,
and ultra fresh variety
of seafood.It makes
goa the best place
for spending the New
year. Beaches of goa
are some of the perfect
places to live every
moment of one’s
life in pure bliss
& happiness
Dona
Paula Beach
Dona
Paula Beach is haunted,
at least according to
local legend. The romantic
story of Dona Paula
de Menezes and her lover
has long been attached
to the beach. Dona Paula
was the daughter of
a viceroy in colonial
days; she was refused
permission to marry
a local Goan fisherman
so she threw herself
from a nearby cliff.
According to local myth,
you may occasionally
catch a glimpse of her
on moonlit nights walking
in the waves with just
a pearl necklace on.
Few tourists have been
lost to the ghost in
recent years, so you
have little to worry
about... Dona Paula
Beach is about 4 miles
west of the Goan capital,
Panaji. Visitors to
Panaji can travel out
to the beach and sunbathe
or shop for trinkets
at the stalls there.
Dona Paula Beach rests
on the headlands overlooking
Mormugao Harbor. It
is edged with palms
and casuarinas. Water
sports provide the main
attraction of the beach.
A sports club there
offers motorboat excursions,
water-scooters for rent,
windsurfing, water skiing,
para-sailing, fishing
and more. The National
Oceanography Institute
is also on Dona Paula
Beach. The institute
was established in the
1960's to study marine
biology. The institute
houses a Marine Biology
Museum and Taxonomy
Reference Center. The
Governor's House (Cabo
Raj Niwas) is about
a quarter mile from
the National Oceanography
Institute. The tomb
of Dona Paula de Menezes
is in the Cabo Chapel
there. Aguada Fort is
also close enough to
the beach to be worth
a visit. Dona Paula
Beach has also served
as the setting for several
Indian movies, increasing
its popularity as a
tourist spot.
Not
far from the beach,
tourists can visit the
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.
The bird Sanctuary is
on the western end of
Choro Island in the
Mandovi River. It is
about five miles from
the beach. The sanctuary
covers a little more
than a square mile of
mangrove forest. You
need permission from
the chief wildlife warden
before you visit the
sanctuary. Reis Magos
Church is about six
miles from the beach;
it is one of the oldest
churches in Goa. Reis
Magos was dedicated
to the three wise men
of the Christmas story:
Gaspar, Melchior, and
Balthazar. Dona Paula
Beach is one of the
easiest in the country
to visit. Transportation
from the capital, Panaji,
is relatively easy to
arrange and accommodations
are plentiful. The Goa
Tourism Department arranges
sunset river cruises
and full-moon cruises.
Most include the option
of a meal.
BETIM
BEACH
Across
the Mandovi River linking
Panaji with the north
goa beaches Betim is
the fishing and boat-building
village. There is a
ferry that shuttles
to Panaji's old steamer
jetty. The village is
inundated with traffic
during day. Here you
will find a small Sikh
temple or Gurudwara,
whose gleaming white
Mogul domes and saffron
pennant are visible
from opposite shore.
REIS
MAGOS BEACH
he
coastal road veers inland
to a small market crossroad.A
Hindu tree shrine, 20
mts., before this marks
the turning to Reis
Magos, 3 K.M., west
of Betim Bazaar. Reis
Magos Church was built
in 1555. Historians
believe the original
church was constructed
on the ruins of an old
Hindu temple and the
bas-relief lion figures
flanking the steps at
the ends of the balustrades
lend credence to the
this theory, being a
typical feature of Vijayanagar
temple architecture
in the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries.
Two viceroys of Portuguese
are buried inside the
church. The centrepiece
of the church's elaborately
carved and painted recedes,
behind the high alter
is a multicoloured wood
relief showing the Three
Wise Men - or Reis Magos,
after whom the village
is named . Each year
this scene is re-enacted
in the Festa dos Reis
Magos held in the first
week of January during
Epiphany. Crowning the
sheer-sided headland
immediately above the
church, Reis Magos fort
was erected in 1551
to protect the narrowest
point at the mouth of
Mandovi estuary. These
days the bastion surrounded
by sturdy laterite wall
studded with typically
Portuguese turrets is
used as a prison and
not open to the public
but you can climb up
the steep slope to the
ramparts for the view
over the river.
SINQUERIM
BEACH GOA
The
first tourist beach
of North Goa is also
the site of Aguada Fort,
one of the best preserved
Portuguese coastal forts.
West of Reis Magos,
a long laterite Peninsula
extends into the sea
bringing the seven kilometers
long Calangute beach
to an abrupt end. Fort
Aguada which crowns
the rocky flattened
top of the green headland
is the largest and best
preserved Portuguese
bastion in Goa. Built
in 1962 to guard the
northern shores of the
Mandovi estuary from
the attack by Dutch
and Maratha raiders,
its name derives from
the presence inside
of freshwater springs-the
first source of clear
drinking water available
to the ships arriving
in Goa after long sea
voyage from Lisbon.
Now is the Goa's largest
prison.
sinquerim
beach goaThe fort can
be reached by heading
south past the Taj village
towards Nerul and turn
1 K.M when you see a
right lane striking
uphill towards the woods.
In 1970 this picturesque
spot known as Sinquerim
Beach was the first
place in Goa to be singled
out for upmarket tourism
and to some extent that
has continued even until
today. Fort Aguada Beach
Resort, one of the cluster
of three Taj Group hotels,
is also here. The other
unusual feature of the
fort is the four story
Portuguese lighthouse
erected in mid 1864
and the oldest of its
kind in Asia. A New
lighthouse outside the
complex replaced the
function of the original.
Superseded by a modern
lighthouse only erected
in 1976, it is used
to house the colossal
bell salvaged from the
ruins of the monastery
of St.Augustus in Old
Goa which now hangs
in Panaji's Our Lady
of Immaculate Conception.
This beach is well known
for water sports, as
there are two or three
water sports companies
which operate from this
beach.
CANDOLIM
BEACH GOA
Candolim
at the far southern
end of Calangute beach
is a surprisingly sedated
resort. Now with the
increase in tourism
the beach has been slightly
transformed, to some
for the best, to others
for the detriment. To
the south of Candolim,
along peninsula extends
into the sea, bring
the seven kilometre
white sandy beach to
an abrupt end, Aguada
Fort, which crowns the
rocky flattened top
of the headland is the
best preserved Portuguese
bastion in Goa. On the
north side of the fort,
a rampart of red-brown
laterite juts into the
bay to from a jetty
between two small sandy
coves. This picturesque
spot is Sinquerim Beach.
Anjuna
Beach
From
Anjuna: Anjuna Beach
is to the south of the
village with its usual
lot of restaurants and
bars. Not really the
most beautiful beach
you can see in Goa,
and not really a quiet
place (beware of the
occasional skydiver
landing on the beach,
watch out for that one
infuriated cow), but
it's still possible
to have good times there.
Be sure to check Curlie's
at the end of the beach,
that's the place where
people meet, chill or
just listen to music
Arambol
beach
A
long beach, both rocky
and sandy, with a nice
headland where you can
climb and find a nice
view, and small altars.
Its main draws are the
nearby hot water springs,
paragliding and relative
quietude. The experienced
Anjuna travellers like
to stay here and move
to Anjuna area only
for parties and markets.
Bogmalo
beach
A
small and almost deserted
beach, 8 km south from
Vasco Da Gama, and 4
km from Goa's airport.
A good place to sleep
after or before your
flight.
Internet
here is expensive (50
Rs./hour) compared to
Vasco Da Gama (20 Rs./hour)
and can be found only
at Sarita's guesthouse.
Calangute Beach
A
vast sandy beach that
stretches to Candolim.
The sea can be very
rough and swimming in
the afternoon is not
recommended. Not very
peaceful. A huge array
of sellers from all
over India who don't
take no for an answer.
Their wares are quite
often bought in the
small shops in the town
and then sold on to
tourists at inflated
prices.
Colva
and Benaulim Beach
A
southern lookalike of
Calangute beach, with
far less tourist presence
and fishing industry.
There are a few restaurants
on the beach where you
can taste some Goan
specialties (often spicy).
Colva is the more crowded
of the two.
Majorda
Beach
If
you want perfect silence
responding to the humming
of the sea, where you
can sit engrossed in
a book and look up to
catch the picturesque
scene of the sea dressed
in golden orange frills
sprayed by the rays
of the setting sun before
sinking into oblivion,
then Goa Majorda beach
is the place to be.
Mandrem
Beach
Beautiful deserted beach,
just a few huts offering
not-so-good food, but
the beach and sea are
worth it. Good places
to eat include End of
the World Café
for fish & Oasis for
superb tandoori chicken,
prawns & bread.
Morjim
and Asvem beach
Beautiful
and deserted Morjim
Beach (Turtle Beach)
and Asvem Beach go as
far as Chapora. Perfect
place to go to avoid
the activity found a
bit more to the south
(Anjuna). Although Morjim
is a designated and
protected habitat for
the Olive Ridley turtle,
it's perhaps perfect
for R&R. From time
to time an outdoor party
takes place inbetween
Morjim and Asvem.
Palolem
beach
One
of the most beautiful
Goan beaches, although
not as peaceful as it
used to be (sometimes
referred to as the Goan
lost paradise). Palolem
Beach is long beach
now entirely filled
with rooms and huts
(150-400 Rs.) and restaurants,
sometimes with live
music. There's also
a market for tourists.
Walk the beach at night
with a flashlight and
you'll be amazed by
crabs running away from
you.
Patnem
Beach
A
small and quiet beach
about 1.5 km from Palolem.
If you get up early
at around 07:00-07:30
and go for a swim, you
might get a chance to
swim with dolphins.
The sea here has a lot
of plankton in it, so
take a night swim moon
and you may see your
limbs glowing in the
water. During full moon
nights the sea itself
glows.
Vagator
Adjoining
the famous Anjuna beach,
Vagator is a little
more laid back, though
still pretty much steeped
in the rave culture.
Primrose, Nine Bar (both
open air clubs) and
Disco Valley (where
many outdoor parties
were held, but now only
Christmas and Sylvester
parties) are its most
famous landmarks.
In
Vagator, you can find
a 24 hour restaurant/convenience
store/chill out called
Robert's place near
Primrose. Since 2003,
a flea market is organised
here every Wednesday,
though it is yet to
make an impression like
the ones in Anjuna or
Arpora.
Chapora
village, popular with
long-stayers, is a labyrinth
of small intertwining
roads. Monkey Valley
is of one the best place
for parties. A well
known place among travellers
for fruit juices and
fruit salad is Scarlet's
in Chapora.
Close
to Vagator and Chapora
is the Petrol Station,
where you want to monitor
what's happening if
you don't want to be
scammed.
The
Saturday night flea
market in Arpora, organised
by a German since early
nineties, is by far
the largest and most
vibrant flea market
in North Goa. There
is also a sizeable performance
area which promotes
local talent.
A
dozen or so web sites
publish this quote about
Little Vagator Beach:
"It's a free-and-easy
mood at Little Vagator
Beach where a young,
hip crowd and nude sunbathing
are the norm."
It is unclear that the
sites are related (except
that they all deal with
Goa and tourism) and
it is impossible to
tell which site the
quote originates with.
But MTV India independently
confirms that Vagator
is a de facto nude beach.(Note:
Nudity is offence in
Goa) |
