Candolim Beach - Goa

The city and the beach of Candolim have a lot of history dating back to it. The place is known for its bungalows and mansions, and the beach, for its ever-increasing number of resorts, parasols, and water sports facilities. Candolim gets its name from the Konkani word for dykes, Kandoli. Years ago farmers used to set up dykes to reclaim land from the nearby marshes of Nerul. Candolim is only 3km from Calangute. An interesting thing about the beach is that a few decades ago it used to be the exact spot where sanyasins and rishis came to meditate and do yoga. Now imagine this to be one north Goas busiest beaches! There are many Portuguese houses and mansions that have now been converted to hotels and restaurants. You can also find a smattering of chapels and Hindu temples, too, here. Candolim houses the accommodation of many celebrities and socialites. The Kingfisher Villa, home of Vijay Mallaya, is right across the main road. Buses and taxis connect Candolim with Panjim, Calangute and Nerul. You can alternatively hire a motorbike to tour the nearby towns. There are budget hotels, luxury beach resorts as well as accommodation near Fort Aguada for those visiting Candolim. And if you love to go boating, catch crabs and fish, then head for one of the amazing boat trips. You can spot dolphins and crocodiles on these trips. You can watch live go on near the estuary and the various canals.

Baga Beach - Goa

It is an extension of the world-famous Calangute Beach. Theres no saying where one ends and the other begins. The scenery doesnt change much; one sort of flows into another here. The beach is easily accessible. It is only 10 km from Mapusa. Theres a small river that flows into the sea here. You can go for village visits on country boats. The Saturday Flea Market at Anjuna is just a walk away. Many souvenir and handicraft shops line the beach. You can also try your hand at cooking traditional cuisine at one of the few shacks that offer this facility. Baga beach is a hot scene of action whether were talking about bodies out in the sun waiting to be tanned or the abundance of adventure activities. You can find jet skis, paragliders, speed boats and the like at the beach. Of course, no one can question the fact that beach games, parties and the nightlife is what people flock here for! Baga beach became very popular with youngsters, in the 1990s.

There are moderate to expensive accommodation near the beach shacks and tents to luxury resorts and private hotels that caters to all segments of travellers and fun-seekers. Although hotel owners and restaurants hike their prices during Christmas and New Years, it is still the best time to visit any part of coastal Goa, especially Baga.

Morjim Beach - Goa

It lies on the road towards Arambol. The southern end of the beach is called Temb, where local fishermen and net-pullers reside. Quite a sleepy town, it does have its shares of tourists. You can spot a busload of them once in a while. Morjim Beach is famous for the turtle hatching ever winter. Marine turtles like the Olive Ridleys turn up in hundreds to lay eggs. Called the Turtle Wind by the locals, it starts by early November. Villagers pick up the eggs to sell them at the Mapusa market. But, recently, the Goa forest department has gathered a few locals and officials to supervise the turtles laying of the eggs and guarding them. Its a superb activity to go turtle walking along the beach in the right season. Another place to check out is the Yoga Village in Morjim. You can attend classes, stay on the premises, and get in touch with your inner self.

Arambol Beach - Goa

Also known as Harmal, Arambol is located in the northern taluk of Pernem. It is 32km from Mapusa, and well-connected at that. As it tucked away in the north it is a nice place to spend time with your friends and family. There are good restaurants here from Punjabi food to Continental cuisine and most of them are affordable. Most cafes and restaurants have live music playing till the wee hours of the night. There are lots of adventure activities to be taken up. Paragliding and kite surfing are a couple of them. You could also choose to learn Yoga at the local centre here.

Bogmalo Beach - Goa

Located close to the Dabolim airport, on the Mormugao peninsula, nestles small coves and a quiet beach. The Bogmalo beach is comparatively smaller beach among the beaches of the state. And its smallness and quietness is what attracts tourists to it. Besides a couple of five-star hotels, resorts and other restaurants, the beach and the endless sand is all yours. There are also wayside restaurants, with cane furniture out on their terraces or decks, serving delicious Goan fare and Indian cuisine. A little above Bogmalo, on a hilltop, stands the Naval Air Museum. It has many old aircraft and other collections from the 1940s. Youll get the entire history of the Indian Fleet Air Arm here. Theres a British-run, PADI dive school off Joets Guest House. They operate guided dives as well as PADI Open Water Diving Courses.

Halant Beach - Goa

About four km off Bogmalo is a set of tidal coves and a calm beach ideal for relaxing. The atmosphere is serene and the water, calm. With just a handful of restaurants and small sit-downs, this place is a beauty. Its best for early morning or late evening beach walks. Watching the sun setting over the brown sands and the water is in itself exhilarating. And if you go up and over the hill top, youll be given to a picturesque view of the Colva beach.

Benaulim Beach - Goa

This beach is situated seven km west of Margao on the Colva-Mobor highway. According to history the places name is Banali, Sanskrit for place where the arrow landed. Hindu mythology says that Goa was born out of the sea when Lord Parasurama shot an arrow into the sea, making the waters withdraw. Benaulim is the Portuguese corruption of Banali. Benaulim is a late entrant on the beach scene. The white sands of the beach werent touched by tourists as early as two decades ago. It used to be a fishing hamlet. And that was all, until tourists identified this as a serene location for a weekend out. The Margao market is located close by. So are a handful of other options for shopping and eating. Travel, too, is very convenient. There are cycles and motorbikes you can hire to visit the villages and the fishermens settlements.

The bonfires on the weekend attract a lot of people. Partying and having fun is the order of the day, or rather, the night.

Mobor Beach - Goa

This forms the end of the Colva Beach stretch. It is known for its swanky five-star hotels, beach mansions and luxury resorts. The beach itself is quite crowded and shaded from the concrete jungle behind it, but the blue waters only seem to call out more tourists every year. The Sal estuary straddles the beach and the town. There are river ferries across the town. A boat trip typically takes you through the villages and gives you a feel of life there. There are low hills to go on nature walks and treks.

Galjibag Beach - Goa

This beach nestles between the Talpona river and Arabian Sea. This remote beach is 15km from Chaudi. The fact that the beach is a nesting ground for the turtles makes it a haven for tourists as well as young scientists who visit the place. The beach is unspoilt and not crowded. The people around are only eager to serve you fresh fish curry and toddy in their homes. There are temples and river ferries that you can count on for tourist pastimes.

Anjuna Beach - Goa

Up the coast from Baga is the well-known Anjuna Beach. The beach is as famous as the Wednesday Flea Market, which occurs right behind the beach to its southern end. Anjuna used to be the scene of wild parties and nude sunbathers, but it has toned down quite a bit in the last decade or two. Although there is frequent spotting of the same, it has been visited by middleaged couples and family visitors of late. Buses from Panjim and Mapusa stop at the Anjuna bus stand. There are taxis and motorcycles, too, on rent. The airport is an hour away. Accommodation options are plenty at Anjuna. You can choose from flexible budget hotels to prime resorts. A kilometre-long stretch of sand near a red cliff is the main area of action. You can find people basking in the sun or playing a game of Frisbee or beach ball. People walking in for a beer often stay back longer to enjoy the calm waves and the relaxing atmosphere at the beach restaurants.

You might have to haggle a bit, but the flea market should be a definite plan on your visit to Anjuna. People from all over India set up stalls here. Clothes, jewellery, handicrafts, bamboo items, food and more. Places to eat and drink are in abundance here. The beach shacks and restaurants find good profit from the huge floating population. Pubs, discos and lounge bars, too, vie for space here.