Goa is one of India's special places, a state endowed with fabulous weather, even more fabulous beaches, delightful people, good food, hill-top forts, little white-washed churches, soaring Portuguese-era cathedrals, a unique cultural legacy-small wonder.
Goa is one of India's prime holiday destinations. Come the holidays or just about any long weekend, and Goa is packed with eager Mumbaites hoping to unwind for a few days, and sun-starved Europeans, soaking up all that glorious sun and food.
All of Goa's beaches have large expanses of clean sand, and yet, each has a slightly different character, which is often a result of the people who frequent it, the current popularity of the beachside restaurants, shacks and bars.
Starting in the extreme north of the State, where Goa meets Maharashtra, is the Chapora beach with the huge, sprawling Chapora Fort, one of the string of fortresses that were built by the Portuguese to protect their enclave. At the foot of the cliff lies theVagator beach, with many caves and creeks.
Calangute, along with the twin beach of Candolim, is to the north of the State capital, Panaji. Both are wide and clean beaches and deservedly popular. Baga, a little north of Calangute, is equally popular, and nestles under the ruins of yet another Portuguese fort.
Four kilometres from Panjim is a tiny beach with the pretty name of Gaspar Dias beach, virtually unknown to non-Goan visitors, and not safe for swimming. A kilometre further on is Dona Paula, with the ruins of Cabo fort.
The Aguada beach is synonymous with the top-notch Fort Aguada Hotel complex, a superb hotel that is built on the cliff, around the remnants of the early 17th century Portuguese fort. Although access to the beach is not possible through the hotel grounds, which are private, you can walk along Aguada beach, for in India private beaches do not exist. The hotel has been constructed in three parts, consisting of expensive cottages on the upper reaches of the hillside, the fort jutting out to sea, and a delightful Goan village, with individual cottages. Drawn by the clientele of the hotel, Aguada beach has cafes, itinerant vendors of everything from Kashmiri carpets to massages, and a good range of water sports.
The beautiful 40 kilometre stretch of Colva beach is fringed with lots of Good little restaurants and bars, many of them nothing more than shacks, but serving up excellent local food.
Anjuna beach is at the foot of red cliffs, and is still known as the hippy beach, though many of the aging flower children who formerly hung around there have moved on-probably back to the realities of today, but there are still lots of seekers after nirvana who flock to Anjuna beach, especially for the weekly flea market.
Goa's beaches also provide a range of water sport activities such as surfing, snorkeling, water skiing, etc. Mile after mile of golden sand, Goa's beaches are also ideal for swimming and sunbathing, though they are definitely not the end to Goa's other charms!
Beaches in Goa :