Less travelled beaches of Goa

Image courtesy:prajna LS

 

 What comes to your mind when you hear of Goa? Beaches of course! Goa, being one of the popular destinations for holidaying on the sea shore, attracts millions of tourists every year. One will not get tired of visiting Goa, be it for a casual or a formal visit. Goa indeed is a tourist’s heaven by providing a true freak out time. Have fun, celebrate, be merry, relax and rejuvenate in Goa. It is that part of India which is the most explored one; yet, one will be surprised to know it is still left with unmarked corners. 

 This article makes an attempt to introduce some of the unexplored parts of Goa, focusing especially upon beaches. If you are on a family trip and want to spend some fun times with kids, then visit commercialized beaches in Goa. These beaches provide snacks stalls, water sports, and other entertainments like paragliding, scuba diving, kayaking etc. When we talked about the beaches in Goa, it hosts both commercialized and secluded beaches. Most of the commercialized beaches are situated in the North Goa whereas South Goa hosts most of the secluded ones.

 Goa, situated on the western coastline of India, is best known for white sand beaches, churches, temples, and fenny! It is well connected by air, road and railways. It may sound funny, if you search for a city named Goa anywhere in Goa you would not find. Goa is the name given to the entire region on the Arabian Sea coast comprising North and South Goa. So, where would you land up if you are an outsider? You may choose either Panjim in North Goa or Madgaon in the South Goa section as base destinations to travel around the region. 

Reaching Goa:

Panjim is the headquarters of North Goa which is at about 550 km from Mumbai. Madgaon, headquarters of South Goa, is just 45 minutes drive from Panjim. However the airport is based at Dabolim in Vasco, 35 minutes drive from Panjim. Goa has two railway heads: one at Vasco, the other at Madagaon which is connected by Konkan Railway services.

Pro tip :

Well chauffeur driven sanitized rental cars, tourist taxis, rental bikes, autos and buses are available for inland travels. Accommodations providing budget, luxury and premium services would be easily available during off season. Advance booking of hotels would be preferable if you are travelling during Christmas vacations. 

If you are interested in exploring secluded beaches in Goa, let me tell you, go towards the south. Make Madagaon the base destination, and explore each beach a day if you are there for more than a week. Southern beaches are less travelled, least crowded, and most of them provide completely secluded private beach resorts.

 

Let's See Beautiful South Goa Beaches :

Let us start with Colva Beach which is situated near Madgaon city. It is just 15 minutes drive from Madgaon (Margao). This was one of the secluded beaches of South Goa up until recently. Now, it is attracting more and more visitors and hence it has become a popular beach providing entertainment and luxury. It is stretched 20 km on the Western Coast.

Colva Beach

Colva beach
Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

If we move towards the south of Colva, we find the Benaulim Beach. You can locate the Church of St John the Baptist here on a hill top. This is basically a fishing village. You can buy wooden crafts and furniture here. 

Cavelossium Beach is just half an hour drive from Madgaon. This beach, along with Varca and Mobor beaches, is known to be the most non-commercialized beaches of Goa. A Less crowded beach of course. You may find huts converted as restaurants here and there.

Cavelossium Beach
Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

 Goa is stretched up to Sadashivghad, but Sadashivghad belongs to Karwar district in Karnataka. Sadashivghad is the place where Kali River merges into Arabian Sea. As we move on to further southwards, we find two most important beaches on the western coast situated in Goa. One is Agonda Beach and other one is the Palolem Beach.

Agonda Beach
Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

Palolem Beach Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

 Agonda is situated at about 35 km from Madgaon. This is for those who would love lonely beaches. Agonda beach is completely untouched by commercialization and less crowded compare to other beaches in South Goa. You would not find any snacks stalls or accommodation here. It is a lonely white sand beach good for photographers who would like to explore wild and raw nature. 

 Palolem beach is at about 40 km from Madgaon and is a bit inhabited beach.  You would find quite a few beach resorts, secluded huts and commercial stalls here. Another advantage is that you can have a boat ride to visit nearby islands. Be careful about high tides and weather conditions. 

 If you are frequent visitor to Goa, make your holidays something special when you visit Goa next time. Explore the South Goa. Be different this time!