Goa is a small and beautiful state in India, primarily famous for its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife. With the beaches on one side, the state offers a variety of other attractions as well. If you are planning a vacation, Goa will never disappoint you. You should plan for at least two to three days if you are visiting Goa.
This little blog explores the beauty of Goa’s beaches, covering from South to North, along with the nearby attractions which you must add to your itinerary. What are the main beaches to explore? Where to stay, depending on your budget?
Come on! Let’s start from the South.
1. Palolem Beach
Firstly, consider visiting this less crowded and calm beach in South Goa. The beach waters are calm and allow you to enjoy a peaceful boating or kayaking experience.
The nearby cliffs, tall coconut trees and the calm beach waters offer you a relaxing experience.
When you visit here, don’t miss the ‘Butterfly Beach’, also known as the Honeymoon Beach.
Butterfly/Honeymoon beach
As the name suggests, the landscape naturally looks like a butterfly.
You can access this beach either by sea, by a peaceful boating experience or through the forest by an adventurous trek. Trekking is around 1.5 km.
Witness dolphins and a giant rock in the shape of a tortoise while you sail through the boat.
2. Cabo De Rama Beach
Cabo De Rama Beach is located at a distance of around 24 km from Palolem Beach.
The tall coconut trees, a shallow river, and cliffs with greenery; it is a perfect scenery to watch. The shallow river allows you to enjoy kayaking amidst tall coconut trees, calm surroundings and pleasant weather.
Things to explore near Cabo De Rama Beach:
Cabo De Rama Fort
Enjoy the beauty of the sea from nice viewpoints in this fort, located on top of a cliff. If you are an adventure lover, you can trek to visit the cave near this fort. Further, there is a church inside, which is still functioning.
Kayaking in backwaters
As mentioned earlier, the shallow river near the beach allows you to enjoy kayaking. Since the Cabo De Rama beach is less commercialised, the kayaking may not be properly organised.
So, for kayaking, you can consider visiting Cola Beach, which is located at an approximate distance of 10.5 km from Cabo De Rama Beach. There you can enjoy a peaceful kayaking experience in charming, calm surroundings.
Pebble Beach
As the name suggests, the beach is full of pebbles and rocks instead of sand. You can reach here by walking down from the Cabo De Rama Fort through rocky steps. On the way towards Pebble Beach, you can find stalls for food and drinks.
3. Cavelossim Beach
Next comes the Cavelossim Beach, which is located at an approximate distance of 20 km from the Cabo De Rama Beach.
With green scenery on one side and the beautiful bluish sea on the other, this beach is worth visiting. To the east of the beach lies River Sal.
Kayaking on the River Sal
River Sal is historically significant, located near the beach. Kayaking through this charming, calm river allows you to witness lush green mangroves along with the pleasant chirpings of the birds.
So, visiting Cavelossim Beach allows you to experience both sea and river vibes.
Mobor Beach
Walk southwards on the white sandy beach of Cavelossim to reach Mobor Beach. Mobor beach is just an extension of Cavelossim beach. Enjoy thrilling water sports there.
This beach is less crowded compared to Cavelossim, which allows you to enjoy the place peacefully.
4. Varca Beach
At an approximate distance of 8.5 km from Cavelossim Beach lies the less crowded, calm Varca Beach. The white sands are one of its main highlights.
You can enjoy:
Water Sports
Varca Beach allows you to enjoy various water sports like jet skiing, banana boat riding, and so on.
Dolphin spotting
Enjoy watching dolphins by taking a boat ride. Boat trips are available exclusively for dolphin spotting here.
Nightlife
A plenty of pubs and other nightclubs are available near the beach.
5. Colva Beach
Colva Beach, located within 10 km of Varca Beach, is our next destination. This is the longest and most famous beach in South Goa. The white sands, charming sunset views, and the nightlife make this beach a must-visit.
Things to do at Colva Beach:
Sunbeds and Umbrellas
Many beach shacks there offer sunbeds and umbrellas that allow you to relax and enjoy the beach.
Water sports
Enjoy thrilling water sports like jet skiing, parasailing and banana boat rides there.
6. Candolim Beach
The next must-visit beach on our list is Candolim Beach. The beach is located in North Goa, at a distance of around 43 km from Colva Beach.
People mainly visit here to witness the stunning sunset, with the waters shining in gold colour reflecting the sunlight.
There are plenty of eateries where you can taste various seafood and also other famous, delicious dishes. During nights, the vibe of the area entirely changes with music, pubs, clubs, etc, coming to life.
Further, you can enjoy thrilling water sports there.
Places to visit near Candolim Beach:
Sinquerim Beach
Just a short 3 km [approximate] ride from the Candolim beach, you reach Sinquerim Beach. You can enjoy swimming peacefully in its waters. But it is advisable to consider taking safety precautions or having an experienced swimmer nearby before you swim there.
Fort Aguada
Aguada Fort is located next to Sinquerim Beach. With just a small walk, you would reach the fort. Enjoy the beautiful views of the sea from the fort. With a small walk from the fort, you will reach the Aguada Lighthouse.
Reis Magos Fort
Reis Magos Fort is 10 km away from the Aguada Fort. You can consider visiting here if you have sufficient time.
Arpora Saturday Market
This is located at a distance of around 6.5 km from the Candolim Beach. If you are available at Candolim Beach on Saturday evenings, don’t miss visiting this market. You will experience shopping with a combination of a festive atmosphere.
7. Calangute Beach
Calangute beach is in North Goa. Popularly referred to as ‘Queen of Beaches’, it allows you to enjoy a wide range of leisure and adventure activities there.
Calangute Beach is approximately 5 km from Candolim Beach. You can enjoy thrilling water sports like speed boat rides, banana boat rides, etc. The nightlife here gives you a unique experience.
Calangute Market
Calangute is also famous for the renowned Calangute Market. Enjoy shopping for handicrafts, clothes, carpets, and many more at this market.
Tibetan Market
Visit the Tibetan Market to enjoy shopping for Tibetan handicrafts, souvenirs, clothes, etc.
8. Baga Beach
Baga Beach is the most famous beach in North Goa. People love to enjoy the nightlife at the Baga Beach. Further, the beach offers you a wide range of water sports too. It is at a walkable distance from Calangute Beach.
Places to visit near Baga Beach
Tito’s Lane
It is famous for its nightlife. It is home to plenty of clubs, bars, and other leisure activities. Famous clubs like Club Tito’s and Cafe Mambo are all located here.
Britto’s
This famous restaurant is located near the Baga Beach. It is famous for seafood, cocktails, and the music events hosted there at night.
9. Anjuna Beach
Anjuna Beach is located at an approximate distance of 6.2 km from Anjuna Beach. The beach is well-known for its beautiful rock formations, cliffs, and other natural features. The beach is famous among artists. The nightlife, shopping, and dining here attract tourists towards the beach.
Places to visit near Anjuna Beach
Anjuna Flea Market
It operates only on Wednesdays. It is located close to the beach, at a distance of around 1.2 km, so you can visit the place even by a short 15-minute walk.
Chapora Fort
Chapora Fort is located at an approximate distance of 5.5 km from Anjuna Beach. It offers a nice spot that allows you to enjoy a beautiful view of sunset view from this fort.
Splashdown Waterpark
This is an ideal place to visit as a family, along with your kids and make sweet memories with them. It is located at an approximate distance of 4 km from Anjuna Beach.
10. Morjim Beach
Visit Morjim Beach for a peaceful and relaxing experience. It is located at an approximate distance of 14.5 km from Anjuna Beach. It is a ‘turtle nesting site’, due to which the beach is famously called ‘Turtle Beach’. Watersports are the main attraction at this beach too. You can enjoy thrilling water sports like kayaking, jet skiing, etc.
Places to visit near Morjim Beach include:
Siolim
Visit Siolim Village, near Morjim Beach, to witness the Portuguese-style architecture. The ‘Siolim bridge’ is the main attraction here. The village is located at an approximate distance of 6 km from Morjim Beach.
Arambol
Arambol, near Morjim Beach, is famous for art, music, and a fun atmosphere. It is located at an approximate distance of 10 km from Morjim Beach. If you are willing to explore more, then you may consider visiting here.
Where to stay?
Now that you have seen the top 10 beaches of Goa, from South to North, the question now is ‘where to stay?’. If you are willing to experience the tour peacefully at a budget cost, there are various affordable hotels located in South Goa.
If you are visiting Goa to experience the nightlife and other leisure activities, you will have to visit North Goa and stay at a hotel there. Hotels in North Goa are generally considered to be more expensive than those in South Goa.
But there are a few best hotel booking apps that allow you to book safer, affordable, and comfortable hotels across Goa. There can be affordable hotels even in North Goa. Choose the right hotel booking platform to save your hard-earned money. So save more, stay smart!
Conclusion
To conclude, the months of September to March are considered to be the best season to visit Goa. During the rainy season, some of the water sports might be affected due to adverse weather conditions. So it is advisable to visit during the autumn, winter and spring seasons. Even for summer vacations, the city never disappoints you. But, to enjoy it to the best, you can consider visiting from September to March.
With that, we wish you a happy and safe journey, and also a safer stay!