CALANGUTE
Calangute is the most popular beach with thousands thronging it
in both the peak and off-season. The waves rise high above as
you wash away your city blues, though swimmer need to be a
trifle cautious because of the sudden drop and the rising
waves.
Experienced swimmers will, however, revel in the seas here.. The
beach is fringed with popular restaurants and hotels, including
the
Calangute Residency operated by GTDC. This long, seven-km sweep
of sand located 15 kms from Panaji, is called the 'Queen of
Beaches'. All the travel agencies and tour operators have a base
here from where bookings are done for most of the other
beaches.
Parasailing at calangute beach
Years of tourism has brought in a tremendous change in the
scenario. Hotels and guesthouses stretch uninterrupted from
Calangute to Baga. The village of Calangute has all basic
facilities like post office, banks, foreign exchange offices,
resort
companies, all kind of bars and restaurants, besides medical
facilities. The number of internet cafes in Calangute might
even
exceed that of the entire city of Panaji.
Huge showrooms filled with exquisite handicrafts from Kashmir,
Tibet, Indonesia, Rajasthan and other exotic places, line up
the
main road running towards Anjuna.
BAGA
A few kms down the beach is another—Baga.-- part of a 30 km
stretch of beach coastline along the west coast of Goa which
begins at Fort Aguada, continues as Sinquerim Beach, moves on to
Candolim which merges into Calangute Beach and then
stretches on to Baga, Anjuna and on to Vagator, finally ending
at Chapora beach. Truly a veritable feast of beaches.
Compared to Calangute, Baga is quieter and also more isolated.
Its scenic beauty, with the creek, the Retreat House perched on
the hill and the fewer tourist buses all have contributed to its
unique beauty. It is more popular with western tourists who love
to
use it as a base for water sports and fishing in the area.
VAGATOR
This most photographed beach of Goa forms a bay that curves from
the headland to the hillock crowned by the Chapora Fort.
This beautiful arc of sand is located about 22 kms from Panaji
and is part of the 30 km stretch of beach coastline along the
west coast of Goa.
Adjoining Anjuna, Vagator is secluded, crescent shaped and
situated on the Caisua bay along the Chapora river basin in the
shadow of Chapora Fort. During the tourist season, it is a
favorite venue for midnight parties. There are a number of buses
that
run from Mapusa and Calangute beach to Vagator. The nearest
interstate bus station is at Mapusa.
ANJUNA
Anjuna was made famous by the ‘flower power and peace’
generation of the sixties and early seventies. And later by the
‘trance’
parties. Located about 18 kms from Panaji, the beach is known
for its breeze-catching palms, soft sand, and the unusual rocky
formation overlying a cove of whitish sand.and black rock that
juts into the sea. It is now famous for its weekly Flea Market,
which draws legions of visitors every Wednesday and bargains can
be had on apparel, footwear, jewellery, footwear, chess sets
—and yak cheese.
The village of Anjuna is a five square mile enclosure nestling
between the Arabian Sea and the Hill overlooking the beach.
SINQUERIM
With its magnificent 17th century fort which has now been
converted into a prison, Sinquerim is one of the finest beaches in
Goa,
offering international class facilities for water-skiing,
parasailing, fishing, scuba-diving and wind-surfing.
Home to the Taj Hotel Group, which dominates the headland around
the historic Fort Aguada, Sinquerim is located some 13 kms
from Panaji. The uninterrupted stretch of firm sand stretches
all the way north to Baga, offering visitors a temptingly long
walk
along the beach.
CANDOLIM
Candolim is the first beach that can be approached from the city
of Panaji and is like a gateway to the other more famous
beaches. Though individual accommodation is available here,
there are only a few hotels with restaurants attached. One
highlight of
Candolim is the parasailing and water skiing facility, besides
other water sports.
AGUADA
Aguada beach is almost 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.
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.
MORJIM
The VIPs on this beach are the Olive Ridley turtles that come to
nest here helped by a group of volunteers who guard the nests
and help the hatchlings get into the sea.
A favourite of Russian tourists, along with Ashwem beach close
by, visitors will find signboards and menu cards in Russian!
ARAMBOL or HARMAL
This is also a foreigners’ haunt with a large number of Tai Chi,
non-permanent mehendi or henna, tattoo, yoga and meditation
centres. Harmal Beach is the one place you cannot drive on to,
but there are narrow lanes that lead to the higher reaches of
the
coast. You have to walk down a slope to the beach itself. The
black rocks on the silvery beach make for some pretty dramatic
scenery at sunset. Further up near the hill is a pool with soft
yellow clay, which is said to have healing properties. Beauticians
buy
the clay as do the innumerable massage parlours in the area.
MIRAMAR
This beautiful ‘urban’ beach, akin to Chowpatty in Mumbai, is
located just 3 kms from Panaji. It lies adjoining the estuary of
the
river Mandovi as it opens into the Arabian Sea. It was
originally known as ‘Gasper Dias Beach’, named after Gaspar Dias,
a
prosperous landlord and where a Portuguese fort once stood at
the fag end of the 16th century.
From the beach across the river is an excellent view of Fort
Aguada. With its proximity to Panaji, and located near
educational
institutions, Miramar is very much both a family beach and a
meeting point for young people. It is also a hot spot for fitness
fiends
and walkers. Tourists love the familiar atmosphere. Numerous
hotels, including the spacious and well laid out Miramar
Residency
run by GTDC, dot the area.
The beach is crowded with locals and tourists alike on most
days. A memorial to Goa's first chief minister, the late
Dayanand
Bandodkar is located here.