GOA
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Variously known as "Pearl of the Orient" and a "Tourist Paradise", the state of Goa is located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan.
The magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendours of its temples, churches and old houses have made Goa a firm favourite with travellers around the world.
But then, Goa is much more than just beaches and sea. It has a soul which goes deep into unique history, rich culture and some of the prettiest natural scenery that India has to offer.
The state of Maharashtra borders Goa on the north, the state of Karnataka on the south and east. The vast expanse of the Arabian Sea on the west forms the magnificent coastline for which Goa is justly famous.
Besides the natural beauty, the fabulous beaches and sunshine, travellers to Goa love the laid-back, peaceful, warm and friendly nature of the Goan people. |
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| Sight Seeing Places at Goa |
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| Cabo Da Rama Fort: |
| Located in the Canacona taluka of South Goa, the Cabo da Rama fort presents a desolate spectacle of crumbling ruins. Also known as Cape Rama fort, this ancient bastion is steeped in mythological legends. The fort derives its name from Rama, the protagonist of the epic Ramayana, who, accompanied by his wife Sita took refuge here during his exile from Ayodhya. |
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| Ancestral Goa: |
Ancestral Goa - an unique life-style that consists of a blend of Indian and Western influences as can be seen in its varied culture and architecture. Big Foot - Ancestral Goa is built around the legend of Big Foot which has endured over the centuries.
The Dance Floor - The Big Foot is Goa''s biggest designer dance floor shaped like a giant foot and has been created for the express purpose of being a versatile venue, later on in the evening relax at the beach and watch sunset. |
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| Aguada Fort: |
| This is the largest and the best-preserved Portuguese bastion in Goa and was built in 1609-12, to control the entry into the river Mandovi and to protect Old Goa from potential enemy attacks. The area around the fort housed a large well and a number of springs that provided fresh drinking water to the voyagers that arrived by ship. "Agua" in Portuguese means water, the fort derived its name "Aguada" to denote a place where water is accumulated. |
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| Dudh Sagar Water Falls: |
| Dudhsagar waterfalls situated at a distance of 60 Km from Margoa, and lying on the eastern border of Goa-Karnataka, is a beholder''s delight. Dudhsagar Waterfall is amongst the top 100 highest waterfalls in the world. This cascading waterfall takes a steep plunge of 2000 feet down in the wooded mountains of the Western Ghats. It is also believed to be one of the highest falls in the country. |
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| The magnificent falls are located in an idyllic tropical forest with intersecting streams all along, thus, rendering an awesome look when viewed from the top. The falls looks even better at the mysterious radiance of the first morning sun. |
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| State Archaeology Museum: |
| Old Goa, 9 km from Panaji, was once the centre of Portuguese dominion on the west coast of India. Here one can see fortress walls and administrative buildings, monasteries and impressive churches, especially the Basilica de Born Jesus which contains the mortal remains of Saini Francis Xavier. The Archaeological Museum, housed in an abandoned convent of St. Francis of Assisi, displays objects that recreate the history of Goa. |
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| Beaches in Goa: Sun, Sand, Surf and the Sea |
| 105 kms of Konkan coast stretches across the state of Goa providing a wide range of choice in beaches to suit everybody''s needs. There are unspoilt pristine streches of sand for the solitude seeker and there are those ones jammed with people in every square feet of sand. It''s quite easy to plan an itinerary for getting suntan allover the body. Taking the capital Panaji and the next major city Margao as base points, all the beaches can be visited in a stretch. North from Panaji lies the most famous beach of Calangute. |
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| North Goa Circuit: |
| This stretch begins from the headland of Fort Aguada just outside Panaji city and moves up north towards the border to Maharashtra. Right from the Fort Aguada Beach Resort, an interrupted stretch of sand lies awaiting tourists, sunbathers and party animals. Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Morjim and Arambol are the beaches that can be covered in the North Goa Circuit. |
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| Beaches in North Goa |
This stretch begins from the headland of Fort Aguada just outside Panaji city and moves up north towards the border to Maharashtra. Right from the Fort Aguada Beach Resort, an interrupted stretch of sand lies awaiting tourists, sunbathers and party animals.
Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Morjim and Arambol are the beaches that can be covered in the North Goa Circuit. |
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| Candolim Beach: |
| Candolim is the first beach that can be approached from the city of Panaji. One highlight of Candolim is the Parasailing and Water skiding facility, besides other sports available here. |
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| Calangute: |
Calangute is the beach to which everyone heads for the moment they land in Goa. So it is natural that it is overcrowded in both in peak and off seasons. This huge seven-kilometre sweep of sand located 15 kms from Panaji, is called the ''Queen of Beaches''.
Huge showrooms filled with exquisite handicrafts from Kashmir, Tibet, Indonesia, Rajasthan and other exotic places, line up the main road running towards Anjuna. But the beach as such is not the best of all. There are no swaying palms nor are there any traditional boats flying there to add variety. The waves are bigger and heavier here due to the rapid drop. |
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| Baga Beach: |
| This is part of a 30 km stretch of beach coastline along the west coast of Goa by the Arabian sea. As compared to Calangute Beach , it is more quieter and also more isolated. Its scenic beauty, with the creek, the Retreat House perched on the hill and the lack of local 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. |
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| Vagator: |
| This beautiful beach is located about 22 Kms from Panaji and is situated in Bardez taluka. This is part of a 30 km stretch of beach coastline along the west coast of Goa by the Arabian sea that begins at Fort Aguada continues as Sinquerim beach, then as Candolim beach and merges into Calangute beach and then to Baga beach and then Anjuna beach and then to Vagator beach finally ending at Chapora beach and Fort. The beach adjoining Anjuna 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 mid night parties. |
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| Anjuna: |
| It is located about 18kms from Panaji and is situated in Bardez taluka. This is part of a 30 km stretch of beach coastline along the west coast of Goa by the Arabian sea that begins at Fort Aguada continues as Sinquerim Beach, then as Candolim Beach and merges into Calangute Beach and then to Baga Beach and then Anjuna Beach and then to Vagator Beach, finally ending at Chapora Beach and Chapora river and Fort. |
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| Sinquerim: |
| Sinquerim is located some 13 km from Panaji. There is uninterrupted firm sand from here all the way to north to Baga and if you want a long beach walk, there cannot be a better place to start from. |
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| Miramar: |
This beautiful beach is located about 3kms from Panaji. It lies adjoining the estuary of the river Mandovi as it opens into the Arabian sea. It was originally known as the "Gasper Dias Beach".
From the beach across the river is an excellent view of Fort Aguada. Apart from its proximity to Panaji, it is very much commercialized and a large number of hotels and exclusive homes of Goa''s rich and famous stud the area.
The beach is crowded with locals and tourists alike on most days. The Dhempe College of Arts and Science is located here and so is the memorial to Goa''s first chief minister, the late Dayanand Bandodkar. A lovely golden beach of soft sand gridled with palm trees facing the blue Arabian Sea, is the nearest to Panaji. |
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| 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. |
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| Beaches in South Goa |
| The south Goa beach circuit begins from Margao, the second most important city in Goa. This railway station connects Goa to all major cities in the coastline like Mumbai, Mangalore and Kochi. Beginning from Majorda beach, a 20 kms long silvery white sand stretches across till the headland of Cabo de Rama. |
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| Palolem Beach: |
| It’s a beach of white sand facing a blue bay between two headlands. The little wooded islands on the northern headland look interesting but as we’ve never ventured onto any of them we don’t know what landing on them would be like. If you’re interested, try to persuade one of the fishermen — this is also a fishing beach — to ferry you across. They do offer to take you out to spot dolphins. Panaji, the capital, is more than 70 km away. |
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| Agonda: |
| Agonda it’s long and lonely, fringed with palms and casuarinas and dominated by a large hill to the south. It’s not safe to swim out too far on this beach. There are very few facilities available here and you are needed to carry all the essentials. Agonda is a three-kilometer long beautiful cove of white sand, safely secluded in the palms. There are no tourists, no souvenir stalls, no restaurants, nothing. |
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| Varca, Cavelossim, Mobor: |
| Varca, Cavelossim, and Mabor are the most beautiful beaches south of Benaulim. These beaches are much cleaner and quieter than most of the famous beaches of Goa. There are facilities for Dolphin watching up river Sal. Margao is 18 km away. |
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| Colva: |
| This is the most important beach in the south circuit. Colva is a small village in south Goa on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It lies 39 km away from Panaji, capital of the Indian state of Goa. 2 km further ahead from Colva is Benaulim. With 20 km of virgin white sands, palm fringed, and sun drenched beaches, Colva is the most loved beach of Goans. Many tourists can be seen having a sunbath on the golden sands. |
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| Majorda: |
| This small stretch beach stretches about 5 Kms north of Colva Beach along the coastline. The beach is the location of many hotels. It is in no way comparable to Colva Beach that lies just south along the coast. |
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| Bogmalo: |
| This beach dominated by a huge 5-star hotel located right on its edge and is cut apart from both the North and South beach circuit. Being just 4 kms away from the Goa Airport at Dabolim, it is a favourite among the elite classes and has an air of exclusivity. Although the resort hotel towers above the village, there are couple of smaller places to stay. Windsurfing and water skiing facilities are available. |
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| Benaulim : |
Less than 2 kms south of Colva is the more tranquil beach of Benaulim. Benaulim is one of the few places in Goa where one can glimpse handicrafts typical to this area. The best of the traditional rosewood furniture is made here. Also Benaulim is famous as the place where the legendary Parashuram''s arrow landed, by which Goa was created.
The Church of St John the Baptist is situated on a hill beyond the village and worth a visit. |
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