Enjoy the crescent-shaped beach and its fine white sand. Go have some food or something to drink in one of the beach restaurants.

2. Visit Anjuna Beach

Take a walk at the little market and go to the bar on the cliffs. Enjoy the view from to the beach and the ocean.

3. Visit Old Goa and the Churches

Enjoy the beauty of these old buildings.

4. Visit Panjim and its landmark the church “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception”

At the Church walk along 18th June Road (and the streets close by) for a shopping tour. Whatever you need, you find it here.

5. Take a rikscha to go somewhere

Maybe from Panjim to Old Goa or to the next beach from where you are staying.

6. Visit a Temple

And watch all the beautiful colors and flowers and all the Rangoli on the floor.

7. Visit a Spice Plantation

And learn more about how to make spices.

8. Buy a scarf!

You can find any color and any fabric you like. Buy one or even more scarves. All women love them. They also make a good birthday or Christmas present.

9. Get some clothes tailored

Best thing is to bring a pair of pants or anything else that fits you perfectly. Bring your favorite item with you, find a fabric you like and have your clothes replicated.

10. Buy some fresh fruits!

It’s all better than everything we have in Europe. Consider some of fruits we usually have to import (Papaya, Mango, Bananas etc.). It’s a whole different fruit here in India.

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Most-Visited Beaches in Calangute and Baga to Siquerim Beach

Calangute is the most southern of all the North beaches. Calangute and Baga offer a big variety of water sport, mostly jet skiing but also kites. In the meantime, more and more casinos come to Goa, also in this area. Here, you find younger guests from India, European bag packers and a more price-conscious audience.

Infrastructure around these two beaches has become bigger: there are hotels, guest houses and restaurants. You also find chain restaurants like Pizza Hut and Dominos, a shopping mall and a wax museum. Even the big hotel chains have come here, in this case Novotel and Hyatt. Because these beaches can easily be reached from the airport, they are always busy. These are the most-frequented beaches in Goa. This shows in construction work, there is barely any empty space left.

The area is a bit crowded; you almost don’t see the step to Siquerim Beach. Siquerium Beach very prominently features the Taj Hotel. Right next to it, you find the Aguada Fort.

Anjuna: Hotspot for Hippies, Bag Packers and Flea Markets Visitors

Further north, you find Anjuna, the hippie Mecca and bag packers hot spot. If you come by bus, this is where you arrive. There are cheap, very simple guest houses and you have very little problem getting in touch with other travelers. The little village up the cliffs is pretty. They sell all kinds of things for tourists, but the view is amazing. Sitting in one of the bars or restaurants, enjoying the view to the ocean is one of the best things do to.

The Anjuna Flea Market every Wednesday is very popular. Also, the party scene likes to meet in Anjuna. If you like Yoga, you find many offers here.

Vagator and Chapora: Nice Landscape at the Chapora Fort

Further north, there are the two smaller beaches Vagator and Chapora. Both surround the Chapora Fort and create, in combination with its red stone cliffs and unique scenery. If you are looking for an entire apartment, you can find it here. Many permanent guests stay here, this is also how a party scene has come up.

Morjim, Mandrem and Arambol: Secluded Beaches or Bag Packers

The three most northern beaches Morjim, Mandrem and Arambol are separated from the rest of the land by the Chapora River.

Morjim Beach has a preserve area for breeding water turtles. Anyways, Morjim has some problems with dirt coming from the river and that is why its sand is a bit darker.
The beaches of Mandrem and Arambol are still not very crowded. Fun fact: in Mandrem, there beach and all the guest houses are separated from each other by a river. You walk on small bamboo bridges to get to the beach. Very far north, in Arambol, you again find beach shacks and cheaper ways to stay but no hotels, comparable to the beaches far in the South. Also, there are many Yoga offers here.

see also: The Beaches of South Goa

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The “Northern” Beaches Colva and Benaulim

The most northern beaches in South Goa are Colva and Benaulim. Both can be reached quickly from the airport and are always very much frequented. They mostly have smaller guest houses, not really hotels but simpler. Colva and Benaulim have very little differences: both are long-stretched, wide beaches and attract mainly national guests. If you are looking for cheaper and simpler places to stay, ask around in Colva. Things are not that noble and sophisticated here. Colva and Benaulim are mainly interesting because they can be reached so easily from the airport.

A bit north of Colva, there are Park Hyatt and Royal Orchid, two upscale hotel resorts at smaller beaches (Arossim and Utorda Beach).

Resort Hotels in South Goa: Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor Beach

At the southern end of Benaulim, all the hotel resorts start. They stretch from Varca Beach to Cavelossim Beach and Mobor Beach. The most beautiful spot here is for sure Mobor Beach with its beautiful Holiday Inn. Don’t get confused by the name Holiday Inn: it’s a five-star-hotel very chic, very high-class, not like in Europe middle-class.
Don’t expect a huge party, the hotel guests usually stay in their hotel zone and don’t go out.

In Cansaulim, Cavelossim and Mobor Beach you find all the big, high-standard hotels like:

• • Taj Exotica Resort in Benaulim Beach
  • Club Mahindra in Varca Beach
  • Zuri White Sands Resort in Varca
  • Redisson Blu in Cavelossim
  • Holiday Inn Resort in Mobor Beach
  • The Leela Goa in Mobor Beach

There are barely any differences between these hotels. They all are higher standard hotels, with an big hotel area including pools, big buffets, restaurants, bars, spa and everything else. This is usually what travel agencies offer you when you ask for Goa. It’s not much cheaper than anything in Germany but you do not have any problems when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness. When you want to be in a good hotel and spend your day at the beach or pool, this is the right place for you.

The “Southern” South Goa: Agonda, Palolem and Patnem

Even further south, you find Agonda, Palolem and Patnem Beach. These three beaches have a very different character. Five-Star-Hotels or hotesl in general cannot be found that much here. Smaller homestays and guest houses are characteristic for these southern beaches that are mostly visited by bag packers, also many from Europe.

All three beaches are beautiful bays, Palolem and Agonda bigger, Patnem rather small.
In particular in Palolem and Agonda, several beach shacks are constructed right after the monsoon. This is how, in the end, the entire coast line is fully covered with buildings that last for one season. You can book shacks from where you can look directly at the ocean. Some of these shacks only have one floor, others even two. The standard is low but good. The costs are not high: 20 Euro per night will get you far. Next to these beach shacks, there are, in particular in Palolem smaller hotels with 6 – 10 rooms that are located “in the third row” at the beach front. These are solid building with brick walls and all. You should pick you place according to what you prefer, all of them are good. All-Inclusive food or even food is not common in these hotels. Quite often, a beach restaurant and several beach shacks belong together. Most people have their meals at one of the beach restaurants.

You need to choose between the beach restaurants with ocean view tables and restaurants right at the beach and the ones a few meters inbound, off the beach. You can basically get all kinds of food. At the beach it’s a bit more expensive but compared to German prices, still reasonable.

A special feature of Palolem is the boat tours that are offered everywhere. You take a tour on the water, along the coast get to see dolphins and the world from the water. Quite nice, not more that but usually even quite cheap. Fun Fact: there are no machines; the boats are pulled in and out of the water simply by manpower.

More Information about Palolem Beach can be found here.

At the very South of Goa in Rajbagh, you again find a very fancy Five-Star-Place with Golf and Spa: the Lalit Gold and Spa Goa.

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Basilika St. Francis and Sé Cathedral

In its peak time between the 16th and 18th century, Old Goa was a big city with more residents than London. How powerful and influential this city was in this phase can be seen at the big churches that were built in those days. Even its Portuguese influence is still there. Due to a wave of malaria and cholera, the city had to be abandoned in the 18th century.

You find the Basilika St. Francis here, a very famous missionary from the east, whose deadly remains are buried here. The basilica dates back to 1594 and is more than 400 years old.

The second important building is Sé Cathedral, built between 1562 and 1619. Almost 80 meters in height, this is Asia’s biggest church. These two main buildings are really impressive and make something unusual: a Christian church that big in the middle of Asia.

Some more building are:

• the Church of Francis of Assisi
• a museum about Christian Art
• the Church of St. Cajetan
• the ruins of the old St. Augustine monastery
• the Church of Our Lady of the Mount” (at bit isolated, 2 km from everything else)

…and some more chapels, churches and ruins.

Some of the buildings are very well-preserved, other in decline. Anyways, the atmosphere and past meaning of the city becomes very clear.

Old Goa – How Do I Get There?

When you are in Panjim, you can easily reach Old Goa. There are busses but also rikschas are ready to take tourists there. Simply ask someone or wait until someone asks you. All of this should be rather cheap and cost you only a few Euros.

From all the beaches, you can find a driver who takes you around for the whole day. This is probably a bit more expensive but still doable. You book a driver and a car for the entire day, tell him where you want to go and find an agreement about a whole-day price. That depends on where you are, where you want to go and how long. You can for example do a day trip to the Panjim city center and Old Goa.

Old Goa – A Place to Recommend?

Yes, I do recommend it but (there is always a but you see churches. Speaking for myself: Churches are everywhere in Europe, some of them extremely gorgeous. When it comes to churches, I am quickly and easily bored, in general not interested that much and not enthusiastic. I wanted to see Old Goa anyways and do not regret it. You should know what you get: grand, beautiful churches in the middle of India. Neither the greatest nor the prettiest churches I have ever seen. Inside and outside are nice but not spectacular or outstanding. If you come from the US and do not know old buildings, this is the right place for you. But buildings like the dome in Cologne and the dome in Speyer are more sparkling than anything in Goa.

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Beach Shacks and Restaurants at the Bay

Palolem is mainly a collection of beach shacks and restaurants chained along the coastline and offering an ocean view. Wide parts of the beach are largely not built-up. You only find some boats here. Right after the beach line, right under palm trees, the line of shacks and restaurants starts. Even here, you are still walking on fine, white sand.

The first row of hats has an open sea view. Even the second and maybe the third row still offer a veritable view. Some of these wooden shacks have one floor, others even two.
The beach shacks are constructed for one season and get entirely removed during monsoon season. Considering this, their standard is very high. Most importantly, they have water closets and running water. They walls are only thin wooden panels, though. These beach shacks cannot be compared to hotels, they are rather simple hats.

Prices are reasonable even though they tend to vary strongly. For 20 Euro, you definitely find something here, much less in off-season.

A Maze of Hotels Further Inland

A few meters off the coastline you find the first real hotels that means solid buildings with walls and quite often an AC. Most of them are smaller, quite often only 3 – 6 rooms. Some of these hotels are 50 meters from the beach, others a bit farther. You can get good prices here too, 30 to 40 Euros per night.

Palolem has a kind of center and main access to the beach. This is usually where the cabs take you. You have to look for your hotel or shack yourself. That is why you see guests walking along the beach with their luggage all the time. The paths between these hotels are narrow; you can easily walk or use a scooter but not a car. In the beginning, this maze is a bit confusing.

In the center, there are some stores with all necessities but nothing more. Of course, they also sell all kinds of tourist stuff (silver jewelry, scarves, spices, T-shirts, clothes, bags). The quality in the stores is a bit higher than anything the beach hawkers offer.

Restaurants at the Coast

All the beach restaurants can in fact be recommended. All of them offer ocean view; you can sit in the shade and face the water. Quite often, they also have sun beds at the beach and also serve food there.

They offer a vast variety of food you can basically get anything here. There are no big, all-inclusive hotels. That is why all the guests go to these restaurants even for breakfast. You can go to a different place every day, the quality is good everywhere. Sometimes it’s even difficult to remember where you were the day before, these restaurants are all very much alike.

For Indian standard, these restaurants are not cheap but compared to German restaurants, prices are still reasonable.

In addition, there are several restaurants off the beach with all kinds of stuff. You can eat for less money here.

Boat Tours

In Palolem, boat tours are popular. There are small wooden boats at the beach with which you can take a trip on the ocean. These tours take place usually mostly for sunrise and sunset but any other time is possible. The sellers find you at the beach, offer their boat tour and how much you pay is part of a bargaining process. The boat takes you off the coast to the ocean. You see the coast from the water probably a dolphin and maybe they take you to a little island in front of Palolem (Canacona). Some more routes go to the river channel close by or a field trip to the “Butterfly Beach”, a beach almost inaccessible from the main land. All of these tours are nice little trips, don’t expect anything spectacular but rather enjoy the view and relax.

Fun Fact: The boats are pulled in and out of the water with pure manpower, there are no machines anywhere. Male beach visitors are often asked to help get the boat in or out.

Alternatives

If, in high season you feel Palolem is a bit too busy for you, you can go to the neighbor beach Patnem. Patnem also is a very beautiful beach with a similar crescent shape, similar restaurants and beach shacks but less busy and quieter. Further south of Patnem, there is a 5-star hotel resort for guests with high demands.

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Swimwear – Beach Wear – What is Appropriate?

When it comes to swimwear in India, worldviews collide. Men can in fact do whatever they want, except walking around entirely naked. Trunks or anything you wear at home for swimming works and is not an problem. Things are much more difficult for women. For Europeans (and Americans of course) one thing is certain: at the beach you wear a bikini or a bathing suit. That’s the only way to go swimming. Indians perceive this as almost entirely naked and totally inappropriate. Me, as a woman, I would not want to be in a bikini on a beach anywhere in India except Goa.

In Goa, things are more relaxed, everybody is used to white people in swim wear. You can enjoy a classic beach holiday and don’t need to worry. Yet: not everything is possible here. I think, you should enjoy Goa and its casual attitude but don’t push it. Do not try to move the limits. That means: don’t go topless (swimming or sunbathing) that is really inappropriate. I also find G-strings insulting and unnecessary in a country like India. You should always show some respect for the host country and adjust a little. I suggest regular swim wear yes, bikinis that fit and still cover some parts (not to showing) and no thongs. Please don’t show too much, it’s inappropriate and bad-mannered.

Off the beach I would always wear a t-shirt and shorts. Shorts and even tank tops are ok (as opposed to the rest of India). But that’s the minimum, don’t wear less than that. Don’t go to the restaurant in your bikini or walk around in it off the beach.

Sun in Goa

The sun in Goa is strong, very strong. You definitely need sun screen 30 or 50, even in the shade. Don’t go sunbathing in full sun.

I have spent a lot of time in Goa and particularly European winter guests do spend their first day sunbathing in full sunlight. The next day, all of them, really all of them have skin red as a lobster, several sunburns and volunteering move into the shade. You can bet on that beforehand. The sun here is much stronger than anything we have in Europe.

Locals don’t even go outside on midday. We can learn something from that. You need to be extremely careful.

Water Temperature

The sea is always warm. There is only a short phase of rain during monsoon season, but even then temperatures only fall a little. The water never has any time periods when it needs to warm up but is always warm. I find this very comfortable. There are a few waves but rather weak ones. It’s not a “bath tub” but you can easily swim.

Life guards are everywhere at the beach as well as on jet skis. Swimming is not a problem, even though Indians sometimes have problems to believe that women can really swim even in deep water.

Cows at The Beach

It’s India, cows are everywhere. Even at the beach or in front of the stores, at any street or path simply anywhere. If you don’t do anything, they don’t do anything. Best thing is to ignore them and just let them be.

“Beach Hawkers” – Salespeople at the Beach

Beach hawkers are there, mostly in main season. The mostly try to sell jewelry and scarves. These products are usually of low quality; in particular jewelry does not last long.
During high season around Christmas, salespeople offer a variety of things: ice cream, beverages, DVDS (usually pirated versions and downloads), clothes, sheds, scarves, towels, massages and everything possible.

The salespeople at the beach are a bit pushy. If you ignore them entirely and don’t show any reaction at all, they let you be and move on. But as soon as you show some interest, they start their entire program. Jewelry sellers for example unpack every single item and put it on a cloth, the sunbed, and the client’s legs.

Prices are subject to bargaining and vary strongly. If you cannot handle all of this, and feel easily stressed, stay in one of the big hotels. They have private beaches where the beach hawkers are not allowed.

What I think about these beach hawkers: you are in India, a country with poverty issues. Of course, these guys come to Goa to make money where the rich tourists are. All they do is try to make a living. The jobs they could have anywhere else would be much worse. In the end, everyone just wants the same thing: a good life for yourself and the family.

You should always consider that before getting too annoyed and unfriendly. There is a reason why these beach hawkers do what they do. They usually come from much poorer places and stay for the season. I would say you can every now and then buy something, even though the quality is low. This can be the difference between a person eating in the evening or starving.

I would not buy from children because I don’t want to support child labor. India is a working democracy that tries to fight poverty. Even poor families have opportunities and offers to send their kids to school. That is why I think it’s best if they don’t make any money and it’s simply not worth sending them to work.

How you handle these kinds of things is up to you. I only ask you to think about why these beach hawkers are around before you feel annoyed and disturbed during your relaxing beach holiday.

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