Beaches in Goa

PANORAMIC VIEWS OF SUNSETS OVER THE ARABIAN SEA. If you enjoy beach holidays, then Goa is the ideal place for your next beach vacation in in India.

Goa has a number of beaches. Some of the well known beaches in Goa are:

Colva Beach

 Here you will find almost 30 kilometers of white sand with coconut palm trees along its entire length and a calm sea. This is a popular beach amongst Indian and foreign tourists. From April onwards visitors can enjoy live music, dances and entertainment at the beach. There are many hotels here.

Colva is 40 kilometers from Goa’s capital city Panaji and about 68 kilometers from the Goa Dabolim Airport.

Dona Paula Beach

 An idyllic picturesque spot. One of the attractions for this beach are the many water sports facilities available here like water-scooters, wind surfing, parasailing, water-skiing, snorkeling, harpoon fishing and kayaking.

The clear waters of the beach have also attracted the Indian movies industry and some movies have been filmed here. This beach is only 7 kilometers from Goa’s capital city Panaji and thus quite popular with tourists visiting Goa.

There are hotels, guest houses and beachside huts available here.

Varca, Cavelossim, Mabor

These beaches are much cleaner and quieter than most of the other famous beaches in Goa. There are facilities here also for watching Dolphins. It is at these beaches that you will find some great resorts and accommodation to suit most budgets.

Taxis can be hired from Goa’s Dabolim Airport to reach the resorts here. The distance to the resorts from the airport is about 45 kilometers. Flat fee taxis are available.

Palolem Beach

 White sandy beach is also known as the fishing beach. This beach is popular for its dolphin cruises and fishing trips. Lots of fishermen’s boats can be seen here. There are some beautiful huts here available for rent.

Palolem is quite crowded on weekends. There are stalls selling seafood and souvenirs and beach wear. Palolem Beach is about 70 kilometers from Goa’s capital city Panaji.

Anjuna Beach

Popular for its beach parties held by young tourists that attract thousands to join the beach parties for dance, fun and merriment all night long besides the fire lit on the beach.

Many Hippies are known to hang around this particular beach in the past. There are lots of guesthouses and some hotels nearby. For a longer stay houses can be rented by tourists. Anjuna Beach is 18 kilometers from the Panaji, the capital of Goa.

  Arambol Beach

Here you will find miles of uninterrupted beaches. This area is quiet in comparison with some of the other popular beaches in Goa. The relaxed environment, peace and tranquility here make it an ideal place if one wishes to get away from the noisy beaches and just relax. There's a hot spring near the main beach that runs into a freshwater lake.

The largest crowd here is on Sundays when several local people picnic around the beach.

Calangute Beach

Know popularly as the Queen of Beaches in Goa. The beach is surrounded by coconut trees. Visitors can go parasailing, water skiing and wind surfing at the beach. Several stalls under the shade of the palm trees sell sea food, beer and souvenirs. There are some hotels here and plenty of guesthouses.

For longer stays rent a house within walking distance of the beach. Several locals advertise rental houses with a sign saying “To Let” displayed outside the house.

Calangute Beach is just 15 kilometers form Panaji, the capital of the state of Goa.

Miramar Beach

This beach is also popularly known as the Gasper Dias. Miramar Beach is only about 3 kilometers from Panaji, the capital of the state of Goa. This beach covers an area of approximately 2 kilometers of soft sand lined with palm trees facing the Arabian Sea. The Aguada Fort can also be viewed from here. November to March is the best time to visit.

Agonda Beach

A three kilometer long beautiful cove with white sand and palm trees. The waters are crystal clear and it’s easy to see the bottom of the shore while swimming. This beach does not have many visitors as its location is not easily accessible from the main road. To visit you have to arrange your own transportation, there are no shops and restaurants here.

Suitable if you are looking for a secluded beach. Some people camp here by bringing tents along with them. In short at Agonda beach you find just palm trees, the white sandy beach and the beautiful ocean.

There are several other beaches in Goa including many still to be discovered by tourists.