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About Goa Beaches
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Strung along Goa’s
60-mile (100km) coastline, like a lace frill on the edge of a
colorful, skirt are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world-
dazzling stretches of golden sand edging the aquamarine expanse of
the Arabian Sea. Goan beaches are magnificent and you will find them
extremely difficult to leave. The only problem is which one to head
for. An unbroken four-mile (7km) crescent of sun-drenched sand marks
the twin beaches of Candolin & Calangute, north of Panjim and the
Aguada headland. Calangute became almost a traveler’s cliché in the
'60s and early'70s and tourist literature is fond of referring to it
as the 'Queen' of Goa's beaches’. Baga, a little further north, is a
better beach and a more relaxed place to stay. |
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Despite the
concentration of resorts, hotels, beach huts, bars, restaurants,
and souvenir stalls, there is innocence here, a freshness of
childhood mornings. Farther north, past estuaries of the many
streams that gurgle through the land, are a series of secluded
beaches. In South Goa at a distance of mere two kilometers are
the Colva and the
Benaulim beaches. The slow paced beaches are breathtakingly
beautiful. The Dona Paula beach, Vagator and Chapora are other
beaches worth visiting. |
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Anjuna Beach - A
popular beach area adjacent to Chapora fort. In Anjuna there is
magnificent Albuquerque Mansion built in 1920, flanked by octagonal
towers and attractive Mangalore tile-roof. |
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Colva Beach |
Colva Beach
- With 20 km of virgin white sands, palm fringed, and sun drenched
beaches, Colva is the most loved beach of Goans. Colva, unlike
Anjuna or Calangute, gained popularity only lately. It was little
disturbed and life moved on quietly. But those are the things of
the past. Over the years, many hotels and buildings have sprung
from nowhere. |

Colva Beach
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Dona Paula Beach:
The beach is named after Dona Paula de Menzes,
daughter of a viceroy (in colonial India), who threw herself off the
cliff, when refused permission to marry a local fisherman, Gaspar
Dias. The myth says that Dona Paula is entombed in the Cabo Chapel
of the Raj Bhawan and is supposed to be seen emerging from the
moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace.
With the romance and myth attached to it-haunted by Dona Paula de
Menzes-tourists throng the Dona Paula Beach not only in search of
the deceased beloved, but also to indulge in water sports on the
clear waters. The Dona Paula Beach offers an opportunity to the
tourists to have a sunbath and buy cheap seaside goods from local
vendors. |

Dona Paula Beach |
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Calanguate Beach :
On the shores of the Arabian Sea, under the shade of palm trees,
bathes theQueen of Beaches-Calangute. Calangute seems to be a
distortion of thelocal vernacular word-‘Koli-gutti’, which means
land of fishermen. Some people connect it with Kalyangutti (village
of art) or
Konvallo-ghott (strong pit of the coconut tree) because
the village is full of coconut trees. With the advent of the
Portuguese, the word probably got distorted to Calangute, and has
stuck till today. In a green semi-circle, the villages of
Arpora-Nagoa, Saligao and Candolim do their bit to enhance the
divine beauty of Calangute. There are picturesque agors (saltpans)
at Agarvaddo, Maddavaddo is full of madd (coconut trees), Dongorpur
skirts a bottle-green hillock and Tivaivaddo laces the beach. |
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Baga Beach :
Baga is a small but perfect beach
located between its two more famous cousins, Colva on one side and
Calangute on the other. It is a far better place to enjoy
some
restful moments if you don’t like the hustle and bustle of Colva or
Calangute. It is a fishing beach with international touriststs
marinating in the sun and domestic visitors paddling. The fact is
that the sand here isn’t either white or gold but brown. There is
the grove of palms that comes fairly close to the water’s edge. The Baga River flows down one side of it offering a pleasant diversion
for children and those who love the water but can’t risk the rip
currents that swirl round the mouth. Where the river and the sea
meet, and on the far right bank, there is a group of black rocks
against which the sea crashes in dramatic explosions of spray. |
Bogmalo Beach: In Bogmalo, the Oberois manage a property
built by Trade Wings.
The building is right on the sea. As the waves
lash the parapets of the open-air restaurant, the drone of the
restless Arabian Sea lulls to sleep even the most insomniac. Beyond
are mysterious little islands, shipwrecks in the silt and, around
the hotel, plenty of pleasant eateries-each one of them claiming to
be Osibisa’s favorite. That pardonable selling trick began about 10
years ago when the Oberoi hosted the group. |
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Chapora and Vagator Beach |
Chapora and Vagator Beach : The soft white sands, the black
lava rocks, the coconut palms, the lush green landscape, nature
playing its own music, and the sea turning from aquamarine to
emerald green-Vagator and Chapora, overlooked by the 500-year-old
Portuguese fort, leaves each visitor awestruck. Yet to be disturbed
by the hustle and bustle of tourists, life goes on peacefully, in
the background, in Vagator and Chapora. The world-famous Anjuna
Beach lies to the south of Vagator.
Vagator and Chapora are rich with rural life. Chapora is a fishing
village. So a large number of fishermen in their traditional
attire can be seen. Anyone patient enough to |
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listen to
the numerous stories of the sea, they have plenty of them.
Colorful women can be seen haggling and hocking fish by the
roadside. |
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Varca, Cavelossim, and Mabor Beach :
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 numerous beach shacks offering
a variety of Goan dishes and seafood at reasonable prices. There are
several food joints around Dona Sylvia where you can get entire
package of good food, good drink, nice service, and a pleasant
service in quite reasonable rates. There are facilities for Dolphin
watching at Betty’s Place as well as boat trips for Dolphin watching
up river Sal. |
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