Beaches of Goa

Along Goa’s 105 km coastline, the waves tattoo a symphony, as salt laden breezes blow across the waters, scything inwards, herding scattered clouds towards the towering western ghats that wear a necklace of evergreen forests.

Over 25 famous beaches straddle the coast from Arambol in the far north to Rajbaga in the far south; isolated strands rounding tiny coves, long slivers of seaboard backed by towering cliffs, shingled margins and many kilometers of silvery-gold expanse that seamlessly blend into one mesmerising vista.

Close to the capital Panjim, where the Mandovi opens into Aguada Bay and the Arabian Sea, is Miramar beach. This is part of the headland of Tiswad district, bisected in the south by the Zuari River. Miramar curves into a pointed finger of wooded hills, the tallest crowned by the Governor’s palace - the Cabo Raj Bhavan. Below lie Dona Paula, Vainguinim and Sridao beaches, all overlooking Marmagao Bay and the mighty ships that cruise into the all-weather port.

Dona Paula is a must on every tourist itinerary, named after the daughter of one of Goa’s Portuguese Viceroys, who threw herself off the cliff when refused permission to marry a local fisherman she had fallen in love with. By the jetty is a whitewashed statue sculpted by Baroness Von Leister. Named Image of India, it depicts a couple facing opposite directions, the man towards the nation’s past and the woman towards the future. Dona Paula is home to the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa University and the International Centre. It is also home to a number of hotels.

North of Panjim are Goa’s most loved beaches. There is the tiny Coco beach, with its coconut palms, fishing village and quaint restaurants. In the distance are the laterite ramparts of Fort Aguada, braving the thunderous waves that have smashed upon them down the centuries. The view from atop the hill that towers over the fort is breathtaking, a 180 degree sweep of a bay, from one of the highest ledges of peninsular India.

The golden sands extend an invitation for languid relaxation 

The best northern beaches are contiguous with Coco: Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Arjuna, Vagator. Further north in Pernem district are Morgim, Mandrem and Arambol.

Baga and Calangute beaches are both beach-lover territory, their mystique honed by nature and the popularity index. It was the Flower Children of the 60s that discovered them, though they later moved on to the more rocky Anjuna and turned it into a hippy commune. Those dreamers are gone, replaced by a backpack generation from lands as disparate as Israel and Korea. Anjuna continues to host that throwback to a different era - the famous Wednesday flea market, where one might spot an old hippie who never returned home. There is also the Saturday Night Bazaar in Arpora where hundreds of people shop for trinkets, sample the eclectic food, quaff beer and foot-tap to live music by talented global musicians coming together for a gig. All the big clubs are all located in the vicinity of Calangute: Club Cubana in Arpora, Club West End in Saliago, Titos and Mambo in Baga, Paradiso in Anjuna and Nine Bar in Vagator.

The second stretch of beaches extends south of Vasco da Gama along the coastline to the southern tip of Goa: Bogmalo, Velsao, Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim, Mobor, Betul, Canaguinim, Agonda, Palolem and Rajbaga.

Except for Colva, most of these beaches are less peopled by tourists. The green cover is thick all around. Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor are dotted with fine hotels and restaurants and it is easier to spot gamboling dolphins and the occasional shark when one goes pleasure boating on the bobbing waves.

Betul, where the River Sal flows into the sea, seems straight out of Europe, with its fishing village and cove dotted with gaily painted trawlers. Tourists lounge on the decks of restaurants that line the river, watching fat seagulls circling the trawlers as they come in with their catch through the narrow canal that connects river with sea.

Mangroves line the cove, the waters rich in prawns, oysters, clams and crabs. Traditional fishermen in their dugouts trawl the waters, the paddles beating a rhythm amidst the cacophony of waterfowl. Cast your line into those waters. You just might bag the fish of your dreams.

With over 25,00,000 tourists flocking to the sunny beaches of Goa each year, the Government of Goa has deployed special response lifeguards and supervisors equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to monitor densely peopled beach stretches.

In the first phase, the programme covers the popular beaches of Baga-Calangute- Candolim-Sinquerim in North Goa and Velsao-Arrosim-Utorda-Majorda-Betalbatim- Colva-Sernabatim-Benaulim beaches in the South. In addition to beach police who patrol the coastline at regular intervals, 11 beach towers fitted with CCTV cameras have been erected. These cameras are linked to a control centre which is monitored 24x7x365.

In an effort to avoid accidental drowning, the Government has identified safe swimming havens which are away from deceptive rip currents and tides. It is now mandatory for hotels to prominently display beach safety and precautionary measures, and daily sea weather conditions.

Text: Allen Mendonca