Beach breaks in Goa

Located on India’s western coast, travellers who visit Goa are met with an eclectic culture, superb cuisine, palm-backed sandy beaches and of course, a glorious hot and sunny climate. With temperatures averaging 30ºC over the winter months and barely a cloud in sight, one of the best places to soak up the sunshine is undoubtedly along Goa’s golden coast.

Although Goa may be reasonably well-known as a winter sun destination, there are still plenty of quieter sandy spots where you can listen to the waves lapping up the shore or relax under the shade of a palm tree – you just need to know where to find them.

A good place to start is in the south. With a generally more laid-back vibe to that in the north, you’ll find that many of these beaches are on the whole quieter. In this region you have arguably one of Goa’s most picturesque beaches (and in turn best-known), Palolem Beach (Pictured at the top), with its long strip of white sand lined with tall coconut palms. Alternatively, head to Arossim Beach where you’ll find not only sun, sea and sand, but a selection of beach shacks serving refreshing beverages and tasty street food. If you’re looking for something that’s more rugged and undeveloped, explore Cola Beach. An isolated bay, it truly showcases the beauty of Goan nature.

If in fact a beach break which is a little more on the lively side is more suited, head to the north where you’ll discover Baga Beach and Candolim Beach. Both are popular choices for domestic and international tourists due to their large expanses of sand and great variety of colourful beach shacks. Baga Beach is also home to a large fishing community, and if you follow the beach along to the river, you’ll encounter dozens of colourful fishing boats docked along the water.

Goa certainly knows how to make the most of its beautiful coastal scenery, so you’ll find there’s ample selection when it comes to beachfront resorts. So to try and make things a little easier, we’ve selected three resorts which all offer a slightly different Goan beach break.

The Ramada Caravela Beach Resort is located in Varca in the south, boasting a variety of facilities such as a golf course, kids’ club and spa, and it’s an ideal choice for couples and families. A short stroll through the hotel’s gardens will expose Varca’s fantastic stretch of white sand, arguably one of the best in the state.

The Taj Exotica is perfect for anyone looking for a luxurious beach break experience. The spacious grounds and colonial style hotel offer a huge range of facilities including archery, bicycle hire and a children’s activity centre, and the soft sandy beach is a wonderful spot from which to watch the sun set.

Santana Beach Resort is located in Candolim in the north of state, a popular resort with UK holidaymakers. The long strip of golden sand to which the hotel has direct access, is lined with colourful beach shacks offering all kinds of tasty food.

For more information about beach breaks or other types of holidays in Goa, visit The Goa Experience.

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Palolem Beach. Image credit: Radovan Spurny | Shutterstock