CALANGUTE BEACH Location : 16 km From Panjim, North Goa What To See : Church of St. Alex, Baga Beach What To Do : Snorkelling, Kayaking, Water-skiing, Sailing, Wind-surfing and Fishing Best Time To Visit : December To February

Calangute Beach - Splashing Waves of Adventure

Calangute Beach , Goa

Colva Beach Vagator Beach Water Sports Adventure

Bogmalo Beach Dona Paula Beach Holiday Beach Resorts

Anjuna Beach Palolem Beach Goa Beach Shacks

Plan your holiday visit to a sliver of sparkling sand tucked away between swaying palms and rustic huts, where you can let your spirits scale high on the sky of experience. At a mere 45 minute bus ride up to the coast from the city of Panjim (9 miles), Calangute Beach is flanked on its southern side by the village of Candolim and on its northern side by the hamlet of Baga. With a mindblowing nightlife, bustling flea markets and generous contributions of history, the 4 mile (7 km) long pristine sand stretch of Calangute is by far the biggest draw in Goa. Calangute was a hippie hang out during the 60's and 70's. Over the pages of time, the palm-fringed beach became a favourite playground of Goa's visitors. These days, Calangute beach symbolises all that's good about the gateway city of Goa. It's not bizarre to see busloads of tourists from all pockets of the world tumbling out onto the beach and into the restaurants, amassing near the adventure agencies, who promise you an exhilarating holiday experience round the year.

Endless Pleasures In Discovering Underwater

A month or two before the winter clinches its fist in the air, is the best time to dive into the Calangute Beach. At this time the sea is sheer magic, the plankton in the ebullient waters causing phosphorescence, which glitters like fairy light as if the nature has created a carpet of radiant stars. Days are exciting too and you can have your fill of snorkelling, kayaking, water-skiing, sailing, wind-surfing and fishing. Calangute is considered a reasonably safe place to swim, though large waves have been known to drag swimmers out to sea. It is always advisable to swim in the designated areas, where lifeguards are available. This lifeguard facility is an important measure promoted by Goa Tourism. Parasailing in Calangute Beach is an incredible experience. As you soar high in the air and feel the wind on your face, the excitement really kicks in. Parasailing around the Sinquerim-Candolim-Calangute gives you impressive views of Fort Aguada and also the shimmering stretch of the grounded tanker, River Princess. Tourists can contact a number of water-sport operators nestling near Johnny's Hotel on the beach. Some of them also offer dolphin and crocodile spotting trips, island trips, fishing expedition and river cruises on on the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. One can see crocodiles lying leisurely on the swamps and mangroves of the area or dolphins diving deep at the mouth of the Mandovi River.

If the watersports work like a powerful restorative tonic, the leisure on silky sand cushions have their own particular brand of magic. Enjoy the warmth of the Goan sands with a bottle of beer or other beverages of your choice. Head fifteen minutes to south of the main shoreline, towards the rows of old wooden boats wharfed beside the dunes. Here you can see teams of villagers hauling in hand nets at high tide or fishermen fixing their tack under bamboo sun shakes. Enjoy a chat with these local folks over a cup of tea and get to know a different lifestyle, perched far from the modern world we know.

Sprawled Attractions That Will Take You To The Other Side

Water Skiing at Calangute Beach , Goa

As you walk beside the roaring necklace of waves, and pass through the Tai-Chi hoardings and raver's graffiti, you can still catch a few glimpses of the old seaside village vaddos framed in a time before they spread their wings and flew high as Goa's biggest beach destination. And, invariably, this adds to the charm of Calangute. The road from the town's southern end at Naika Vaddo to the beach is lined with hundreds, if not thousands, of shops, from roadside trinket sellers to the Oxford Bookstore, Malini Ramani's swanky boutique and a Cafe Coffee day; ATMs, travel agencies, gas stations... everything you would find in a large city like Panaji. Dwelling on the bosom of this bustling market are some Kashmiri-run handicraft boutiques and Tibetan stalls selling Himalayan curios and jewellery. Shop for a few of those alluring trinkets for your loved ones, or get a colourful embroidered skirt adorned with tiny mirrors that only add to the beauty.

If you drive down from Mapusa, the Church of St. Alex with its white dome announces your arrival at Calangute town. It is one holy place that has seen many burns and resurrections before it was reconstructed in 1741, in the Rococo style. Stand in front of the spacious pulpit that originally belonged to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Old Goa. Take the road that runs like a petrified snake in front of the church and drive straight towards St. Anthony's Chapel. Drive for another 10 minutes and take the left turn before you reach the Natural Health Centre, on your right. You will have the Sodders Hotel to your right before you run into the rhythm of Club Tito's at Baga. Located at the end of the beach, Tito's stays open until after midnight and is a nice place to shake your body on the music of Goa.

Baga Beach , Goa

Baga Beach - A Walk For Leisure

A visit to the Calangute Beach is never complete without a rendezvous with the white sands of Baga. Nestling on the northern side of the long stretch of sands of Calangute, on the lap of the lush Baga-Anjuna Hill, the Baga beach is a curious pot of virgin sands and a need for leisure, far from the cacophony of life. The beach is a vaddo of Calangute where Goans hem in during May to take the sea cure. The sea water during this phase is believed to cure many ailments of the human body. Besides, the Baga Hil also offers a nice trekking option past the Retreat House upto the fles market on South Anjuna Beach. With spectacular views sprawled all along the way, it is a great walk for adventure enthusiasts.

Choosing Your Steps

Calangute Beach is at the centre of the Bardez coast, bordered by Candolim beach to the south and Baga to the north. The southern end of this long stretch of pristine sands is laced with Naika and Umta Vaddo, where one can find Goa Tourism hotels stand stately over the noisiest part of Calangute Beach. Its northern end is Khobra Vaddo, where the Our Lady of Piety Chapel is located. Easy access to this famous beach is guaranteed both from Dabolim Airport, situated at a distance of 48 km from the town centre and Panjim, the state capital, nestling at a distance of 16 km. If you are planning to come from Panaji, cross the Mandovi Bridge and drive on Chogm Road past Porvorim to reach Calangute. However, you can also continue to Mapusa and turn left to reach Calangute town. Both these routes are equally convenient.