South Goa Beaches
 

The Agonda beach is a small, picturesque and secluded beach 37 Kms from the town of Margao where nature lovers can find peace of mind. It is relatively deserted due to its distances from the main cities and is the next beach after Palolem when are driving towards Panaji.

Agonda Beach is a three-kilometer long and lonely beautiful cove of white sand that is fringed with palms and casuarinas. It is dominated by a large hill to its south. There are very few facilities available here with few tourists, no souvenir stalls, and no restaurants. It is also not safe to swim out too far on this beach. The fort of Cabo de Rama is not too far from Agonda beach. It is as yet undiscovered by most visitors. The fort is named afterLord Rama, the central figure of the Hindu epic Ramayana. According to local legend, Rama stayed here with his wife Sita during the period of his 12-year exile. The atmosphere of the fort creates a sense of history and drama that takes you back in time.

 

The Benaulim beach in South Goa is one of the highest visited beaches in South Goa. The beach promises a serene and calm holiday on its pristine sands to the visitors. Visit Benaulim village for its rural beauty.

Benaulim Beach in South Goa is popular with the tourists as well as the locals. Normally crowded, cool weather is keeping everyone away from the beach except for visitors from the far north. Just out of site beyond the palm trees is the Benaulim village.

Benaulim, next in line, is relatively undiscovered by domestic tourists even though it is a fishing beach. However, it gets fairly crowded during weekends and evenings with local visitors who get off buses about a kilometer away and pour onto the beach. The breaking wave height here is half a meter and the slope is 1 in 30 in September.

 

On most Goa Tourism brochures Betul is marked as a fishing port on the Goa map, just south of Mobor across the Sal River. But it also possesses a relatively secluded and picturesque beach overlooking the wide estuary, delightfully shaded by coconut palms and fruit trees. Headlands from the slopes of the Western Ghats protrude into the shore giving the whole area an imposing backdrop. Regular ferries and boats-on-hire take you across from Mobor.

A walk along the ‘jetty’ is an interesting experience where you can watch the colorful mechanized boats bring-in their catch. River Sal Restaurant on the riverbank specializes in delicious river fish dishes and offers a few cheap rooms.

 

Betalbatim is situated around 8 Kms. from Margao. Betalbatim beach popularly know as the sunset beach. Most of the beaches in Goa are palm fringed beaches but this beach has more of cold pine trees. Betalbatim has some fine restaurants & accommodations and also a church of St. Tomas.

 

The largest and oldest south Goa's beach. Colva is an exceptional destination for tourists of all hues. A hot-season retreat to Margao's slew of the affluent since a long time long, the beach is one of the most fascinating of South Goa's resorts. However, it is no longer a haven just for the upper crust. These days package tours and cheap hotels allow just about anyone to visit. Its crystal-clear azure waters and white sugar coral sands draw visitors in droves.

The present Colva is different from the days of yore. A beautiful place, it has something for everyone.

Dining in one of Colva's many restaurants is a pleasant experience. This is all the more soothing to the pocket as the price tag is not all that hefty. Joencon, Men Mar, Sher-e-Punjab and Umita are some of the most famous restaurants in Colva.

 

Majorda is close to the port city of Vasco and are ideal for picnickers. Though popular, they are less heavily frequented among the prominent beaches of Goa.

Located in Salcete, Majorda is one of the little developed beaches of Goa, albeit the whole area possesses a lot of character, with small fishing villages scattered around palm groves. The history of Majorda is also noteworthy for its bakery and toddy. The sap of the coconut palm i.e. toddy was used to leaven the bread. Till date the art of baking European bread remains unsurpassed anywhere else but at Majorda. Thus bakery and Majorda go hand in hand as Pizza and Italy. Today the Majorda beach has become a major tourist attraction with the amalgamation of nature and surroundings.

 

Mobor is a small stretch of beach eleven kilometres south of Colva beach. The Beache is relatively isolated and there are few beach shacks here. Mobor has a fishing village with a small lagoon near the mouth of a river, and its fun to watch the seagulls that come to feast on the fish drying on the sand.

 

This impossibly beautiful crescent cove in the far south of Goa is so languid and balmy that even the water has only enough energy to lap half-heartedly onto the beach. There's nothing to do here but soak up the rays, and go for long walks paddling in the shallows, so bring a friend, some factor 15 and a good book. There's only one hotel, but it's possible to rent rooms in villagers' houses by asking politely at the restaurants lining the beach.






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