| South Goa Beaches |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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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