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Beaches of North
Goa
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| Water sports being undertaken at Calangute beach in North Goa |
The
last day of our trip in Goa was dedicated to visiting the destinations situated
in North Goa, where we had been putting up in the Trivago associate serviced
apartments. As the tour had been chalked
out by me independently and we were not required to follow the schedule of any
tour operator, we started our day in a leisurely fashion by getting up a bit
late and had B’fast at around 9.30 A.M instead of rushing through it like other
days. We started the day with the tour
of the famed Fort Auguda and by the time we reached there, the sun was already
up and spitting fire.
Fort Aguada, Goa
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| View of lighthouse at Fort Aguda |
Fort
Aguada is a perfect example of the Portuguese architecture that was built in
the 17th century. It was actually a lighthouse and fort thrown
in one, perched atop a hillock on the Sinquerim Beach, about 18 km from Panjim.
Built in 1612 as a form of protection
from the Dutch and Marathas, it was the most prized and crucial fort for
the Portuguese and covers the entire peninsula at the southwestern tip of
Bardez. The view from the fort is breath
taking as it overlooks the confluence of Mandovi River and the Arabian
Sea. The fort is so named after
the Portuguese Word for water i.e. 'Agua' and used to be a replenishing source
of fresh water for sailors.
The Fort Aguada has also been used as Aguada jail, which is now closed
for Public viewing. Now a days the Fort is
seen bursting with tourist activities and happy chatter & patter of people
moving around. The Aguada Fort also has a
splendid four-storeyed light house. Built
in 1864 it is the oldest lighthouse of Asia. A bell inside the lighthouse later became a
part of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji.
A short video of Fort Auguda
Having
visited the Fort and laundered around it for some time, we then headed back to
visit the famed beaches of North Goa and the details are as follows as per the
chronological order of our visit –
Candolim
Beach
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| The Candolim beach |
Candolim Beach is one of most
frequented and popular beaches of North Goa. Because of its proximity to the
famed Calangute beach, it too attracts tourists, but is comparatively less crowded. The beach starts almost at the
footsteps of the Fort Aguada, built by the Portuguese in 1612. Comparing to its surrounding beaches,
Candolim is comparatively quite, this is due to the fact that there are no
resorts built in and around the beach. For the moment the village remains
little more than a ribbon of development of few small hotels and cafes only.
A short view of Candolim beach
Calangute
Beach
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| Water sports at Calangute beach |
As most of distances of Beaches are
available from the capital Panjim, I am also furnishing the information
accordingly. Situated 15 km from the
Panjim, Calangute Beach is the longest beach in North Goa, stretching from
Candolim to Baga, a huge seven kilometres sweep of sand. Due to its sheer size
and popularity, it is a hub for tourists and backpackers from all over the
world and is also is called the ‘Queen of Beaches’. As the sea waves mingle with sands of the beach,
the Calangute Beach comes alive in all its beauty. You can also sample the
sumptuous culinary fare here at Souza Lobo's, Oriental, Electric Cats or the
Tibetan kitchen, all of which can offer a unique taste palette. Embark on a
number of water sports at the beach or walk into a cafe and read, there is no
shortage of options when it comes to Calangute Beach. The Calangute Beach is also known for its
water sports activities like parasailing, water surfing, banana ride and
jet-skiing.
A short video of Calangute beach
Anjuna Beach, Goa
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| A view of the famed Anjuna beach |
The Anjuna Beach is located at a distance of 21 km from
Panjim, it is among the most popular beaches in North Goa. A hippie paradise of
sorts it is characterized by its rocky outcrops. A small makeshift shopping
complex has come up in its vicinity and one can also sample some delicious
culinary goodness at Burger Factory, Baba Au Rhums, or Basilico. Known as the jewel of Ozran, it quickly became
a favorite haunt for the hippies in the swinging 60s and still retains the some
old days’ vibe to this present day. However,
one should be extremely careful during swimming here as the beach is mostly
filled with rocky shores.
A short video of Anjuna beach
Vagator Beach, Goa
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A view of the Vagator beach
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Having
visited these four destinations, it was almost lunchtime and as per my Son’s
desire, we decided to visit the famed Greek restaurant being run in the region
called the ‘Thalassa’, provided we got a place to sit, since we did not have a
reservation. However, being a working day
and off-season and almost past lunch hour, we could get a reservation for four
and enjoyed some hearty Greek cuisine.
We had also released the driver to have his lunch and after about an
hour or so we resumed our journey further to visit the remaining beaches of
North Goa.
Morjim Beach, Goa
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| View of Morjim beach |
"Home of the Olive Ridley
Turtles", the Morjim Beach is undoubtedly one of
the most tranquil beaches of North Goa and is located around 12 km away from
Morjim through the Duler-Marna-Siolim Road. Located a little south of
Aswem beach, it serves as a nesting habitat for Olive Ridley Turtles. This
earns Morjim Beach another moniker, namely Turtle Beach. The nesting season for
the Olive Ridley Turtles usually begins in September, although sometimes it can
be as late as January, and lasts until March.
Thus, during this particular time of the year, Morjim is a very popular
amongst the tourists visiting Goa, who wish to see the nesting site of the
famed turtles. This protected nature of
Morjim Beach is one of primary factors responsible for its untouched beauty.
Vast vistas of sand stretch endlessly and the whole beachfront is pristine
and beautiful. One can easily go for a
quick dip in the sea, experience a day by the beach sipping chilled beer, and
even indulge in some shopping on the beach street. Owing to the shallow depth,
kite surfing makes for an exciting activity at the Morjim Beach.
A short video of Morjim beach
Ashwem Beach, Goa Overview
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| A view of the Ashwem beach |
Located north of the famous Morjim beach after the Chapoa
River, the lovely Ashwem beach still retains the original charm of Goa. It is the most distant beach from Panjim and
is situated at a distance of more than 30 kilometres from Panjim. A hidden gem
with one of the most stunning sceneries, Ashwem beach differs from the other
beaches of North Goa because of its remote location. Being less crowded from
the other beaches of North Goa, the long sandy shores of the Ashwem beach
starts from the bank of the Chapora River to the south stretches all the way to
Ashwem that forms the northern tip. It's
long shoreline and calm waves attract tourists from all over the country. The beach offers a perfect mix of scenic
beauty and a fantabulous location to stay, dine and party. The long stretch is
lined by beautiful palm and coconut trees that leave you awestruck. It is also home now to many of the western
back packers and tourists alike, as it is not bombarded by regular
visitors. As we too had made it a point
to visit the destination, despite having to pay a higher hiring charges, just
to visit this destination.
A short video of Ashwem beach
As it
was the last destination to be visited by us for the day, we leisured around
the beach side in the shacks for some time and savoured some cold drinks and as
we had to leave Goa the next day, we headed back to our apartment as the sun
was about to set and thus, concluded our Goa visit.
Note –
I
have not included the description of Baga beach, which too in located in North
Goa, as I have already covered in the first blog of the present series.
