25 Top Beaches in Goa

At a distance of 69 km from Panaji Kadamba Bus stand, 36 km from Margao Railway Station and 3 km from Canacona Railway Station, Butterfly Beach is located on the Butterfly Island in South Goa.

Butterfly Beach is a tiny beach cove that lies just 6 km north of Palolem beach. The sands here are perfectly white and the water translucent. Butterfly Beach is one of the most picturesque beaches among all the beaches of Goa. It is serene, peaceful and mesmerizing. This beach would be the best place to unwind and relax.

The Butterfly Beach is surrounded by a lot of rocks. Butterfly beach can easily be described as a piece of heaven on earth. It is one of the most photogenic beach paradises in the world. The Butterfly Beach was named by earlier tourists who used to visit the place and saw millions of butterflies flying on the blossoms on the hillside.

The main attraction of the beach is its famous Dolphin Play and the mesmerizing sunset. The sea urchins, sea cucumbers, footprints of crabs and goldfishes are equally eye catching. The Canoe rides along the tiny water streams on the island provide a thrilling ride. But you can also see an amazing view of one of the most beautiful sunset view, you could have ever seen in your life.

There is no access to the beach by road since the area is heavily forested. One can take a 2 hour trek through the forest. Vehicles, not even bikes can make the trip through the forest since the road takes one through brooks, steep climbs, ...

...read more

At a distance of 7 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus stand and 22 km from Vasco Da Gama, Bambolim Beach is a popular stretch for tourists located in North Goa.

Bambolim Beach is a small, clean and largely undiscovered beach that is a bit away from the mainland. This beach is basically located in a shaded spot right before the mouth of Zuari River and in between the Medical College of Goa and the University of Goa. Bambolim Beach is lined up with trees and shrub vegetation with many paths leading to the beach. Many Goa University students visit this beach during their free time due to the close proximity to the institute. The beach is clean and quiet, yet beautiful.

Bambolim Beach is very peaceful and calm beach. Very beautiful shells are found on the shore of this beach. It is famous for Oyster shells. The Bambolim Beach has its beach shacks where exotic Goan cuisine can be tasted. The restaurants offer not just amazing food but the very location gives you the combination of beauty and delight.

The Bambolim Beach Resort in India is quite famous and one can find many tourists availing the modern and latest facilities provided in this resort while enjoying the beach. The Bambolim Beach is a delight for all those who love to go out in the rough seas on a boat and enjoy.

The sea can be rough during July and August and the monsoon period. The beach has excellent facilities for water sports like surfing, sailing and scuba diving. The light and steady morning breeze ...

...read more

At a distance of 31 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 16 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 15 km from Margao Railway Station, Cansaulim is a famous beach located in South Goa.

Cansaulim Beach along with Arossim Beach and Cuelim Beach forms India's second largest stretch of beach. Cansaulim Beach is actually an extension of Velsao Beach. The beach has clean white sands and lots of palm trees. It is located on the northernmost end of Velsao beach. The large stretches of white sands give the beach a deserted look. Cansaulim Beach is among the mostly secluded Goan beaches. Coastal dense palm groves at Cansaulim Beach provides a refreshing cool roof from the bright sunshine and appears more pleasant during the hot months of April and May.

This beach is lined with many beach shacks with comfortable accommodation facilities. Some of the famous bars and pubs are also located at this beach that serve refreshing drinks like beer, feni, wine and vodka. In addition, Cansaulim Beach also offers several water sports activities such as water surfing, speed boat rides, water skiing, parasailing, swimming and sunbathing. Waves of the Arabian Sea here is calm and not so high, which make swimming safe and enjoyable even for novice swimmers and those who can't boast with being a perfect swimmers.

Cansaulim Church is one of the oldest churches in Cansaulim village, which is also known as the St. Thomas Church of Cansaulim. Cansaulim Church was built in the year 1581.

There ...

...read more

At a distance of 20 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 46 km from Vasco Railway Station and 13 km from Mapusa, Chapora Beach is a picturesque beach situated in North Goa.

Nestled at the mouth of the Chapora River, it is a pleasant change from the bustling Anjuna Beach. This beach is famous for fishing and boat building. Like the other popular beaches of Goa, Chapora also stays crowded most of the time of the day. The picturesque beach with white sand and a number of coconut palms along its stretch is well known as the Chapora Fort that was built 500 years ago during the Portugal rule is situated nearby. There is a famous Ganesh fruit juice center in Chapora selling organic juices and gathering people from around.

The Chapora Beach is picturesque and offers amazing views of the sunrise as well as the sunset. Swimming at the Chapora Beach is not safe as the undercurrents are sometimes very strong. At Chapora Beach, you can take a lazy walk, soak the sunrays or just play around in the water. Another reason that has contributed to the popularity of the beach is that it provides the perfect access to other beaches and tourist places in Goa. The guesthouses situated nearby solve the problem of accommodation also. Tourists can enjoy water sports like windsurfing, parasailing, ringo riding and jet skiing. They can also go for crocodile spotting and dolphin watching.

At night, Chapora lights up with exotic bars and dance floors to transport visitors to a distant place. ...

...read more

At a distance of 10 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand and 17 km from Mapusa, Coco Beach is one of the popular beaches in Goa at a distance of 2.5 kms from Reis Mogos Fort.

The Coco Beach is located at the mouth of the Nerul River on the Mondovi Estuary. It is a protected bay of the Mondovi River. The beach is often regarded as an abridged gateway between Candolim and Nerul. Beautiful tall palm trees framed the beach.

The beach though little dirty compared to other beaches is popular for water sports and boating. Boat trips into the Mondovi River also hosts another tourists attraction which is spotting the wild dolphins. These trips also extend up to the base of Aguada fort and present magnificent view of the fort, Aguada prison and the lighthouse (usually one hour boat ride). The busy mornings spent in boat trips are followed by quiet and tranquil afternoons and evenings. Reis Magos Fort and Reis Magos Church are situated close to Coco Beach which forms added tourist attractions.

This beach is not a great place for swimming and swimmers must be careful as the beach has a steep gradient which quickly takes into the deep waters.

The visitors can find guesthouses and a few restaurants in the close surroundings of the Coco Beach. There is a shopping bazar adjacent to the beach that sell cheaper local made items and garments.

Best Time to Visit: October to March.

...read more

At a distance of 11 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 38 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 12 km from Mapusa, Candolim Beach is a part of a long extension of beach coastline along the Arabian Sea that begins at Fort Aguada and ends at Chapora Beach in North Goa.

Candolim Beach is positioned between Sinquerim and Calangute beaches. Candolim Beach is another relatively busy soft sandy beach that due to erosion can be narrow in some places. The bulk ore carrier River Princess ended up being grounded some 100 m from the beach during the 2001 monsoon. Despite numerous pledges by both local and central government, she still lays rusting. Various attempts have been made to salvage or refloat the ship.

The founder of science of hypnotism Father Abbe Faria was born here. Candolim is also the place where the Goans launched first revolt against Portuguese. Candolim Beach was the first area to have adopted Christianity under the Portuguese rule.

The water can be rough and there's little shade here. It makes swimming nearby very dangerous due to the strong undercurrents. Candolim Beach offers various water sports activities like parasailing to water skiing, wind surfing and so on. Fishing is an activity for those who love peaceful and quiet environment. Yoga and meditation has also gained popularity here because of the idyllic atmosphere.

Candolim Beach is the host of the Sunburn Festival, India's biggest electronic music festival. Held over 3 days, Sunburn ...

...read more

At a distance of 9 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 30 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 38 km from Mapusa, Dona Paula Beach is one of the famous beachs in Goa.

Dona Paula Beach has a very romantic legend attached to it. It is believed that Dona Paula De Menzes, daughter of a viceroy, threw herself off the cliff when she was not allowed to marry a local fisherman whom she loved. It is said that she is still seen emerging from the moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace.

This idyllic rocky tourist attraction lies at the spot where the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers meet the Arabian Sea. This is a spot to sunbathe and relax. At the end of the bay there is a beautiful islet-hillock. From the top of this hillock one can have views of the Marmugao Harbour and the Arabian Sea up to the Zuari Bridge to the east. At the base there is a carved sculpture named ' Image of India' depicting a couple, a man facing west and a woman facing east. It was made by Baroness von Leistner.

The Dona Paula Sports Club offers some of the best water sports facilities like Water scooter rides, Motor boat rides, etc. Other water sports like boating, parasailing, yachting, swimming, wind surfing and fishing are available in the area. Dona Paula is also famous for the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, where you can spot both migratory and local birds.

The Dona Paula-Mormugao Harbour Ferry takes passengers across the bay every day of the week between the months of October and ...

...read more

At a distance of 84 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 79 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 50 km from Margao Railway Station, Galgibaga Beach is the less crowded beach in South Goa.

Galgibaga Beach is also known as the Turtle Beach and is one of three other Goa beaches along with Agonda and Morjim Beaches, where the state program of olive turtles saving and protection works and implemented perfectly. The whole northern part of this beautiful beach is used for turtles nesting. This is the reason why there is an absence of the shack culture or any permanent structure on the beach, which otherwise is a very common sight on the other beaches of Goa.

This empty stretch of beach with its silvery sands and clusters of coconut palms is a calm and serene paradise and a poet's delight. If you are in Goa in January and February you may be lucky enough to see the turtles nesting and hatching. Visitors are only requested not to touch or disturb the turtles so that the conservation program can continue its successful work.

The north side of the beach is still a completely protected turtle zone but there are a handful of simple shacks at the south end of the beach serving sensational fresh seafood.

Swimming at Galgibaga Beach is safe within the stipulated area. Lifeguards are available on this beach to ensure your safety. It is recommended that you don't venture out close to the Talpona river side as changing tides ...

...read more

At a distance of 34 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 61 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 21 km from Mapusa, Kalacha Beach is located in North Goa.

Kalacha Beach is also known as Paliem Beach. It is famous for its picturesque fresh water lagoon named Vagkolam or Sweet water Lake, which is near the shore at the very end of the beach. This fresh water lagoon is fairly secluded and very popular among the foreign tourists.

Kalacha Beach is a small beach located to the south of Querim Beach. As per the local belief, the beach was discovered by the hippies in the 1960s. Surrounded by rocky terrain and steep cliffs, this beach is popular for its scenic beauty.

The Kalacha beach is incredibly beautiful with its silver and golden powder sand and is lined with palm and coconut trees. This beach is a more unexplored and quieter beach as compared to the Arambol. The beach can only be reached by foot by taking a walk along the north of Arambol beach.

To the north of the Kalacha beach is a high hilltop which is a favorite spot amongst the tourists for Para gliding and hang gliding. The beach has few shacks where one can find something to eat.

Best Time to Visit: October to March.

...read more

At a distance of 29 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 21 km from Vasco Da Gama and 11 km from Margao Railway Station, Majorda is one of the most popular beaches in South Goa.

Majorda Beach is situated in the southern part of Bogmalo. This beautiful beach covered with lot of palm groves. Some of the most famous hotels and resorts of Goa are found here and thus it is quite a popular place for a holiday.

According the Indian mythology, Legends believed that Lord Rama was kidnapped and brought to the Majorda beach in his childhood. Later, again in life while in quest of his consort Sita, he came to the Cabo-de-Rama which lies at the southern end of the Majorda beach.

Majorda is also the place where the Jesuits discovered the best toddy of Goa who used it to leaven the bread. Even today the people of Majorda are known to be the best bakers of Goa as they were the first to know the art of baking European breads.

The calm and clear waters are ideal for swimming, though it is advisable to stay close to the shores, especially if you are not a trained swimmer. Majorda is also an excellent place for leisure activities and water sports like jet skiing, water skiing, parasailing and etc.

This beach also has a number of restaurants and beach shacks that serve up tasty dishes from the cuisine of Goa, Europe and India. The seafood available here is quite varied and the taste is just awesome.

Another popular attraction in Majorda is the Mae De Deus Church. ...

...read more

At a distance of 31 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 57 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 18 km from Mapusa, Mandrem Beach is an isolated beach with vast stretches of empty sand that has very little shade and is located in North Goa. It is one of the secluded and less crowded beaches in Goa.

The Mandrem Beach is situated to the north of Ashwem Beach towards the Arambol Beach. It is a continuation of the Ashwem Beach and very similar to it. This beach is quite secluded to the other beaches. Being a serene beach one can see white bellied fish eagles that live in the casuarinas trees at Mandrem Beach. Sometimes even the famous Olive Ridley turtles have their hatching nests over here if the Morjim Beach is overcrowded.

The beauty of Mandrem Beach is especially during the High Tide time when the sea water rushes into the Mandrem Creek or River. This Mandrem creek runs parallel to the beach which swells with water during the high tide and hence access to the beach is facilitated by means of a bamboo bridge during the season.

Mandrem Beach is also famous for its spectacular color full sunsets. Apart from strolling around on Mandrem Beach, you can also indulge in yoga, meditation and exercise on the vast expanse of empty sand. Traditional fishing boats also arrange excursions for dolphin watching. One can also go for swimming but be cautious while doing so, since there are no lifeguards at the beach.

The beach ...

...read more

At a distance of 8 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand and 3 km from Dona Paula Beach, Miramar Beach is situated 1 km ahead of the confluence of Mandovi River and the Arabian Sea.

Miramar Beach is also known as 'Gasper Dias Beach'. The name of the beach is derived from the word 'Miramar', which in Portuguese stands for 'viewing the sea'. Miramar Beach is the place where the Mandovi River meets the blue water Arabian Sea. From the beach across the river is an excellent view of Fort Aguada. One can see migratory birds such as gulls and plovers at the beach from November to March.

The Miramar Beach is said to be one of the cleanest beaches in Goa and it offers the opportunity to view the stunning sunset. It is a romantic gateway for adventure freaks, beach lovers and honeymoon couples. At Miramar beach one can get pleasure and satisfaction with some interesting activities like fishing, bird watching, shopping and strolling around.

It is a golden beach fringed with palm trees. The soft sands of the beach makes it the best site for evening walks. Apart from its proximity to Panaji, it is very much commercialized and a large number of hotels and exclusive homes of Goa's rich and famous stud the area. The beach is crowded with locals and tourists alike on most days.

Swimming in the sea at Miramar Beach is not safe because of strong undercurrent. The beach is an ...

...read more

At a distance of 70 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 66 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 37 km from Margao Railway Station, Patnem Beach is situated in South Goa.

Patnem Beach is a 900 m long, wide beautiful strip of golden sand, which reclined from both sides onto rocky headlands and capes. Patnem beach is situated to the southern edge of Colomb, south of Palolem. The Arabian Sea is shallow here. Really it is much the same beach with only about 1 km separating from Palolem.

Patnem Beach is also the quietest place amongst all the beaches of South Goa. The Patnem Beach is a crescent white sand beach and is not as long as Palolem and Agonda Beach. Patnem is never overcrowded even in the peak season, on Christmas and New Year and is an ideal place for complete relaxation. Patnem is one of Goa's best beaches for children since the nightlife is low-key, the food is varied and high quality and the sea is relatively calm.

The Patnem Beach is suitable for swimming as the undertow rarely gets strong. Smaller and less busy than Palolem Beach, it still has a lively atmosphere and is very much favoured by families travelling in Goa. If you are looking to avoid the crowds and enjoy having a sun tan then Patnem can be an ideal location.

This is an eco friendly place that tries to heal you by offering a wide range of treatments including reiki and yoga. More active tourists can take some yoga classes, go for water sports, walk and take some excursions to ...

...read more

At a distance of 36 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 27 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 7 km from Margao Railway Station, Sernabatim Beach is an idyllic, virgin and silver sand beach located in South Goa.

Sernabatim Beach is sandwiched between Colva and Benaulim Beach. This Beach is essentially a continuation of the Colva Beach and lies just 1 km from Colva Beach. It is far from the hustle and bustle of other major beaches of Goa. This beach is a much cleaner and quieter beach in Goa and an ideal place for swimming and relaxing.

The sun setting into the Arabian Sea at Sernabatim Beach is a mesmerizing scene, which is not to be missed. Waves here are small and low which makes this fantastic beach is an ideal place for swimming. During monsoon period the beach slope is steep after the water line.

The main activities at Sernabatim Beach are boating and hiking, dolphins watching and going onto different excursions to the nearby attractions like Colva and Benaulim Beaches, Our Lady of Mercy Church and the City of Margao.

There are plenty of beach shacks and hotels in Sernabatim and the scores of pubs and eateries provide panoramic views of the long coastline at sunset.

Timings: 6 AM - 7:30 PM on all days.

Best Time to Visit: October - March.

...read more

At a distance of 76 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 71 km from Vasco Da Gama Railway Station and 9 km from Canacona Railway Station, Talpona Beach is located in South Goa.

Talpona Beach is one of the remote beaches of Goa. Its nearest neighbors are Galgibagh Beach to the south and Rajbagh Beach to the north. The beach is about one km stretch of golden sand and stands at the mouth of the Talpona River. The beach of Talpona is covered with pure sand of a golden colour with some small patches in its northern part of the beach. The Talpona River joins the Arabian Sea here.

The Talpona shoreline is framed with palm trees and pine groves. There is a spacious open sandy ground with small shrubs and seashells. The both sides of Talpona Beach is closed with woody capes and headlands.

The sea is quiet and calm, water is crystal clear. The Talpona beach has small sand dunes and is not very frequented by tourists. It is suitable for those seeking complete isolation and is quite a peaceful beach. Talpona River is the resting ground for numerous birds.

Talpona Beach is ideal for those seeking solitude and don't go if you are looking for water sports or other beach activities.

...read more