Fun is something that is we all want to have and from the time I was a little girl, I have always loved going to the beach. Any beach was fun as long as I could play in the sand and take it home with me in my clothes and hair. I guess at that point of time, it was the best measure of how much I enjoyed my trips to the beach. Back then it was Miramar Beach, Dona Paula Beach, Hawai Beach (that’s on the other side of the Dona Paula jetty), Bambolim Beach and Siridao Beach. As I’ve grown up though, have discovered and fallen in love with more beaches in Goa; some in the north and some in the South because when you’re at the beach you have to Sun (sun yourself), Fun (have fun), Swim (if that’s what you fancy), Repeat.
We All Love Some Fun In The Sun
As a kid, whenever we visited Goa (I lived in Mumbai then), my grandparents’ daily routine included a trip to Miramar Beach every evening. We would get into the car and get dropped off at the beach. I got to make sandcastles (I’ll admit, they weren’t very good and clearly architecture was not in my genes), dig holes (because what kid doesn’t want to try and bring the sea to them) and manage to get sand in my clothes and in my hair and anywhere else I could manage.
When I grew a little older, the beaches we visited were the ones where you could actually swim at. Building sandcastles was left behind and swimming became the thing to do. Of course, I suddenly developed a fear of waves breaking and initially refused to get into the water. Someone, usually my dad, had to carry me into the water, past the waves, before I settled down.
We usually had picnics at Dona Paula or “Piranha” which actually means ‘beach’ in Portuguese, Hawai Beach (which is on the other side of the Dona Paula jetty) though this is very dirty now and full of seashells, Bambolim and Siridao beaches which again, used to be really pretty and really clean but have seen an influx of tourists and locals that don’t see fit to keep them clean.
Beach-bummin’
As I’ve grown up, I’ve discovered so many more beaches in North Goa and South Goa that are so much more appealing. My absolute favorite beaches in North Goa are the ones that start at Morjim and end at Keri. These beaches are clean (relatively) for now and usually safe to swim at except during the monsoons and of course, when there are jellyfish around. There are also some pretty awesome places to stay at and relax and unwind. We usually stay at Montego Bay Beach Village (more about that in another post) which is right on the beach and has a great ambience and great food. Beach Street Mandrem is another awesome place to stay at with beach hut accommodation right at the seafront. Their restaurant The Lazy Dog also serves some good food.
Pic Credit – Google Images and Youtube
South Goa has some pretty great beaches too. These appeal more to the older generation and people that prefer a relaxed and low key holiday. Nightlife isn’t really happening in South Goa so most people tend to prefer to be at the beach all day and sometimes up to late evening. The stretch of beach from Arossim to Cavelossim is about 23 kilometers long and has white sand and again is cleaner than the beaches in Goa which lie in the north.
My personal favorites along this stretch are Utorda Beach, which boasts of the most famous Zeebop By The Sea restaurant (I shall tell you more some other time) and Sernabatim Beach where you can find Furtado’s (another great place to eat). The white stretches of beach leaving you feeling absolutely relaxed and refreshed and ready to take on the world once again.
The beaches further down south like Agonda, Cola, Palolem are also gorgeous but Cola’s stretch of beach isn’t safe to swim at as it more rocky and rugged and you can’t even make out where some of the rocks are. We went on an overnight trip to Cola Beach which was absolute fun. I shall tell you all about it another time. Palolem used to be really pretty and really clean many years ago. While it has become more lively in terms of nightlife and there are a lot of beach cottage type of accommodations that appeal to the mid-level budget traveler, it has lost whatever charm it had. Palolem even has watersports, if I recall correctly, and a lot of beach shacks that serve some pretty decent grub.
Pic credits – https://cloudsfeed.com/top-11-beaches-in-india/
There are plenty more jewels in the beaches of Goa that I am yet to discover but for now, I aim to keep enjoying these few favorites that I have and I hope nothing and no one destroys these gems. Everyone needs a place to go to when you need to re-boot yourself. For some it’s a mountain, for me, it’s the beach. And like I said, always remember, Sun (sun yourself), Fun (have fun), Swim (if that’s what you fancy), Repeat (now that’s self explanatory).
