Beaches of Goa

GOA

It is one of the smallest states on Indian map, Goa is a world famous beach destination located in the West coasts. It has an area of 3,702 sq km . It is considered as the natural paradise bathed by the warm waters of the Arabian Sea. Goan culture is a fine mixture of Indian and Iberian culture. What is really interesting is the European style central squares and Indian bazaars, Portuguese churches sharing their walls with Hindu temples. Christianity and Hinduism remain side by side in this state and international brotherhood simply flashes from the peoples lifestyle. The Portugese who ruled the state for over 450 years have left their fragrance in all aspects of Goan lifestyle may it be cuisine, language, festivals, music, religion and customs or even names for that matter.The arrival of Indian tourists traffic along with the huge number of western tourist is increasing to enjoy this beautiful destination.. Goa is best known for its beaches and world-class hotels but has much more to offer... old churches, monuments, temples and museums that are a must to see.

Climate :
Goa has a moderate temperature and remains almost same all round the year with very negligible variations in different seasons. Month of January and February are the coldest while May is the hottest. Tropical style weather prevails for rest of the year.Between June and SeptemberSouthwest Monsoon brings rain in Goa . Maximum rainfall is recoreded during month of July while February gets least amount of rain.

Location :
Goa is located on the western coast of Indian Peninsula and separated from Maharashtra in the North, Karnataka in the South, the Western Ghats in the east, and Arabian Sea in the west.It is located between the latitudes 15°48’00” North to 14°53’54” North and longitudes 74° 20'13" East to 73° 40'33" East..Best Season :Goa is a place for visiting any time of the year. But the time Goa reveals itself best would be the peak of monsoons from mid July to late September and peak winters from November end to mid February.

How to reach Goa :

Flights To Goa :
Accessibilty to Goa should never be a problem because of its good connectivity with rest of India and has an extremely accessible air route. Goa also has flight schedules with almost all the major airline operators. All flights – national and international, to and from Goa – operate from the Goa Airport at Dabolim near the port town of Vasco-da-Gama. The airport is about 30 kms away from the capital of the city, Panaji. Major airline operators such as Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines, Spice Jet, Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines have flights plying in and out of Goa. Besides these, a number of chartered flights land in Goa from UK and other European countries.

Trains to Goa :
The high-speed Konkan Railway is your answer, if you want to travel to Goa by Train. It starts from Mumbai, via Miraj and Pune, has a daily train and takes around 8-9 hours to reach. The rail route also has trains, which travel past Mumbai – in the north to several areas of India upto Delhi and in the south up to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Goa has two major railway stations — Margao and Vasco-da-Gama, both located in the southern area of the state. The South Central Railway terminus is at Vasco-da-Gama and the Konkan Railway terminus is at Margao.
A word of caution; this train is in great demand, so if you intend to use it, make your reservations well in advance.

Roadways to Goa :
If you wish to reach Goa by road, then this is how you go for it. Goa is easily accessible by road as it is connected to all major towns in India by the National Highways Goa NH4A, NH 17 and NH17A. There are bus services operating between Goa and most towns and cities in the neighboring areas such as Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum, Hubli, Bangalore, Mangalore etc. These modes of conveyance can be availed at fairly regular intervals throughout the day. The charges, however, are subject to distance and season.

Famous Churches of Goa :

The Se Cathedral :
A huge structure intricately carved from top to bottom is built in the Corinthian style of architecture. Pages of history embellishing the walls around the altar. Built in 1562 in Manueline, the Se Cathedral today stands larger than any church in Goa .

The Basilica of Bom Jesus :
The Basilica of Bom Jesus blooms like a t flower in the heart of Old Goa. Built in 1605, this church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 1946, and today ranks as the most important and frquently visited church in Old Goa. Renowned throughout the Catholic world, the Basilica of Bom Jesus houses the mortal remains of Goa's patron saint, St. Francis Xavier, who died while on a sea voyage to China on December 2, 1552. You will be amazed to see the magnificent architecture which was inspired by the now destroyed Church of St. Paul. The Basilica is dedicated to Infant Jesus and is now listed in the World Heritage Monument list.

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi :
Among the most outstanding churches in Old Goa is that of St. Francis of Assisi, constructed contiguously in 1531. The lime-plastered laterite blocked structure, contains, perhaps, the most elegant work of religious art of the seventeenth century. Interestingly, it is amongst the few early 16th century relics of purely Portuguese architecture which you find in the east. During the zenith of its glory and magnificence, it was applauded as the richest and most beautiful church in the world. Due to unknownreasons, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi had to be demolished in 1661 but was later rejuvenated through voluntary contributions. Today, it stands majestic with its carved gates and gorgeous coloumns as one of the most visited churches in Old Goa.

Temples in Goa : Being a blend of of Christianity and Hinduism, along with beautiful and majestic churches, Goa also has many old Hindu Temples.

Sri Mangeshi Temple :
Sri Manguesh temple is situated at Mangueshi in Ponda Taluka It is most prominent among temples, is situated along the National Highway-4A about 23-km from Panaji. Lord Shiva is worshipped here. This temple is famous for its pristine glory, which attracts thousands of visitors every year and is gifted by the Welcome Gate, an elegant lamp tower, a "Noubatkhana" overlooking the temple tank and the "Agrashalas" on three sides.

Sri Shantadurga Temple :
The famous temple of Sri Shantadurga houses an idol of Goddess Shantadurga, the goddess of peace who is said to have settled a quarrel between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu amicably. Sri Shantadurga is worshipped all over Goa. At several places it is known by several names, "Thamai", "Sateri", "Bhumka", "Adimaya" and others.
There are many other temples like Sri Mahalaksmi Temple , Sri Kalika Temple of which Sri Manguesh and Sri Shantadurga Temple are the most famous ones.

Beaches of Goa :

The major attraction that pulls large number of Domestic as well as International tourists to spend a nice holiday at Goa and making Goa a nice vacation destination are the world famous beaches of Goa. Goa has 100-km long coastline that gives an great beach lover a golden opportunity to discover new secluded beach sites every day.

Anjuna Beach- Located 8 km west of Mapusa, famous for dancing and rave parties or just chillaxing, infamous for its full moon parties and flea market, Anjuna Beach is one of the best beaches on not to miss.

Baga Beach - An extension of Calangue beach, 10 km west of Mapusa, the Baga beach is the best location to sight the sun go down in isolation. An evening to Baga Beach is a must to make a beach holiday a complete one.

Dona Paula - Once a fishing village, today Dona Paula is a commercialised beach resort with fine view of the Marmagao Harbour nestled on the south side of the headland that divides the Zuari and Mandovi , an idyllic spot to relax and sunbathe and enjoy some water sports.

Calangute Beach - Goa's busiest and most commercialised resort. During the 70's and 80's this peaceful fishing village became the favourite haunt of the hippies.

Benaulim Beach - One can enjoy swimming at Benaulim beach as Sea is generally jellyfish-free. There are a few bars and restaurants at the beach side to taste culinary delights of the seafood.

Chapora Beach - This is a lot busier beach than most north coast villages as the livelihood here dependence mostly on fishing and boat building. There are many regular cafes and restaurants on the beach side.

Condolim Beach - Good options to stay offering better value, a good first stop to head North.Bogmolo Beach - Bogmalo Beach is a small-scale beach resort, reasonably safer site for swimming. It has quite good eating joints and shopping options.

Miramar Beach - This beach is just 3-km away from the capital city of Panjim.Pololem Beach - A favourite beach destination, crescent shaped bay, swaying curtain of coconut palms, irresistibly photogenic, beautiful beach huts what else one wants.

Vagator Beach - A cool ..serene beach with neighbouring rural area and no big shopping complexes. An ideal spot to experience the flavour of rural Goan lifestyle.

Water Sports in Goa :
Goa is famous for its variuos water sports at different beaches. Wi Dinghy Sailing,Wind surfing, Scuba diving, Water sailing and angling are few to name.The best season for enjoying water sports in Goa is from October to May when the skies here are cloudless and blue.Hotels in Goa :

Goa offers accommodation facility to suits everyones pocket capacity. To name a few ..

2 ** Category Hotel :
Longuinhos Beach Resort, Goa
Hotel Baia Do Sol, Goa

3 *** Category Hotels :
Whispering Palms Beach Resot, Goa.
Highland Beach Resort, Goa
Hotel Nova Goa, Goa
Nanu Resort, Goa

4 **** Category Hotels :
Hotel Aguada Hermitage
Dona Sylvia Resort, Goa
The Taj Holiday Village resort, Goa
Sun Village Resort, Goa

5 ***** Category Hotels :
Majorda Beach Resot, Goa
Leela Palace Hotel, Goa
Bogmalo Beach Resort, Goa
Kenilworth Beach Resort , Goa
Holiday Inn Resort , Goa
Renaissance Goa Resort , Goa
Cidade Goa Resort, Goa
Goa Marriot Resort
Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa
Taj Exotica , Goa

Entertainment in Goa :
Goa has a wide variety of options to choose from when it comes to entertainment...from Bars and Pubs to Casinos to Night clubs and Discos to cool Shacks on the beach.

Discos / Nightclubs in Goa :
Temptations
Tito's
The Alcove
Lido's
Ziggy's

Casinos in Goa :
Cidade Goa

Bars n Pubs:
Shores Bar
Guru Bar
Alex
Britto's

Internal Transportaion in Goa :
Getting around in Goa is quite easy. Due to tourism, all areas in Goa, especially the tourist spots, are well covered by an extensive network of transportation system and a variety of modes of transportation . You can choose from an extensive list to suit your style and budget. There are buses, auto-rickshaws, coaches and taxis. Even cars, cycles and motorcycle-taxi services are quite widespread. Several water-way services, like launches and flat-bottom ferries are also available. Tourist taxis or yellow-top taxis are also available from private operators throughout Goa and charged on Kilometer-basis or Point-to-Point fare fixed by the Directorate of Transport. Fare chart is available with the driver.Distances between important places in Goa are given below.

Panaji – Bondla: 55 kms.
Panaji – Calangute: 16 kms.
Panaji – Goa Airport: 29 kms.
Panaji – Mapusa: 13 kms.
Panaji – Margao: 33 kms.
Panaji – Old Goa: 10 kms.
Panaj – Vagato r: 22 kms.
Panaji – Varca: 44 kms.
Panaji – Vasco-da-Gama: 30 kms.
Margao – Colva Beach: 6 kms.
Margao – Goa Airport: 29 kms.
Margao – Mobor: 17 kms.
Margao – Varca: 9 kms.
Vasco-da-Gama – Goa Airport: 3 kms.
Vasco-da-Gama – Margao: 30 kms.
Goa Airport – Mobor: 48 kms.
Dabolim – Varca: 41 kms.