North or South Goa – where is the best place to relax in 2021

An amazing piece of the Arabian coast of India, the state of Goa is a 105-kilometer strip of wonderful sandy beaches, exotic flora and fauna, and a seasonal subequatorial climate. Not every traveler considers India a very attractive country to visit, but Goa is an exception. There is a completely different atmosphere here, a flavor that is different from mainland India. Many tourists, including Russian ones, choose this coastal state for recreation. It is not by chance that this fabulous place of the planet with enchanting landscapes is called the “Pearl of the East”. Here you can not only enjoy a beach holiday, excellent hotel service, but also get unforgettable impressions from excursions. Vasco da Gama, the largest city in the state, is named after the Portuguese navigator. He used to be one of the governors here. The state is divided into 2 parts – North and South Goa geographically and conceptually. When planning a trip to this paradise, you need to decide whether to choose North or South Goa. There are natural and infrastructural differences between beach holidays in both parts.

The beaches of South Goa

Dabolim Airport is located on the territory. Near it are the beaches of Bogmalo, Velsao, Arossim, Aguada. The last of them is located near the walls of the ancient fort of the same name. The sections of the southern coast, which are more distant from the airport, starting from Majorda, are an excellent place for swimming and beach activities (Varca, Benualim, Putnem, etc.).

On most of them there are no crowds, less local population, and, accordingly, the local atmosphere. These beaches are preferred by those who want to enjoy relaxation against the backdrop of an indescribably beautiful backdrop. Almost everywhere there are sheki – small beach restaurants serving fresh seafood. In general, the south coast is more suitable for wealthy families and wealthy older tourists.

The most crowded sections of the SOUTH are Colva and Cavelossim. Colva – picturesque and very convenient, located 5 km from the city of Margao. At the beginning of the strip at the entrance there are usually a lot of Indians, but the farther from the entrance, the more Europeans. You can eat cheaply in coastal restaurants, buy the necessary goods in shops. Cavelossim is an elite beach chosen by wealthy Western tourists.

Luxurious hotels, many shek restaurants at their service. Dolphins often appear here. Mobor – a beach crossed by the river. Sal, on which a wide strip of sand ends. Further behind the cape is a narrow strip with cozy beautiful beaches, without much infrastructure. Putnam is perfect for a secluded holiday for those who love peace. The Palolem coastline, surrounded by green hills, is extremely popular with foreign tourists during the high season.

View prices for tours in Южный Гоа

North Goa beaches

The coast of the SG, 30 km long, differs from its neighbor in greater democracy, smaller size, variety of landscape and comfort. Candolim is the beach closest to the SOUTH with soft clean sand, surrounded by a steep wall. It is very cozy, calm, shallow water near the shore, which attracts families with children. There are no noisy parties, hippies, everything is decent and solid.

Candolim with a highly developed infrastructure is chosen by respectable tourists. Calangute is a favorite place for Indians, there are practically no Europeans. Baga, characterized by brown sand and highly developed infrastructure, is always busy and noisy.

Anjuna – a section of sandy strip – a meeting place for creative personalities from all over the world. Some of them stay here forever, like A. Karoli, the sculptor who carved the face of Shiva in the rock. Anjuna is also famous for the largest market in Goa – Flea Market. The next beach, Vagator, is famous for the nascent hippie movement, who chose it for its extraordinary beauty.

It is here that the rock image of the face of Shiva is located. Vagator is not suitable for children because of the sharp rocks. Morjim is unofficially recognized as a Russian beach, it is even called “Moscow Beach”. Arambol is a famous youth beach, noisy and crowded, with many sheks and various housing options. The 2 northernmost beaches of Kalach and Kerim are small but picturesque. The 1st is chosen by nudists, the 2nd by local residents.

View prices for tours in Северный Гоа

Housing

Traditionally, the state has been considered a haven for downshifters – people who have chosen an idle, but ascetic lifestyle and do not pretend to comfort. Therefore, modest, small housing in the form of a bungalow, “cooked” in haste from reed leaves, plywood or other improvised material, was in great fashion here. But with the transformation of this place into a popular international resort, the variety of types of housing has increased significantly. Luxurious chain hotels, guesthouses and guest houses, villas, apartments, apartments appeared. Although bungalows are still in use, especially in North Goa, where there are a lot of young people.

South Goa has especially succeeded in terms of comfortable housing. Comfortable 4 and 5 * hotels of well-known hotel chains Resort and Holiday, as a rule, are located on the 1st line, are equipped to the highest standard and work on an all-inclusive basis. You can also get a good deal in hotels 3 .

For a period of more than 2 weeks, you can rent a private villa or house. The choice of budget housing is much richer in the SG. Many cheap bungalows, guest houses, private apartments, houses. There are fewer luxury hotels here, but there are many houses and luxury villas near the coast. The advantage of a private housing option is obvious: a sense of freedom and independence, no schedule, discos at night, etc.

Prices

The cost of renting housing in the north of the resort varies depending on the season, location of the object, its category and length of stay. The price range is quite wide: from a modest apartment for 10 thousand rupees (1 rupee – 0.91 rubles) per month to a luxurious villa for 120 thousand rupees per month. In the most popular resorts of Calangute, Baga, Candolim, Anjuna, comfortable apartments with 2 bedrooms on the 1st floor during the high season (November-February) cost 20-30 thousand rupees per month.

The same apartments on the 2nd floor – 15-20 thousand rupees per month. In elite areas (Assago, Bambolim, Nagoa, Morjim) for a private villa with 3 bedrooms in a complex with security and a swimming pool, you will have to pay from 12 to 20 thousand rupees per day. An isolated house with a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a balcony will cost 20,000 rupees per month. At the same time, a thatched bungalow on the beach can be rented for 500 INR per day.

In South Goa, there are more tourists who rent housing for a long time. Traditionally, foreigners choose Benaulim, Varka, Betalbatim for this purpose, where rental prices are slightly lower than in other places. For a 1-bedroom apartment in a gated complex with a swimming pool here you need to pay from 30 to 50 thousand INR per month. In Colva, Cavelossim, the same option will cost from 12 to 18 thousand rupees per day.

Prices are doubled on New Year's days for any type of housing, even for bungalows. Hundreds of hotels of different levels in all resorts of the South, distinguished by good service, offer to pay from $25 to $170 per day. Those who cannot afford a hotel can rent a bambu huts (bamboo house on stilts) for 900-1500 rupees per day. Bungalow on the beach with a shower, toilet will cost 500 rupees per day.

Excursions

If you don't like to depend on a guide and want to travel independently, you can explore the sights on your own. There is a rental of bikes, a car, a taxi service, but still the most convenient way to see the “highlights” of the state is an organized tour. You do not need to focus on the road, traffic rules, deal with the police, look for objects on the map. And as part of a group led by a guide, you can safely enjoy the views, hear interesting facts, learn useful information.

Russian-speaking guides organize dozens of excursions, discovering all the beauty that is in the resort. A jeep ride to the Dudhsagar waterfall through the jungle, villages and mountain rivers will delight. “Tropical plantation and acquaintance with local cuisine” will give you many new experiences and unexplored tastes. Excursion “Holy Places” to Old Goa will introduce you to the main religious sites – the legacy of the Portuguese conquerors, with Hindu shrines.

The price of entrance tickets, food, tasting of drinks is included in the price of excursions, which depends on the number of tourists. The more of them, the cheaper the trip will cost. You can book an excursion at local travel agencies, at the hotel with a guide working for a large company. You can contact an individual guide via the Internet in advance, having previously read reviews about him.

Entertainment

North Goa is a place of incendiary discos and dance shows. Thundering music, temperamental dances all night long on the beaches of Calangute, Anjuna, Morjim, etc. are a common occurrence in SG. Water skiing is preferred by many who have chosen Candolim and Calangute, where there are a lot of ski rentals, although not everyone likes Calangute.

Windsurfing on Vagator and Baga is becoming more and more popular, especially in the afternoon when big waves appear. Morjim and Ashvem have good conditions for kitesurfing in February-March. Boat trips on boats-houses and ships along the coast are held in high esteem everywhere. On Candolim, Calangute, Baga are engaged in parasailing. Yoga, elephant riding, dolphin watching, fishing, beach volleyball, water parks – the choice of entertainment in SG is rich.

In South Goa, more respectable, there are no noisy night parties and discos, musical evenings are held. Dolphin watching from the beaches and dolphin tours are popular activities in the South along with fishing. In Cavelossim, where there is a representation of this sport, surfing is actively practiced. Windsurfing is practiced on Palolem, on the beach of Dona Paula, kitesurfing is possible in February-March.

Diving enthusiasts are based in Bogmalo, where there is a large rental of equipment and boats for sailing to the islands. Colva is a traditional place for parachuting – at an altitude of 100 m you make a circle above the water and descend. Wealthy tourists in Majorda prefer horseback riding. On Palolem, quad biking is developed – pleasure is not cheap. For gamblers, there are floating casinos on cruise ships.

sights

Chapora Fort, located on a hill at the mouth of the river, is the most popular sightseeing spot in North Goa. Today, fragments of walls with the remains of observation towers remain from the ancient Portuguese fortress. From a height, a breathtaking view of the endless ocean expanse opens up. Many people come to Vagator Beach to look at the stone face of Shiva, carved into the rock.

The hippie sculptor Karoli also made a necklace of skulls and a picture of a cobra, both divine symbols. On Arambol, a banyan (huge) tree is interesting with a 44-year-old old man (baba) sitting under it, with whom tourists communicate. You should definitely visit the Dudhsagar waterfall with a height of 310 m – an incredibly beautiful sight! On the way to it there is an elephant village, where people usually stop by to ride the giants.

South Goa enchants not only with natural attractions: palm groves, white sand, picturesque rivers, and the national reserve of Cotigao. On its territory there are unique architectural monuments. In Old Goa (10 km from Panaji), temples attract attention. Impressive is a huge ancient cathedral – the Basilica of the Infant Jesus.

Opposite it is the Cathedral of the 17th century. with a golden bell ringing for the whole state. Behind the cathedral is the church of St. Kadzhetan, repeating the architecture of the Roman church of St. Peter. In the city of Margao, the capital of the South, there are many interesting places, beautiful historical buildings, magnificent gardens, children's parks, Hindu temples that are worth visiting.

Which one to choose for youth recreation

The entire coast of North Goa has long been recognized as a place of youth leisure, where an atmosphere of fun, simplicity and everyday asceticism reigns. Hippies, who settled here in the 70s of the last century, instilled a spirit of freedom, devoid of aristocracy and snobbery. Today, the coast of the SG, equipped with hotels, restaurants, shops, Internet cafes, is still in demand by young people. Many come here as savages for several months, renting cheap bungalows and bamboo houses (Anjuna, Vagator, Morjim).

There are especially many fans of wild holidays on Arambol: kiters, trancers, yogis and other informals settle on it. In Morjim, for example, there are many Russian tourists who live here permanently. All of them are attracted by the mass of entertainment on the water and on land, a vibrant nightlife with music and dancing, communication and freedom. Vagator is famous for its reckless dance parties that attract young people from all over the world.

Which one to choose for families with children

The coast of the South is distinguished by the beauty and diversity of the landscape, the cleanliness and well-being of the beaches, and a more relaxed atmosphere. For a comfortable stay with children, South Goa is an ideal place. There are many all-inclusive hotels in which conditions for children's stay are created. At night, all the beaches are calm, there are no noisy parties and discos. An exciting journey with children through the Bandla and Kotigao reserves will give them a lot of pleasure.

Communication with exotic animals in the zoo, riding elephants, watching monkeys in the jungle will delight children. It will be interesting for the boys to visit the Museum of Naval Aviation under the open sky (Bogmalo). There is a great place to relax with children in North Goa. For example, Mandrem Beach, clean, calm, with good restaurants serving delicious, safe food. Attractive for children's recreation is the beach of Baga, along the northern part of which a wonderful river flows.

Best time to travel

The weather depends on the seasons – dry and wet. The minimum amount of precipitation occurs from October to May, when the high tourist season begins. The hottest month is May, and the coldest month is January. According to Europeans who come here from November to March, this is the best period for relaxation. No rain, comfortable air temperature, warm water. Russians begin to arrive here in October – the air warms up to + 33-34 °, water + 28-29 °, it still rains occasionally (4-5 days). Closer to mid-October, the sea becomes cleaner, more transparent, which allows diving.

November-December is the peak of the season: bright sun (+34), no wind, warm day and not cold at night, the pre-Christmas atmosphere pleases. In January, the temperature drops, especially at night to + 16-18 °, you can't do without warm clothes. But this does not stop tourists, in January-February there are a lot of people, prices rise. In March-April it is very warm, there is no rain, but at times there is a strong wind, small storms. In May, heat sets in, winds blow, provoking storms, it starts to rain, humidity increases. Those who easily endure it and want to save money can go to Goa in the summer months, during the rainy season.