Beaches in Goa

Where is Goa is a question that doesn’t need a formal answer as it’s known to everyone. Goa is unbelievable and for that matter is unlike any other state in the country, irrespective of the flower children who came in the early 60s and settled here or the Portuguese who came here and settle down some 500 years ago, looking for spices and found it extremely difficult to leave. Goa travel is a respite from the hard work for the modern day tourists and it offers something unique to everyone.

If you want to roam along the beaches with your kids and loved ones, enjoying the midnight sight and dancing to music, then there is no better place than Goa. There are lots of activities you can do such as adventure sports and water sports (like wind surfing, water skiing, and parasailing) or could simply sit on the white sands and enjoy the company of your loved ones.

Although Goa beaches comprise a small fraction of the region, they are highly popular. The beaches experiencing the tides twice a day, refashioned by the yearly monsoons here always have something new to offer. You can also view gentle aquatic hues, mingling with the beaches, giving endless pleasure to the tourists. Each of the beaches in Goa has their own uniqueness if that is what you are looking in them. Calangute, Anjuna, Palolem, Arambol, Colva, Vagator, and Betul are some of the most famous beaches in Goa.

Besides the beaches, there are several other landmarks that also fascinate the tourists from far off places. These include forts, churches, museums, monuments etc.  Fort Aguada, Chapora, St. Ana Church, and Church of Lady of Miracles are some of the major attractions. Shree Hanuman temple, Shri Dattatraya temple etc. are some of the important temples in the state.

Goa is thus blessed with some wonderful climate and beaches that fascinate people from all around the world.

Water Sports in Goa

Goa,known as the beach capital of India, hosts quite a lot of popular beaches in the country. Goa has become a destination that’s most visited in the country due to its gentle and gorgeous beaches. The state has automatically become an adventure sports lover’s delight due to its enormous water bodies and huge coastlines. The innumerable beaches in Goa offer a range of water sports activities, ranging from ship sailing to jet skiing.

Jet skiing is one of the adventure sports in Goa and this is the ideal sport for you if speed excites you. You’d definitely get a thrilling experience by the 100-135hp powered jet skis. This machine is quite easy to handle, but operators generally send a trainer along for safety purpose. You can also go alone if you’ve learnt the basic techniques and the operator is content. You can take up this sport in the beaches of Calangute, Colva, Miramar, Candolim etc.
As Goa is blessed with kind and gentle flowing winds, dinghy sailing can also be experienced and is meant for those who like to slide softly over the dancing sea waves. This water sport activity is generally not preferred by extremely athletic people and is available at the Taj Holiday village and the Cidade de Goa.

Windsurfing is another most popular water sport in Goa and though you don’t need any type of machines, it is extremely difficult to learn. It’s reasonably priced and requires an instructor and good health. Water sports activities is thus the ideal way of having day time fun in Goa.

Churches in Goa

There are several churches in Goa built by the Portuguese. Several wonderful churches were built by them in Old Goa, which are well known all over the world. The churches in Old Goa remind of its former magnificence which once rivaled that of Rome. It was known to the world as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ or ‘Golden Goa’ in 16th and 17th centuries in its days of glory. You can know all about Goa India by visiting some of the churches.  

The Portuguese Viceroy, Redondo, specially made the Se or St. Catherine’s Cathedral to be an extravagant church worthy of wealth, power and eminence of the Portuguese who subjugated the seas from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Today, there are no churches bigger than this, even though it was overwhelmed by problems, as it didn’t have the relevant funds for construction. The church was built in 80 years and was not sanctified until 1640. 

One of the most impressive and renowned churches in Goa contains the leftovers of St. Francis Xavier, Patron saint of Goa, Apostle of the Indies. The construction of the church started on November 24, 1594 AD from the funds donated for this cause by Dom Jeronimos Mascarenhas. It was blessed by the Archbishop Dom Fr Aleixo se Menezes on May 15 1605 AD. It became the first church in India to be raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1946.

You can get more Goa information by visiting the churches that are one of the landmarks of Goa.

All About Goa

Goa is the smallest state in India by area and is the fourth smallest by population. Panaji is the capital city of Goa while Vasco da Gama is known to be its largest city. The state is split into two districts, i.e. South Goa and North Goa. It has everything that every traveler looks for such as attractive beaches, natural beauty and temples. This state is situated along the western coast of India that previously belonged to Portuguese.

Goa is extremely popular for its beaches, world heritage architecture, and places of worship. Every year millions of international as well as domestic tourists visit this beautiful state. You must visit this place if you want to know all about Goa beaches as you can truly experience its beauty only after you visit there.

Depending on your budget, you can choose to explore Goa in several ways. You can hire a cab to roam around the city or you can even hire motorcycles or opt for a passenger seating on a motorcycle taxi. There are many private buses that also connect various cities within the state. Auto rickshaws are also another option to travel within the city.

As far as accommodation is concerned, there are many hotels in Goa that cater to various budget travelers. The hotels range from budget to luxury hotels, beach resorts and budget hotels.

Your Goa travel cannot conclude just by visiting scenic places and churches, but only by experiencing the day and night activities. You can know all about Goa just be experiencing its nightlife on a cruise that houses all the things that you need.