Beaches
Information
Mandrem Beach
This silver sanded beach is, in all reality, a honeymooners haven. It is situated to the north of Ashwem Beach and slightly more towards the Arambol beach. A little insight though, this beach was once famous for nudists. ‘Once’ being the operative word.
This beach is extremely isolated and cut off, but is slowly gaining popularity. Given its solitude, you’ll see white-bellied fish eagles (Brahmani kites) that live in the trees at this beach pretty often and sometimes, the Olive Ridley turtles make their way to this beach to nest.
In and around, you’ll find some good bistros and shacks for a bite or two. There’s also a small rivulet behind the beach, adding to its beauty.
Ganpatiphule Beach
Ganpatiphule, though a well-known beach, is doubly famous because of the 4000-year-old landmark that it houses – The Swayambhu Ganapati Temple (Swayambhu meaning ‘self-made,’ this is a temple of the self-originated idol, Ganapati). This temple, devoted to Lord Ganesha, is a huge attraction, giving this area substantial religious significance.
The beach, situated approximately 370 kilometers south of Mumbai, is usually always laden and thriving with Indian tourists the year round. Though it isn’t the cleanest of beaches, there are still certain spots that are bound to catch your interest. You’ll find good accommodation and good food, mainly vegetarian, given its religious significance.
Also located here is the Maharashtra Tourism Development Organization that have their rest houses planted around the beach.
Guhagar Beach
Guhagar beach sees long stretches of untouched white sands and is a haven for all who appreciate serenity and sanctity. At Guhagar, you’ll find a few heritage houses here and there, apart from a Villa that looks like one from a movie set! Pretty fancy, really.
Being that it is a relatively lengthy beach in terms of kilometers, it makes good for kite boarding and kite buggy'ing. The strong waves encourage body boarding and a lot of Organic Farming (Horticulture) is practiced here.
Morjem Beach
Morjem Beach is the breeding and nesting ground for the Olive Ridley turtles. This black, sandy beach houses a few shacks and makes for good swimming for when you want to kick back, relax and take some time off for yourself. A long flat compact sand beach makes it perfect grounds for kite boarding and other wind powered buggies.
This beach is also good for some mountain biking rides from North Goa and there are numerous trails in the surrounding areas for walks. On the other hand, if you’re looking at a lazy day, this beach also allows for a very scenic drive.
Arambol Beach
Arambol, one of Goa’s most renowned beaches and known to be one of Goa’s best, is very pristine, having a natural charm about it and is located about 50 kilometers north of the Goan town of Panaji. This beach is somewhat a hub for international hippies and yuppies, being that it is quite heavy on the party scene and has that bohemian feel. This beach is every nature lover’s ultimate dream with vast expanses of coast, golden sands and rocky cliffs, all hand in glove with each other.
On this beach, you’ll find a small resident population of Israelis & Russians apart from a host of tiny, cozy shacks, which offer mouth-watering, authentic Konkani cuisine. Also, a first, try their hummus! It’s pretty awesome.
Other than just this, a whole range of adventure activities are possible, some of which include surfing, kite surfing, paragliding off the ridges and much more. In addition, dolphin watching boat trips are abundant at Arambol, for all interested.
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