Goa is the fairy-tale gateway for the
sea-farers of the sempiternal Arabian Sea into a land shrouded in a thousand
mysteries - India! With its ruffle of pristine beaches knitted with swaying
palm trees, Goa has lately been branded another appellation - the Riviera of
the East - with a phenomenal tourist bee-line every winters, December to
February that is. Warm-up with a beach basketball or volleyball session,
sun-bask, shake a leg in the surprise jam-sessions, surfing, snorkeling,
jet-skiing, boogie boarding, scuba diving, water-skiing, parasailing,
windsurfing, deep sea fishing, you name it - Goa is too full of everything
and is just the place for the spirited.
Looking Back
Goa, however, has a long history of being the-place-in-demand. Out of the
muddle of power mongers, the Portuguese emerged victorious and held the
reigning cudgels for over four centuries until 1961, when Goa was declared
independent. The Portugese have, nevertheless, so ingrained the very matrix
of Goa, that it feels more a chunk of Portugal grafted in India.
The Beaches - the Riviera of the East
» Arjuna Beach
- Lacing the ancient Chapora Fort, is the beatific but bustling Anjuna
beach. The Calangute - Baga - Anjuna beach belt north of Panaji is most
populous and developed, fueled entirely by the apalling tourist influx.
» Baga Beach -
The crescent-shaped Baga with its soft white sands is a popular joint for
water-sports activities like para sailing, jet skiing, body boarding and
surfing. The dolphin cruises in the sea is a rage with tourists. Nocturnals
stay back for the late-night parties here.
» Calangute
Beach - Highly popular beach thronged with tourists and vendors
selling every thinkable sea-side ware. Called the Queen of Goa beaches,
celebrations and fun unlimited is the buzzword here.
» Vagator Beach - A few minuted drive from Anjuna
towards Panaji brings you to the Vagator beach. Cloistered and embellished
with palm fringed colonnades, the beache with black laterite cliffs boast of
Primrose, Nine Bar (both open air clubs) and Disco Valley (the Christmas and
Sylvester parties hot-hub) as its most recognized landmarks.
» Dona Paula Beach - As pretty as its exquisite
name, Dona Paula is comparatively peaceful, unlike the others bustling with
activities. Dona Paula beach has variegated water sports facilities,
especially water scootering. Besides, it is a very picturesque locale
commanding a grand view of the Zuari river and Mormugao Harbour, and an
idyllic spot to relax and sunbathe.
The list of beaches are endless and too exotic to be contained in words.
About 2 million tourists (both foreign and domestic) throng Goa every year.
Choose one of our tour packages for that complete experience of the coastal
exotica.
