Goa's over 100 kms long coastline is studded with some of the world's loveliest beaches - Calangute, Colva, Baga, Vagator and Miaramar. Golden Beaches, Blue Skies and Pale Green Hills, Silvery Sand fringed with palms - this is Goa - the land of Paradoxes, the land of Fun and Frolic, of calm and tranquility.

Goa indeed is enviously adorned. An amalgamation of religious architecture, built in the 16th century, it was a city with awe inspiring Cathedrals. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, the Church of Our Lady of Rosary, the St. Cathedral with its fourteen splendid altars, and the Convent of St. Francis of Assisi are the magnificent sites to visit.
The known temples are the Sri Shanta Durga at Kavlem, Shri Mangest Temple, Sri Saptakoteshwar Mukhalinga and the Drivaidian Sri Malikarju Temple at Canacona. The brief tenure of Islam has left mosque of the Namazgah and the ruins of the Safa Masjid at Ponda. A visit to the Museum of Christian Art, 12 kms from Margao in the South Goa is a must housing artifacts from private collectors and from the churches of Goa.

Goa has a total coastline of 125 km and that makes people believe that it is a long big beach. The beaches of Goa are warm and inviting. The beaches here have been accepted as a matter of life.

Goa's beaches are speckled with quaint little beach shacks that serve ice cold beer and spicy Goan cuisine. A Traveller can choose from, exotic cuisine, water sports facilities that have water scooters to water gliding, a glass of feni and beer, shopping on the beachside, or midnight bonfire on the beach. Though there are regular beaches, people can still find some scenic spots unexplored.

Buses run between Margao and Karwar via Chaudi where one can pick up an auto rickshaw or taxi to Palolem. Alternatively, get off at the Char Rostay crossroads, 1.5-km before Chaudi, and walk the remaining kilometre or so to the village. A couple of buses each day also goes all the way to Palolem from Margao; these stop at the end of the lane leading from the main street to the beachfront: Cycles may be rented from a stall halfway along the main street.

The beach known for its rocky and sandy terrain till recently was a popular meeting ground for hippies and its claim to fame was the wild parties it was host to. Sporty types can enjoy activities like dolphin watching, boat trips and gliding. It is the best gliding site in Goa. Arambol is best for beginners with its regular, smooth and steady sea breeze perfect for easy, no break flying.

Palolem 2-km west of Chaudi, is a crescent shaped bay lined with a swaying curtain of coconut palms and is irresistibly photogenic. Hemmed in by a pair of wooded headlands, a perfect curve of white sand arcs north from a pile of hug boulders to the spur of Sahyadri Ghat, which here tapers into the sea.
Palolem remains a resolutely traditional village, where the easy pace of life is dictated more by the three daily rounds of Todi tapping.

Cavelosim Beach is on the coast road 11-km south of Colva. Beyond the village's picturesque church square, a narrow lane veers left across an open expanse of paddy fields to the Cavelosim-Assolna ferry crossing near the mouth of the Sal River. Past the square in Cavelosim we arrive at Mobor, where Colva beach fades into a rounded sandy spur at the mouth of the Assolna River. Crammed together on to a narrow spit of dunes between the surf and estuary we find lot of beach resorts. The best time to visit will be from November to March.

Anjuna Beach is situated 8 Km west of Mapusa. This beach is popularly known as the freak capital of the world. A superb beach, fringed by groves of swaying coconut palms and fluorescent painted palm trees, bathing is generally safer.

This is part of a 30 km stretch of beach coastline.It is more quieter and also more isolated. Its scenic beauty, with the creek and the Retreat House perched on the hill contributes to its unique beauty. The Baga beach is more of a fishing beach.The Baga River flows down from one side offering a pleasant diversion for children and those who love the water. Where the river and the sea meet, and on the far right bank, tourists at Baga beach will see a group of black rocks against which the sea crashes.

Chapora is a beach that is around 10 kms. from Mapusa. Chapora Beach is a very good place for those who have decided for a long-term stay in Goa The most basic attraction is Chapora Fort and the houses built in dense groves of coconut palms.It perfectly combines its traditional boat building and fishing heritage the sea turning from aquamarine to emerald green the tiny cottages with gardens garlanded by colors of lemon, purple and fuchsia, flags and crosses take one on a honeymoon fantasy.

Vagator beach is more secluded and much less accessible than either of its neighbours. Vagator is an attractive little bay between rocky headlands with a small series of small beaches particularly attractive in the early morning a little further south of this main beach is a more sedate beach known as Little Vagator or Ozran beach. This beach accommodates a fresh water pool One can buy artifacts like candelabras made of exquisite blue china woven baskets and earthen pots. People with sweet tooth get the chance to enjoy coconuts, bananas "Bebinca", a Goan delicacy made from tender coconuts.

The frilly movements of the sea appear as if the sea is lazily enjoying the tickling sensations spread by the waves riding over it. This is how you can describe the sea at Colva beach dotted with colonial style villas and ramshackle fishing huts. The beachfront is a collection of concrete hotels, souvenir stalls and fly blown snack bars strewn around a central roundabout.

Goa Benaulim beach is situated in south Goa on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It lies 41 km away from Panaji, capital of the Indian state of Goa. Benaulim beach is 2km from Colva beach. It is a fishing beach With miles of stunning palm fringed white sand beaches It is lined with brightly adorned fleet of wooden outrigger. The beach at sunset time is particularly spectacular. One of the major attractions in Benaulim is bullfight, which is held to the accompaniment live Konkani music from October to May. The bullfights are held in an old rice field with no fences or barricades just outside the village.

Sleepy Cavelosim, straddling the coast road 11-km south of Colva, is the last major settlement in southwest Salcete. . A short way beyond the village's picturesque church square, a narrow lane veers left across an open expanse of paddy fields to the Cavelosim-Assolna ferry crossing near the mouth of the Sal River.

One is bound at some point to visit Varca when staying at Benaulim. The row of beached wooden fishing boats 2-km south of Benaulim belong to its community of Christian fisher folk, whose palm thatched long houses line the foot of the grassy dunes.

The beach is named after Dona Paula de Menzes, daughter of a viceroy (in colonial India), who threw herself off the cliff, when refused permission to marry a local fisherman, Gaspar Dias. The myth says that Dona Paula is entombed in the Cabo Chapel of the Raj Bhawan and is supposed to be seen emerging from the moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace. The Dona Paula Beach offers an opportunity to the tourists to have a sunbath and buy cheap seaside goods from local vendors. This beach has also been the location for many Indian movies, the most famous being Ek Duje Ke Liye.

Water sport facilities available here. The Dona Paula Sports Club offers water-scooter, cycle, and motorboat rides. Other water sports include windsurfing, parasailing, water-skiing, toboggan ski-biscuit, skibob, sports fishing, snorkelling, harpoon fishing, kayaking, and yachting. The National Oceanography Institute, set up in the 1960s, delves not only upon marine biology but incorporates almost all the major branches of coastal and marine oceanography. The major attraction of the institute is its Marine Biology Museum and Taxonomy Reference Center. Then there is the Cabo Raj Niwas (the Governor's House) which is half a kilometer away from the National Oceanography Institute. It houses the tomb of Dona Paula de Menzes in the Cabo Chapel. The Raj Bhawan offers an excellent view of the nearby coastline and the Aguada Fort.
How to get there

Goa is connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mangalore, and Thiruvananthapuram by train. The nearest railway station is at Karmali, which is 15 km from the beach.

Seven kilometers from the capital city, regular bus and taxi services are easily available. The Kadamba Transport Corporation (Government of Goa Undertaking), and Maharashtra and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporations operate buses from and to Goa. Bus, taxi, auto-rickshaw, and motorcycle services are also the available means of local conveyance in the area. A bus or motorcycle-taxi from Panajim or the ferry service from Mormugao can be availed of to reach the beach. In fact, buses to Dona Paula leave every fifteen minutes from Panajim's Kadamba stand. An interesting mode of conveyance in Goa is the motorcycle taxi. Unique to this state, these "taxis" carry only one passenger.

A mere 45 minute bus ride up the coast from the capital, Calangute is Goa's busiest and most commercialized resort. Under the shade of palm trees, bathes the Queen of BeachesCalangute.. In a green semi-circle, the villages of Arpora-Nagoa, Saligao and Candolim do their bit to enhance the divine beauty of Calangute. There are picturesque agors (saltpans) at Agarvaddo, Maddavaddo is full of madd (coconut trees), Dongorpur skirts a bottle-green hillock and Tivaivaddo laces the beach. In Gauravaddo lived the gaudds or milkmen ran dairies. The road from the town to the beach is lined with Kashmiri-run handicraft boutiques and Tibetan stalls selling Himalayan curios and jewellery. The quality of the goods - mainly Rajasthani, Gujarati and Karnatakan textiles - is generally high. Haggle hard and don't be afraid to walk away from a heavy sales pitch - the same stuff crops up every Wednesday at Anjuna's flea market.

Miramar Beach is the nearest beach from the capital of the Goa, Panaji. The beach is just 3 km from Panaji in the north of the state and a km away from Dona Paula. It lies adjoining the estuary of the river Mandovi as it opens into the Arabian sea. While it is pleasant and temperate from October to May it is rainy from June to September Due to its proximity of the sea, the territory is generally humid and even during the summer months humidity is generally above 60 percent.

Miramar Beach also known as Gaspar Dias is a lovely golden beach of soft sand griddled with palm trees facing the blue Arabian Sea, where River Mandovi meets the Arabian Sea and a thick grove of shady palms form a dense canopy over the area. The word 'Miramar' in Portuguese stands for viewing the sea. On account of its good location, the Miramar Beach of Goa is ideal for evening walks. The tourists can spend a nice time in the Palm shaded area that is quite captivating for the tourists visiting the beach.

The 2 km long coast boasts of fine, soft silvery sand bed that sparkle in the moonlight. From here one can have a panoramic view of the Aguada fort just across the Mandovi River. It also offers a captivating view of the well-preserved Portuguese fort across the river, known as Aguada Fort. Not much crowded, it offers peaceful surroundings and the much-desired solitude for those who want few moments of life away from the crazy crowd of the city. The importance of these coastal wintering grounds has been universally acknowledged all over the world.

At least three-fourths (500 plus species) of migratory birds incorporate the coastline or the coastal plain into their migration routes. The migratory birds, like Plovers and Gulls return to Miramar beach each winter, as it gives them a brief respite from the harsh winter back home. Here they find food in plenty in the form of aquatic invertebrates, seeds and insects.