[MorePower]

Originally Posted by swsumit

Introduction Hordes of tourists throng these beaches each year and honestly put the limit has been reached and the charm that these beaches used to infuse which made them iconic has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who throng them.

Couldn't agree more. This is what drove us to explore South Goa in the last 3 years. Close to Palolem, further south is another quaint beach, Patnem. Few shacks, sparse crowd. Another one, not in the south, but pretty much in central Goa, is Bogmalo. Not many tourists, 1 great shack among others and a beautiful cove. And yes, one more thing, it's a 10 minute drive from the airport.

[swsumit]

Originally Posted by The Brutailer

Beautiful pics. Goa is an amazing place. Best place to recharge your battery after a whole year of stress. Wow! So many beautiful beaches which i had never heard of before. Definitely going to visit those the next time I'm in Goa.

P. S. Is the water really that blue Pollem beach or you've just saturated the pic too much? I've never come across a deep blue sea beach in goa till now!

u need to visit in the morning at around 8 ... during feb - march

[swsumit]

Originally Posted by GTO

A small contribution from my end. Not a beach, but a view of a beach. Trust me, if you are in South Goa, you cannot miss this place. We've only been here during the day and it was astonishing enough...must be something else to watch the sunset.

sunset as you desired ....

[Precision]

Thank you so very much for this article, We (Wifey and I) and a cousin had just booked hotels for this weekend at Goa and this article is godsend.
There are some offbeat beaches in north goa too that have yet to hit the tourist radar, will try to put up some pictures this time we go.

[SoumenD]

Ah!!! you just got me nostalgic mate. Lovely pics & good info

Having done around 17 trips(13 to north, 4 to south) to Goa, even my preference has shifted to South Goa now. Palolem being my choice for following reasons :

1. Post office hours when I take the last volvo from bangalore, Canacona happens to be the first major Goan town around day-break(7AMish). Getting down there saves me around 2-3 hours(depending on traffic) which one would spend in the bus if he is getting down at Panaji for North Goa. Add another 1hour to hire a 2/4-Wheeler and reaching Anjuna/Bagah or likes. And while returning as well its the last stop, so you can board around 9/10PM and still reach bangalore by 6AM. Would have to board from Panaji at 7/8PM if I am in North Goa. Hence, I end up chilling an extra 5-6hours at the beach instead of Bus/Bus-stop.

2. Palolem being just 2-3kms from the bus stop you can check-in pretty early & get into the Goa mode(if you know what i mean).

3. There's a creek just behind the beach(a short walk along the beach towards Monkey mountain) where you can hire a boat ride into the jungle. With bushes surrounding you from both sides cutting through the calm water is really a pleasant experience.

4. Due to less crowd kayaking enthusiasts get ample time to spend in the sea without hordes of people waiting for their turn.

5. You have decent food options in the shacks itself with some playing Trance while others playing soft music. Take your pick as per your mood.

6. Last but not the least, due to lesser demand the prices aren't over the top and accommodation availability is relatively better.

Yes, if you want to cover more places in South Goa, Colba is a better bet but if you just want to chill at the beach this is an ideal spot.

[Dr.AD]

Great list and a nice compilation. Thanks a lot swsumit for this.

I would add Patnem Beach to that list. In fact, I like it more than the nearby Palolem beach. It is a lot quieter than the Palolem beach, and shares the same natural beauty and the landscape of the Palolem beach.

Here are some of the pictures on Patnem beach from one of my earlier trips (which I covered in this travelogue: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...beach-goa.html)

[catchjyoti]

Very nice compilation. Voted it five stars

South Goa is a personal favorite of mine. I have stayed on Palolem beach and I can vouch for the beach and the atmosphere. Way less crowd than North Goa and better sands.

I too liked Agonda beach. It was almost empty when I went and has almost a surreal appeal. Haven't been to the other beaches mentioned but would like to soon.

[Travelator]

WOW...now this is one topic that is closest to my heart than anything else.. My heart and eyes light up at just the mention of Goa.

Truly said, north Goa is for the party animals and those who leave the town to visit Goa and party hard. The lazy and peace loving ones like me prefer the south. Cola beach being my personal favorite.

Have been to most of the beaches mentioned in your post and trust me the scenic beauty is nothing less than mesmerizing. I envy all those who stay in proximity of this divine land.

Another beach that needs a mention is the Rajbag beach which is sort of exclusive to The Lalit Golf and Spa Resort. However there is a jetty where they offer some water sports as well minus the unwelcome crowd of beaches in the north.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Travelator

Another beach that needs a mention is the Rajbag beach which is sort of exclusive to The Lalit Golf and Spa Resort. However there is a jetty where they offer some water sports as well minus the unwelcome crowd of beaches in the north.

I totally agree. Rajbag beach is a beautiful one.

In fact, it is a continuation of the Patnem beach I mentioned in my previous post. One can walk from Patnem beach to Rajbah and vice versa. The last picture in my previous post is actually the Rajbag beach (you can see the beach shack of the Lalit Golf and Spa Resort in one of those pictures, in the far background). That is the view of the Rajbah beach as seen while walking towards it from Patnem beach.

The whole stretch of the beach covering Rajbag and Patnem is very beautiful!

[shuvadips]

That was great work Swsumit. Unfortunately this post is late by half a year. My family and I had been to Goa for 7 days in November 2015 (Drove my car from Bangalore)and stayed near Betalbatim beach. Went further down upto Sernabatim and Benualim beaches.
If I had know about the other beaches further south, would had surely gone to those as I do not like crowds. But then I plan to visit Goa every 2 years, so will keep up the list for my next visit in 2017.

Thank you

[Vikki@Hyderabad]

We visited Agonda for a week for our anniversary two years ago. We just didn't want to come back. My previous favorite was Palolem but now it's more akin to the North Goa beaches. Hope Agonda stays as pristine as it is now.

[revvhed]

Hi. This thread comes at just the right time as a few friends and I are planning a a visit to Goa around the 20th of this month. While normally the south of Goa is a no brainer, being the monsoon and off-season, we have been warned that the south of Goa becomes completely dead and half shuts down during this season. Is this true ? If so, would the north be less crowded than normal and be worth visiting ? Will Baga be okay to stay at during this time ? Goa experts please help.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by revvhed

Hi. This thread comes at just the right time as a few friends and I are planning a a visit to Goa around the 20th of this month. While normally the south of Goa is a no brainer, being the monsoon and off-season, we have been warned that the south of Goa becomes completely dead and half shuts down during this season. Is this true ? If so, would the north be less crowded than normal and be worth visiting ? Will Baga be okay to stay at during this time ? Goa experts please help.

Yeah, south becomes pretty silent during monsoon. Palolem would have Palolem-beach-Resort open as its more of a hotel(bang on the beach), rest would mostly be off. And even Colba(Calangute of south goa) will have the hotels functioning.
Having said that, North would be a better bet this season. Will still have some crowd but not like Nov-Feb scene. Most of the shacks will be closed down. But bagah/anjuna will have one or two open. I vaguely remember being to one around 2013 monsoons. Have fun

P.S: This is the season when I look at the 3/4 Star-Resorts as they have hefty discounts. Peace of mind due to less crowd plus less expense. Double bonus

[paragsachania]

Nice one Sumit and I so admit that South Goan beaches remain the Best and the most beautiful in comparison.

Of 12 or more drives to Goa in the past 3 years, It the last 2 years have been strictly South Goa more for the experience that you get in these beaches. Clean, less crowded, friendly waters and a lot more reasons.

Only 2 weeks back, I was in Goa & Benaulim to be precise and captured these evening shots from the beach. I loved this beach more as the tides were very low and it was knee deep for almost 300 meters from the shore!

[landcruiser123]

Let me upload the pictures of the beautiful Varca beach. Spent a lot of time over there last summer. Driving from Bangalore was fun



That's not me

Relaxed life, empty beaches, some really good food and absolutely no chaos. Panjim is very crowded compared to South Goa.