The south Goa beach circuit begins from Margao, the second most
important city in Goa. This railway station connects Goa to all major
cities in the coastline like Mumbai, Mangalore and Kochi. Beginning from
Majorda beach, a 20 kms long silvery white sand stretches across till
the headland of Cabo de Rama.
PALOLEM
It’s a beach of white sand facing a blue bay between two headlands. The
little wooded islands on the northern headland look interesting but as
we’ve never ventured onto any of them we don’t know what landing on them
would be like.
If you’re interested, try to persuade one of the fishermen — this is
also a fishing beach — to ferry you across. They do offer to take you
out to spot dolphins. Tourists have discovered Palolem and so there are a
few shacks selling seafood snacks, souvenirs and clothes of the
shapeless, bright, informal kind. Panaji, the capital, is more than 70
km away.
Palolem is just 3 km away from Canacona Railway station, now on the
Konkan Railway. You can hire taxis and auto-rickshaws to reach Palolem
beach from Margao, 40 km away. There are regular buses from Margao to
Palolem that would drop you at Canacona village.
There are beautiful beach huts and family room to choose from in
Palolem. Try to avoid the weekends, as there is a big crowd of
picnickers who throng the beach on weekends.
AGONDA
If you continue driving towards Panaji from Palolem, the next beach is Agonda.
It’s long and lonely, fringed with palms and casuarinas and dominated by a large hill to the south.
It’s not safe to swim out too far on this beach. There are very few
facilities available here and you are needed to carry all the
essentials.
Agonda is a three-kilometer long beautiful cove of white sand, safely
secluded in the palms. There are no tourists, no souvenir stalls, no
restaurants, nothing.
Just the trees, the beach, the big beautiful ocean and you. It also
makes for a great day trip from Colva and Covelossim. For real
adventure, hire a tent and camp for the night, listening to the crashing
of the sea waves.
Not far from Agonda beach is Cabo de Rama, untouched by most of the
visitors in this region. The atmosphere of the fort creates a sense of
history and drama that very few would fail to appreciate. The fort is
named after Rama, hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana. According to the
local legends, Rama stayed here with his wife Sita during the period of
12-year exile.
The best way to reach this beach is by a scooter or motors bike.
VARCA, CAVELOSSIM, MOBOR
Varca, Cavelossim, and Mabor are the most beautiful beaches south of
Benaulim. These beaches are much cleaner and quieter than most of the
famous beaches of Goa. There are numerous beach shacks offering a
variety of Goan dishes and seafood at reasonable prices.
There are several food joints around Dona Sylvia where you can get
entire package of good food, good drink, nice service, and a pleasant
service in quite reasonable rates. There are facilities for Dolphin
watching up river Sal.
These beaches are home to some of the most exclusive and luxurious
beach resorts in Goa. Accommodation is also available for budget and
economy class travelers though not on the beach itself.
There are plenty of transportation facilities available to reach these
beaches from Margao. From Cavelossim village, Margao is 18 km away and
buses and autos are available easily. You can also hire taxis from
Dabolim Airport (41 – 48 km) to reach the beach resorts here. To move
locally, use cycles and scooters that are available on hire.
COLVA
This is the most important beach in the south circuit equipped with all
modern amenities like air-conditioned resort complexes, tourist
cottages, discos, seashell artefact stalls, refreshment stalls,
eateries, guest houses, expanding the village enormously.
The Church of Our Lady Of Mercy in Colva is famous for its miracle
statue of Menino Jesus. The road leading from the Church to the beach is
where all the facilities are located.
Colva is a small village in south Goa on the shores of the Arabian Sea.
It lies 39 km away from Panaji, capital of the Indian state of Goa. Two
km further ahead from Colva is Benaulim.
With 20 km of virgin white sands, palm fringed, and sun drenched
beaches, Colva is the most loved beach of Goans. Colva, unlike Anjuna or
Calangute, gained popularity only lately. It was little disturbed and
life moved on quietly.
While taking a stroll on the Colva Beach, silver carpets of bangdde
(mackerels) can be viewed shimmering on the golden sands for drying.
Fishermen’s motor trawlers can be seen anchored in a line offshore.
Tourists—Indian and foreigners, as well as locals—can be seen in
colorful dresses, coming either for a walk or ‘for a change of air’.
Many tourists can be seen having a sunbath on the golden sands.
The trinket stalls and the drink stands on the golden sands under the
moonlight make the evening on the Colva Beach utterly romantic.
MAJORDA
This small stretch beach stretches about 5 Kms north of Colva Beach
along the coastline. The beach is the location of many hotels. It is in
no way comparable to Colva Beach that lies just south along the coast.
From Bogmalo down south, there is Majorda beach and the Majorda Beach
Resort. Majorda is the village where the Jesuits, fond as they were of
the good things of life, discovered the best Goan toddy (sap from the
coconut palm), which they used to leaven the bread. Naturally, then,
Majorda is the place where the Goans were first trained in the delicate
art of baking European breads.
The Majordans are still Goa's best bakers. The delights of the beach,
however, were discovered much earlier, in the mythical times when the
gods above went through a lot of turmoil. There is a Goan version of
Ramayana and therein Lord Rama was kidnapped as a child and brought up
at Majorda. Later, in pursuit of Sita, he camped at Cabo de Rama - a
headland further south - where the stretch of developed beaches ends.
BOGMALO
This beach dominated by a huge 5-star hotel located right on its edge
and is cut apart from both the North and South beach circuit. Being just
4 kms away from the Goa Airport at Dabolim, it is a favourite among the
elite classes and has an air of exclusivity.
Although the resort hotel towers above the village, there are couple of
smaller places to stay. Windsurfing and water skiing facilities are
available.
BENAULIM
Less than 2 kms south of Colva is the more tranquil beach of Benaulim.
Benaulim is one of the few places in Goa where one can glimpse
handicrafts typical to this area. The best of the traditional rosewood
furniture is made here. Also Benaulim is famous as the place where the
legendary Parashuram's arrow landed, by which Goa was created.
About 2 km away from Colva is the Benaulim, which is more peaceful and
serene than Colva. The best thing about Benaulim is that it is still
rather undiscovered by domestic tourists even though it is a fishing
beach. It gets fairly crowded in the evenings and on weekends, it gets
fairly crowded with local visitors who get off buses about a kilometer
away and pour onto the beach.
The Church of St John the Baptist is situated on a hill beyond the
village and worth a visit. On the arrival of the monsoon, Feast of St
John the Baptist (Sao Joao) is celebrated as a thanksgiving. Young men
wearing crowns of leaves and fruits tour the area singing for gifts. To
commemorate the movement of St John in his mother’s womb when he was in
his mother’s womb and visited by Mary, the mother of Jesus, the young
men of this village jump in the wells.
BETUL
Betul is one of the most important fishing ports where all the
mechanized boats and deep sea trawlers bring in their catch. Here
headlands from the slopes of the Western Ghats protrude into the shore
giving it an imposing backdrop.
Beyond this secluded beach is the hill of Cabo De Rama where the
Portuguese have built a fort. From the fort a great view of the sunset
on the beach can be viewed. There are very few places to stay in Betul.
Goa is the perfect place where you will find a blend of traditional and modern aspects of life. On one hand you have plush beaches and on the other hand you have the most natural landscapes that make you wonder if time ever touched this place. Goa is the perfect place to go on a sightseeing tour. These tours will truly show you an entirely new side of Goa that is sure to take you by surprise. The waterfalls, the forests, the spice farms, all are unique in their own way and are a must visit on your tour to Goa in India. Check our related sections for further information. 
The ideal combination of sun, sand, sea and surf is enough to send a person packing his bags and go on a short holiday. It becomes even better when that holiday is in one of the popular Goan beaches. Goa has a long coastline that makes it the ideal state to have beaches. The beaches of Goa are the perfect destination for a relaxing vacation and holiday in India.
Goa is literally synonymous with churches. They are living testimonies of the rich historical past of Goa. During the early days of the Portuguese rule in India, church building was the primary concern and occupation in Goa. This was because of their zeal to spread Christianity and convert as many people as they can. 
