hI Richard
Ther are plenty of beaches within a 20 min taxi ride but local BAGA [very busy] CALANGUTE [busy] CANDOLIM [ not so busy the one we use as we stay there. Were and when are you going we are there in JANUARY AND MARCH
KAREN

the nicest beaches in the calangute area

Unless there is a massive drop in tourism this season, definately not Calangute. Although that is only my opinion.

I spent most of my time on Baga Beach. It was just great for people watching along with a huge choice of shacks. However, we also got a taxi to the northern quieter beaches three of four times. I'll be doing the same again next year when I go back again.

My favourite is Mandrem Beach. Hire a taxi for the day, it'll cost no more than about £10 for the day. Whilst you spend time on the beach, they just wait for you in a local shack.

I have heard the expression that the water is as warm as a bath many many times before but never believed that I would ever experience "bath temp water" in the sea. The water at Mandrem was just like being in a warm bath, it was fantastic! The beach is beautiful and very clean.

I really enjoyed the constrast between the busy Baga/Calangute/Candolim beaches and the very quiet northern beaches.

Have a look at the beach photos at....

http://www.pbase.com/iaintwoeyes/goa_2008

Iain

definatly not calangute beach, unless you like crowds of people doing watersports. and not forgetting a smell of petrol and oil cocktail!!! give it a miss!!
try candolim or baga to be close. but you can get a cheap taxi to the more northern beaches. such as turtle beach, mandrem and morjim beaches, which are really nice.
have a great time, BOB

well I've been at Calangute when the shacks were not there and also at the busy time and I enjoyed the people watching then( but not the water sports) You need to travel a bit futher north if you like quiet beaches

When going to the Northern beaches give Little Vagator a miss. It is a nice beach but there are more sellers on there than Baga, Calangute and Candolim put together. They have ruined it for us, even leaving after a couple of hours the last time we went as they were a real nuisance.

iaintwoeyes. Thank you so much for these photos. We have stayed at MD for the last 10 years. Left there 1st March. It was lovely to see familiar faces. Anyone who stays and knows MD, have a look at these!

When you get fed up of the overcrowded beaches on the main Baga - Sinquerim strip - head North.

Bogmallo is nice too it's just next to the airport.

Click here.

Didn't find Ozran and Vagator (sometimes known as Chapora beach, below fort) too bad for sellers.

I'll probably get a barrage of abuse now but here goes, we love coco, short taxi ride away, if you decide to go, pop up to the deli doly shack and say hi to dominic and lizette, the most genuine down to earth people you'll meet!

Just bear in mind when ordering food they beetle off to the house to prepare it so may take longer than normal!

Ask for the chops delicious and not what you'd imagine

My other half goes up to the leela to play golf there , and the beach is spot on

karen

got 3 weeks in november ( am I the only one hoping for winter to come ?)

Can't wait!

Max......Loved your pics particularly of Morjim as its always been a favourite of mine.

We haven't been up there for about 3 years as we have headed down South to Palolem for the odd night or two so I am wondering if Morjim has changed much? It used to be so peaceful and with very few shacks so I hope it hasn't been spoilt. I know a lot of land has been bought up - has there been much development or has protected status (turtles) won the day?

Fizzy

I'll probably get a barrage of abuse now but here goes, we love coco, short taxi ride away,

Wouldn't want to disappoint you, so here goes.

Coco beach is filthy, and the water has a scum on it, probably discharge from the barges that pass up and down the river all day.

Yes, Coco beach..... FILTHY

Would love to see a report done on the water round there. Never want to set foot in the water ever again, last time I swam there there was a lot of 'debris' in water, makes me ill just thing of it.

More than discharge from barges, Nerul river is dumping ground for illegal waste from unscrupulous hotel owners.

Yes, coco beach - only been once and would not return. My skin was covered in an oily/greasy substance after swimming there ........ and it wasn't sun tan oil

I thought the majority of coco beach had been washed away during the monsoons of the last couple of years much like Anjuna beach. We went to the market for the first time in 3 years, earlier this year and couldn't believe how much of the beach had disappeared.

most of of coco beach was washed away last year. as far as i'm concerned, its just as well, cos i wouldn't have gone back there again. the first thing i noticed about the water was the film of oil across the water. ( this was couple of years ago) as soon as i saw that, there was no way i was going into it. the tide was more obvious there too, because it is very flat. when the tide came in there was hardly any beach to sit on, thats before most of it dissapeared in the monsoon!!
didn't rate the beach shacks much either, so for me and my other half, there was no reason to go there again.
BOB