Holidaying in north goa – why is it so special?
With floating casinos on the Mandovi River and cheap liquor shops sprouting at every corner of the street, it reminds you of bustling Las Vegas. Where are we?! The Rome of East – Goa!!
Unending beaches and the grandeur of Old Goa with the richness of Portuguese colonial architecture, plummeting Dudsagar falls are the mystical pride of Goa!
We booked an early morning flight to Goa. We were late for the Airport and could not clear the security check on time, so we missed our flight. Because of this, our plan for day one got foiled. If we hadn’t pre-booked our stay, we would have canceled the trip.
After so much consideration, we booked a transit flight at 9 AM via Chennai – Mumbai – Goa. It has definitely burnt a hole in the pocket, with lessons learned. 🙁
We reached Dabolim Airport by noon. Cabs are available from the airport at a fixed rate. An hour’s drive into the city, we arrived at Calangute, North Goa. We specifically booked our stay in North Goa to explore the beaches of North Goa.
PLACES TO VISIT IN NORTH GOA
We checked into our Hotel – Ibis Styles Goa, Calangute and refreshed quickly to head out for late lunch. We hired a bike for rental and went straight to Calangute beach. Post-our lunch in a restaurant, we spent some time at Calangute beach watching the sunset.
It is situated north of Candolim beach. And the trio of Candolim – Calangute – Baga beaches is renowned beaches of North Goa. It’s always filled with adrenaline – rush water rides, cafes, sparkling nightclubs, and an unending place for nightlife. From Calangute beach, you can spot the hoarding of Baga Beach from afar.
As the glowing evening quickly dissolves and turns the blue skies dark, we moved to Baga beach. It is a 10-minute drive from Calangute beach. By the time we reached Baga beach, it was almost dark. Hence, we decided to come the next day.
On day 4, after an amusing trip to Harvalem waterfalls in the morning, we came to Baga Beach for a relaxed evening. As Lazz went swimming, I sat on the sandy beach and waited for him. If you’re leaving footwear ashore, always keep an eye on it. Because you’ll lose it in the wink of an eye! I had to run literally to get it from a stranger. 🙂
Neither Calangute beach nor Baga beach impressed me as they were too crowded and not so clean. Moreover, the coastline stretch is split at a roughly 3 – 4 KM distance and called by different names. I love how the second-longest beach – Marina Beach, amuses me with its single name for the 13 KM coastline stretch.
We had our dinner at the hotel, slept early as we were so exhausted, and had plans to explore a few more beaches of North Goa like Anjuna beach & Vagator beach.. Do Check why Anjuna beach is famous for?
Take a look at our second day trip to Fort Aguada Goa – The Lone Lighthouse!. Also, do take a look at St. Francis Xavier Church – Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.
Pin for later!
With luv,
