Calangute Beach Goa

Calangute beach is also called the 'Queen of Beaches' because the beauty you find here cannot be found elsewhere. Under the shade of palm trees, bathes the Queen of Beaches - Calangute.

Calangute beach seems to be a distortion of the local vernacular word-'Koli-gutti', which means land of fishermen. Some people connect it with Kalyangutti (village of art) or Konvallo-ghott (strong pit of the coconut tree) because the village is full of coconut trees.
 

 

About The Beach

 

Calangute is a town on the northern coast of Goa. Calangute is well connected to other parts of Goa by road, and the roads are in fairly good condition.

Calangute situated at about 15 km from the capital city Panjim is the one of the most popular holiday destinations in Goa. It is usually crowded as it has a host of facilities to cater to the visitors.

Calangute is well known due to its beautiful golden sanded beach which is also known as the Queen of Beaches. November to February is the most pleasant time to visit the Goa Calangute beach. It is amongst the most popular beaches of Goa and it's capacity is large enough to accommodate the huge numbers of high-season visitors.

Excellent accommodation facilites are available in the Calangute village of North Goa India, particularly at the tourist resorts and cottages. There are also a number of hotels and restaurants scattered all over the place. It has also become a good investment plan to buy properties in Goa.

Calangute is the perfect tourist haven, completed with shacks and stalls under the shade of palm trees selling everything from fried prawns and beer, to trinkets made of seashells.

One of the places worth visiting nearby is the St. Alex Church. As the vast traffic on the CHOGM road reaches the village, the Church of St Alex greets with its two towers and a magnificent dome gracing the façade. The inside of the church is a display of the line and beauty of its architectural style and ornate altars. In 1996, Calangute celebrated the fourth centenary of its parish church.

Calangute's nightlife is surprisingly tame and provides a nice break from the wild parties at Anjuna. All but a handful of the bars wind up by 10.00 pm. One notable exception is Tito's at the Baga end of the beach, which stays open until after midnight in the off-season and into the small hours of the morning in late December and January.

 

 

 

Things to do

 

 

Odyssey Tours

Odyssey Tours has a luxury yacht with a license to carry 27 passengers on deck, plus 4 crew members, including a captain and engineer (so you can’t rent the yacht and drive it yourself). They offer half-day dolphin-spotting cruises for about affortable cost per person, including lunch; reservations are necessary. The yacht leaves from Brittona, where it has its own jetty. In the afternoon, it’s available for private charter groups also.

Relaxation

Relax at the beach. The beach reaches from Candolim to Baga. Known also as the Queen of Beaches, although is rather crowded nowadays. Unfortunately it has also been reported to be a place where women risk to be harrassed. The sand is quite full of beds for sunbathing. These are free at least if you buy something from the beach shack, but expect a lot of salesmen. Beggars are not common.

Water Sports

If you go from the center of the town to the beach, you will find a massive amount of water sports operators; they are cheap and fun but their safety is very doubtful due to the large number of jetskis operating in the breaking waves. At this part of the beach there are no beach shacks.

Jolly ride on Bike

Hire a bike or scooty for  day and roam around other nearby beaches like Baga, Candolim, Anjuna. You can also ride straight upto Aguada Fort. Make sure to fill your vehicle's tank before you start off the journey. Fuels are sold by many roadside shop

Sports & the Outdoors

Sports & the Outdoors on the BeachHop aboard a dolphin-or-crocodile-spotting tour, which winds past thick mangroves along the Zuari and Mandovi rivers, or take a ride on a banana boat.

 

 

Shopping

 

 

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.

 

Nightlife & Entertainment At Calangute

 

  Calangute's nightlife is surprisingly tamed and provide a nice break from the wild parties at Anjuna. All but a handful of the bars wind up by 10.00 pm. One notable exception is Tito's at the Baga end of the beach, which stays open until after midnight in the off-season and into the small hours in late December and January.

The other places that consistently stay open through the night at Calangute are a couple of hippy hang-outs in the woods to the south of the beach road. Pete's Bar, a perennial favourite next door to Angela P. Fernandes, is generally the liveliest, offering affordable drinks, backgammon sets and relentless reggae. Further afield, Bob's Inn, between Calangute and Candolim beaches, is another popular bar.

 

Sightseeing

 

 

• Church of St Alex - Apart form the beach, there is the Church of St Alex which is a must-see. Church of St Alex, with its two towers and a magnificent dome displays the beauty of the architectural style and ornate altars. In 1996, Calangute celebrated the fourth centenary of its parish church.
• Kerkar Art Complex, Located at close proximity is the Kerkar Art Gallery, displaying the paintings and sculptures of various talented, upcoming artists of Goa. The Kerkar Art Complex in this Indian State of Goa is quite special and is the one and only of its kind on this beach. It is The gallery also hosts a night of Indian music and dance, once every week.
  
  Dr Subodh Kerkar has two galleries, one for his permanent collection, and the other housing the works of Indian and foreign artists.

What to Eat and drink

 

 

 

 

The coastline is nearly full of beach shacks that offer food as well. For better cuisine you can choose from numerous (tourist) restaurants that are found from the main roads. Food is somewhat expensive by Indian standards, but cheap by Western ones .

• Oriental - A family run Thai-European Restaurant. Expect authentic Royal Thai and selected European Cuisine – specialized in tenderloin fillet steaks - better "Little Chateaubriands" -. Location: Calangute Holiday Street, behind Kerkar Art Complex, befor Little Italy.(Former Roma)
• Tibetan Kitchen - Great place for Chinese & Tibetan dishes, very authentic and good environment though you need to walk from main road for about 20 meters through a small lane.
• Mirabai Goan Village,  The best! Authentic Goan food, excellent sea food, charming knowledgeable owner.
• Souza Lobo - Its on the beach, you won't miss it. King Fish and Seafood are excellent.
• After Seven, on the border of Candolim-Calangute. . Started by Leo, who speaks 4 languages and has travelled the world with the reputed Taj Group of Hotels, this restaurant has been around for 9 years. The restaurant was formerly known as After Eight Restaurant, till Nestle decided that the restaurant was so good that it would prove competition to their mints, asked Leo to change the name, which he did in 2005.
• Electric Cats - An wonderful place for authentic seafood & cocktails.
• Temptation Shack, Calangute Beach. Friendly and welcoming shack serving excellent food with great service. Take them up on the offer of a barbecue and try the tiger prawns and calamare - amazing.
• Xavier's Beach Cafe, Midway Between Calangute and Baga Beach. This is one of the shacks that are present between Baga and Calangute. Outstanding behaviour and reasonable rates compared to the ambience! reasonable as per Goan standards.

How to Reach

This beach is a mere thirty minutes bus ride up the coast from the capital, Panaji and is about ten minutes from Mapusa. There are frequent buses to Panaji and Mapusa from Calangute. Most buses from Panaji terminate at Calangute and a few trudge further on up to Baga. Mapusa is 8 km away from Calangute.

The nearest airport is at Dabolim, which is 29 km away from Panaji. The nearest railway station is at Karmali 11 km away from Panaji. Panaji is just half an hour's drive away from Calangute. Private transportation facilities - deluxe, semi-deluxe and ordinary - are also available offering a smooth and hassle free vacations in Goa.

By train

The nearest railway station is at Thivim, and taxi from there takes about 20 minutes . Other railway stations are at Margao and Vasco.

By bus

Frequent state buses go to and from other parts of Goa, but if you're traveling a longer distance, you need to change buses (for example, from the airport you should need three buses to get to Calangute). A bus from Panaji costs depending on the route the bus takes.

By taxi

Prepaid taxi from the outside counter on the airport , while discussing the price directly with the driver should result into cheaper price.

Get around

Calangute is a quite small area, and you can easily walk your way through it. Two-wheelers and cars are naturally available for hire, and getting a taxi or an auto rickshaw is easy.

Where To Stay

Calangute beach offers lot of choices when it comes to accommodation. From resorts & star hotels to budget rooms, you will find everything here. Those planning a longer vacation in Goa should look out for houses that are usually let out.

Take any road going towards the beach from the main road and find a bunch of places to sleep as you approach the beach. If you choose a smaller road you're likely to find cheaper places. Taxi drivers will be happy to take you to a place run by their friends / people who pay commission, but you need be very strict with your price limit as they tend to take you to a more expensive place.

• Hotel Seagull, Holiday Street,  Sea Gull is a lovely 3-Star hotel near the border of Calangute towards Candolim, very close to Calangute Beach. It has a lively restaurant which is extremely popular and well known for many years. Live music is another highlight of Hotel Seagull.
• Hotel Villa Theresa (Hotel Villa Theresa Calangute Goa),. Villa Theresa is a family run hotel situated at Umta Vaddo, close to Calangute beach, just about a 2-minute walk from the shore in a peaceful pocket of Calangute and away from the noise of the busy village.
• Ondas Do Mar Beach Resort, This hotel is a few minutes' walk from the beach. It has 2 swimming pools and has two campuses. It has friendly owners, it's very clean and cozy, and they have a restaurant where you can get great meals.
• [www.gabrielguesthousegoa.com gabriels guest house goa] (gabriels guest house goa), gaura vaddo,calangute,goa (near kamat holiday homes,opposite tarcar wine shop.). gabriel guest house is a family run hotel very close to Calangute beach,located in a quiet area, with a peaceful atmosphere.
• Dias Holiday Homes, The Lagoon (1.5 km from Calangute beach.), Fully furnished apartments ,car parking and swimming pool available on rent (daily/monthly/yearly).