Information on Calangute and Baga Beach Goa
Ranks of palm trees and feathery casuarinas flank a 7 km arc of
pure golden sand washed by breakers rushing in from the open sea. This is
Calangute, home of Koli fishermen, universally acknowledged as the reigning
queen bee of Goan beaches. Calangute entered the international beach bums
lexicon when the flower children of the 1960s discovered its tranquilising
effect! The quality of nirvana achieved in the midst of such idyllic beauty had
to be shared and word spread to Europe and America. Hordes of hippies descended
on Goa and Calangute. By the time the hippies outgrew Goa, it had already made
it to the world map of travel. In the wake of the hippies came other travellers
in search of a sun-drenched holiday at a negligible price tag (compared to one
on the Mediterranean or South of France)! With the exit of hippies and the
exodus of package holidaymakers for newer shores, Calangute metamorphosed into
a family beach.
Kids and teenagers frolic under the watchful eye of mamas while
papas drink beer and generally let their hair down! Shacks on the beach provide
delicious hot meals at short notice and low prices beachfront view for itself.
The central square in front of the beach is crowded with shops, hotels and
small guesthouses. Accommodation is always at a premium, in or out of season so
bookings must be made well in time. Apartments and rooms for longer stays are
also available -just head for the nearest "To Let" sign! Shops in the
village cater exclusively to tourists with stocks of diapers and disposables,
junk jewellery and cheap clothes, Tibetan handicrafts and Kashmiri carpets!
Water
sports is currently the most happening thing in Goa and parasailing, water
skiing and wind surfing facilities are available at many beaches including
Calangute. Best time is late afternoons when the breeze picks up; best time of
the year is, of course, the winter months from October to February. The
monsoons bring with them heavy rains and the beach is beautifully deserted.
Summer is reserved for domestic travellers who are quite happy to just paddle
around, drink nariyal pani (coconut water) or beer and eat pao bhaji at Mr
Cato's.
Baga:
Baga epitomizes the small is beautiful axiom. Smaller than its famous sibling
Calangute, Baga is purely about sun, sand and sea. Deprived of the hustle-bustle
and the commercial success of Calangute, Baga slumbers in the sun just as
placidly as the Baga River flows into the sea. The river brings with it silt
and pebbles which over centuries have eroded into the coarse brown sand that
colours the beach. The confluence of river and sea, palm fringed nooks and
sea-lashed black rocks give Baga its particular charm. The dappled nooks are
perfect for snoozing; the river is convenient for paddling and the rocks for
fishing! The sea is not always safe for swimming because the rocks and erratic
shoreline combine to create a lethal rip tide. Baga extends its sandy reach to
neighboring Anjuna, infinitely more dramatic and wild.
To
Calangute
Calangute
Beach is a short ride (10 minutes) from Mapusa (8km). Local buses ply at
frequent intervals between Mapusa, Panaji and Calangute village. Most buses
from Panaji terminate at Calangute with only a few going all the way to Baga.
Taxis, motorcycles taxis and auto rickshaws are available at the vehicle park
in the central square outside the beach. Cycles and mopeds can be rented from
shops and shacks in the same area.
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