Your Trip to Goa: The Complete Guide SEE FULL GUIDE prev next Yoga Retreats and Wellness Resorts Top Restaurants in Goa Nightlife in Goa Best Time to Visit Weather & Climate Goa Dabolim International Airport Guide Top Places to Visit in Goa 72 Hours in Goa Day Trips From Goa Top Things to Do Best Beaches Your Trip to Goa: The Complete Guide close Overview India Goa The 13 Best Beaches in Goa By Sharell Cook Sharell Cook Sharell Cook lives in Mumbai full-time and has been writing about India travel for TripSavvy since 2008. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 02/22/22 Fact checked by Jillian Dara Fact checked by Jillian Dara Emerson College Jillian Dara is a freelance journalist and fact-checker. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Michelin Guides, Hemispheres, DuJour, and Forbes. TripSavvy's fact-checking Anjuna Beach, Goa. Kimberley Coole/Getty Images The multitude of beaches in Goa offer something for everyone, from luxury resorts to makeshift huts and trance parties to tranquility. The beach that's right for you will depend on the kind of experience you want to have. Here's an overview of what to expect at each of the best Goa beaches (in alphabetical order). If you're interested in beach huts, this roundup of the best Goa huts will also give you some ideas about where to stay! Want to party? Here's where to find Goa's hottest clubs, bars, and beach shacks. 01 of 13 Agonda John Harper/Getty Images The long and isolated stretch of Agonda Beach is perfect for those wanting to relax and do nothing. It's quiet and relatively uncrowded. Stay in a hut right on the beach (some are quite luxurious), and enjoy the stillness and nature. Agonda Beach is fast being discovered, however. Do expect to find other tourists, souvenir stalls, and restaurants. View Map Address Agonda Beach, Agonda, Goa 403702, India Get directions 02 of 13 Anjuna Beach Lonely Planet/Getty Images. Anjuna Beach was once home to the hippies. They've now moved on, but their legacy remains. The Wednesday Anjuna Beach flea market is bigger than ever and remains popular. Curlies plays a lot more chill-out music than psychedelic trance these days, though. Anjuna is ideal for backpackers and budget travelers, as numerous funky hostels have opened there in recent years. View Map Address Anjuna Beach, Anjuna, Goa 403519, India Get directions Web Visit website 03 of 13 Arambol Beach saiko3p/Getty Images Arambol, on Goa's far northern stretch of coastline, has become the new hippie haven. Once a small fishing village, it's now the most happening beach in Goa (perhaps to the point of saturation) with a distinct traveler (as opposed to tourist) vibe. You'll find plenty of alternative therapies there, such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, and reiki. Water sports and dolphin sightseeing trips are on offer as well. The nightlife is relaxed with drum circles, live music, and jam sessions. Just north of Arambol is secluded Keri Beach and Tiracol Fort Heritage Hotel. View Map Address Arambol Beach, Goa 403519, India Get directions 04 of 13 Baga and Calangute Beaches Chris Mellor/Getty Images Calangute Beach is the busiest and most commercial beach in Goa. It's filled with foreigners tanning themselves on the endless rows of side-by-side sun lounges. Meanwhile, Baga Beach starts right where Calangute ends—it is a bit less crowded and better developed than Calangute, with a wide range of water sports on offer. If you feel like indulging yourself with some fine food and wine, there are many upmarket restaurants in the area too. Baga is also well known for its commercial nightlife, including Tito's and Cafe Mambo. View Map Address Calangute Beach, Goa 403519, India Get directions Continue to 5 of 13 below. 05 of 13 Benaulim Beach TripSavvy / Gautier Houba Benaulim Beach is only a short distance south of Colva Beach, but there's a stark contrast between the two. Known for its fishing industry, it's a beautiful and laidback stretch of beach. You won't find any wild parties there, but water sports and dolphin sightseeing trips are on offer. It does get a little crowded around peak time in December, but head a bit further south down the beach, and the quietness will be restored. Restaurants line the main stretch of the beach, but most of the accommodations are set back from the beach, along with art galleries and shops. It attracts a lot of foreign retirees. View Map Address Benaulim Beach, Goa, India Get directions 06 of 13 Candolim and Sinquerim Beaches Ashit Desai/Getty Images The long straight stretch of Candolim Beach is lined with shacks and restaurants, which back onto scrub-covered dunes. It borders Calangute, so it is also entirely commercial, although cleaner and more peaceful. This area has become popular with foreign retirees, so you may want to skip it if you're looking for a younger vibe. However, the stretch does have some large commercial nightspots, such as SinQ, targeted towards Indian tourists. Candolim Beach joins smaller and quieter Sinquerim Beach to the south, where Aguada Fort is situated. View Map Address Candolim Beach Rd, Candolim, Goa 403515, India Get directions 07 of 13 Cola Beach byheaven/Getty Images Not to be confused with the very different Colva Beach, Cola Beach offers exceptional privacy and peace. Located just north of Agonda Beach, it's cut-off from the rest of the coast and has its own lagoon. There are very few places to stay there, making it ideal for those who want to get away from it all. Dwarka Eco Beach Resort has the best huts with spectacular panoramic views. View Map Address Kola, Goa 403702, India Get directions 08 of 13 Colva Beach Lonely Planet/Getty Images Busy Colva Beach is a favorite among domestic Indian tourists, and day-trippers arrive by busloads. On the weekend, the crowd explodes with locals as well. In October, the beach also gets particularly busy when hordes of pilgrims come to visit Colva Church. The area is well developed, with plenty of budget hotels, beach shacks, food stalls, and small restaurants and bars. However, the development hasn't extended to nightlife, which is minimal apart from a few places. Overall, this beach doesn't have much to offer foreigners compared to other beaches in Goa. View Map Address Colva Beach, Goa, India Get directions Continue to 9 of 13 below. 09 of 13 Mandrem, Morjim, and Ashwem Beaches Nick Laing/Getty Images These wide-open beaches have become quite hip and trendy in recent years. Groovy beach bars and beach huts, as well as a few fashionable resorts, can be found there. The area also has several yoga retreats. The beaches are renowned for their protected turtle population. Quite a bit of land in the area around Morjim and Ashwem has been bought by Russians, who have settled there en mass. Mandrem is the quieter of the three beaches, with the outstanding Beach Street Resort dominating the scene there. It's possible to walk to Mandrem from Arambol. View Map Address Near Chopdem, MP95+VR7, Mandrem, Goa 403527, India Get directions 10 of 13 Palolem Beach Ben Pipe / robertharding/Getty Images Picturesque Palolem Beach is the most lively beach in south Goa. It's a long semi-circle-shaped beach with shady palm trees and soft sand. Since it was discovered, it's been getting busier and more crowded with each passing season. Fortunately, there remains an absence of any permanent structures on the beach. Instead, you can stay in one of the simple, temporary coco huts erected there each year. Anyone looking for additional comforts will find them at the hotels and resorts a short distance from the beach. For bars and nightlife, head to the busier southern end of the beach. View Map Address Palolem Beach, Goa, India Get directions Web Visit website 11 of 13 Patnem Beach Sharell Cook Patnem Beach is no longer a well-kept secret, but it's still much quieter than nearby Palolem Beach, which is only 10 minutes away. This small beach, nestled between two cliffs, is a beautiful place to stay if you want to chill out but not be too far away from the nightlife in Palolem. You'll find a range of pretty huts with private bathrooms to stay in right on the beach. If you're looking for somewhere a little more hush-hush (shhh!), try Galjibag beach around 10 minutes further south. View Map Address Patnem Beach, Goa, India Get directions 12 of 13 Vagator Beach Huw Jones/Getty Images Vagator Beach, north of Anjuna, is located at the bottom of a cliff and is divided into two sections—Big Vagator (the crowded main stretch of beach, frequented by domestic Indian tourists) and Little Vagator (further south past the rocks, more popular with foreigners). Little Vagator is also known as Ozran beach, and it's where old-timers and people wanting a hippie experience hang out. This area is known for psytrance, with legendary party spot Disco Valley nearby. It also has a landmark face of Lord Shiva carved into rock. Accommodations at Vagator are inland instead of on the beach, with many people staying there long-term. The newly opened W Hotel is one of the few luxury resorts in north Goa. Several notable bars and clubs are in the area, including Chronicle and 9 Bar. Famous Greek restaurant Thalassa is also situated on Vagator cliff. Hill Top remains Goa's most iconic destination for trance lovers. View Map Address Vagator Beach, Anjuna, Goa 403519, India Get directions Continue to 13 of 13 below. 13 of 13 Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor Beaches Gem Redford Photography/Getty Images These pristine and unspoiled fishing beaches are the territory of Goa's luxury resorts. There are a few beach shacks, water sports, and local vendors, but the beaches remain clean and the sand white. Most of the nightlife happens at the resorts and includes live music, cultural performances, and casinos. You'll also find a handful of low-key bars around Cavelossim. 72 Hours in Goa: The Perfect Itinerary View Map Address Varca Beach, Goa, India Get directions Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Tell us why! Submit