Located
16 km from Panjim, Calangute derives its name from the local vernacular word
Koli-gutti, meaning land of fishermen. Included among the most popular
holiday resort in Goa, Calangute is also known as the queen of Goan beaches.
Everybody get s fascinated by rainbow hued canvas of Calangute. Not much
before, Calangute was the favourite of all self-respecting hippies,
especially around Christmas. Its sand is contaminated with red soil, with
hardly any palms over there and the beach drops rapidly into the sea.
Calangute beach in Goa is also known as Queen of Beaches because of its
unmatched beauty. Calangute beach offers tourists the shores of Arabian Sea,
under the shade of palm trees and bathes. Kalyangutti (village of art) or
Konvallo-Ghott (strong pit of the coconut tree) is some other names of the
place as it's full of coconut trees. Scenic Agors (salt pans) at Agarvaddo
and Maddavaddo are also abundant with Madd (coconut trees). Tivaivaddo laces
the beach while Dongorpur skirts a bottle-green hillock. Goa Calangute beach
is a haven for the hippies. It was the hippies who discovered this beach in
the late 60s. The exquisite beauty of the Calangute beach is very much
famous among European tourists.
Main
Excursions
Calangute beach of Goa houses two major and famous tourist attractions and
that are Kerkar Art Gallery and Church of St Alex. Kerkar Art Gallery is the
place where various talented upcoming artists display their paintings and
sculptures. This art Gallery is located at close distance from beach. The
gallery also hosts a night of Indian music and dance, once every week. This
church greets with its two towers and a magnificent dome gracing the fade as
the huge traffic on CHOGM road reaches the village. A display of line and
beauty of its architectural style and ornate altars is inside of the church.
Calangute celebrated the fourth centenary of its parish church in 1996.
Adventure Activities around Calangute Beach
Calangute also makes a perfect beach for those tourists who want to indulge
in some water sports activities. Some of the water sports of this beach are
Parasailing, water skiing and wind surfing which starts in the afternoon
when the wind is blowing just in the right direction and it goes on till
sunset. There are some more adventure activities for tourists to indulge in
like Crocodile and Dolphin spotting tours. These activities are possible
near to Mandovi River to the Zuari River. The banks of these rivers are
thickly forested with mangrove trees where Crocodiles are found on the banks
of the rivers. At the open sea at the mouth of the Mandovi River, dolphins
can be spotted.
Where To Stay
Plenty of guest houses and hotels are there in Calangute. If you are
planning a longer stay, you should look out for 'To Let' signs, as there are
plenty along the back lanes. One can find any type of accommodation for him
according to his taste and budget. Some of the nice and best hotels of this
beach are:
- Hotel Pousada Tauma (5 Star)
- Fort Aguada Resort (5 Star)
- Grosvenor Apartments (4 Star)
- Kamat Holiday Homes (3 Star)
- Hotel Goan Heritage (3 Star)
Where to Eat
There are several bars and restaurants which are mainly grouped around the
entrance to the beach and along the Baga road. These restaurants and resorts
serve tourist with the special seafood of Goa which is very difficult to
find anywhere in all over the world. Western breakfasts also feature
prominently.
How To Reach
Dabolim, 29 km away from Panaji, is the nearest airport. Capital city of
Panaji is just half an hour's drive away from Calangute. Karmali, 11 km away
from Panaji, is the nearest railway station. Calangute Beach is just 10
minutes away from Mapusa, and 30 minutes from the state capital, Panaji. A
number of frequent buses ply to Panaji and Mapusa from Calangute. Majority
of these buses from Panaji terminate at Calangute and a few trudge further
on up to Baga.
