Experience India’s Best Beaches ⛱️ Goa’s Beach Hopping Trail

Experience India’s Best Beaches ⛱️ Goa’s Beach Hopping Trail

Our modus operandi, when confronted with a stretch of sand in Asia, has long been the beach hop. A lightweight rucksack, a sensible hat, enough water to rehydrate a small camel, and the eternal, optimistic question: what lies beyond that distant, rocky outcrop?

We’ve flogged ourselves up and down coastlines in Panama, Sri Lanka and Borneo doing this very thing, so naturally, when confronted with the sprawling coastline of India’s smallest state, the challenge was accepted. We were here, in Goa, ready to embark upon what could only be described as a refreshingly sweaty pilgrimage.

Highlights

• The South Goa Coastal Crawl 🗺️
• Colomb Beach 🐚 Tiny & Elusive
• Patnem Beach 🧘‍♀️ Sun & Sweat
• Rajbag Beach 🏞️ The River Barrier
• The Footsteps of Jason Bourne 🕵️
• Get to Goa from Mumbai
• Our Complete India Itinerary
• Accessories for the Tropics
• All Guesthouse Deals in Palolem
• Our Related India Articles

 

The South Goa Coastal Crawl 🗺️ Three Beaches that Demand a Stroll

Who, honestly, can resist the siren call of a beach holiday? The sun, the sand, the sea – all the elements of a perfect holiday, and the obligatory attempt to look vaguely sophisticated whilst applying liberal amounts of insect repellent.

Goa is touted as a top-tier destination in this regard. With its palm-fringed shores, crystal clear waters, and vibrant party scene, Goa is the ultimate beach bumming destination.

But we’re here to give you the lowdown on the more sedate end of the spectrum, traversing a trio of South Goa’s finest beaches: Colomb, Patnem, and Rajbag.

Slap on that SPF—we’re hitting the trail.

Colomb Beach 🐚 The Tiny Bay That Doesn’t Want to Be Found

Our coastal expedition begins with Colomb Beach, a pocket-sized marvel that clearly subscribes to the ‘less is more’ school of thought.

Tucked away near Palolem, Colomb is the destination for anyone who fancies a temporary respite from the tourists.

We were certainly looking for a quiet spot; you can only cope with so many selfie-sticks before needing a lie-down in a darkened room.

It is, to put it mildly, a minuscule bay—a place where if you blink, you’d probably miss the turning. You’ll find a strip of gold-hued sand and water that is, on a good day, genuinely turquoise. There are a smattering of shacks, of course, where you can grab a cold beer or some seafood. But the real architectural triumph here is the natural backdrop.

The beach is framed by dramatic, verdant cliffs that offer a welcome, if fleeting, moment of cool shade.

• Getting There: We navigated the rocky headland from the southern tip of Palolem beach. It requires a bit of focused footwork, but nothing that would qualify for an Olympic event.
• Atmosphere: Intimate, relatively secluded. The few guesthouses and restaurants felt like a private club that hadn’t got the memo about mass tourism.
• Added Extras: We spotted a collection of cheerful, brightly painted fishing boats bobbing about. And, for the adventurous sorts, there’s always the boat trip to Butterfly Island. Named after the hundreds of butterflies that call it home, this island is a great place for snorkeling and swimming.

We also noted the local fauna: a cow, looking entirely unimpressed with the ocean view. It’s not every day you get to see a cow on the beach.
Makes a change from the inevitable, slightly mangy pony.

But the real beauty of Colomb is its stunning cliffs that surround the beach. The cliffs are covered in lush greenery and provide a cool backdrop for the beach. You can stroll along the cliffs and enjoy the breathtaking views of the sea.

Patnem Beach 🧘‍♀️ Sun Salutations & Sweat

Having successfully negotiated the rocks separating the two, we pitched up at the upper end of Patnem Beach.

This place, a proper elongated expanse of soft sand and calm waters, caters to a slightly more holistic clientele.

It’s popular with those who can somehow manage to contort their bodies into impressive shapes before 8 a.m., and the perennially tanned backpacking contingent.

Yoga studios and wellness centres line the shore, dedicated to the relentless pursuit of inner calm, or at least, a decent massage.

Get to Goa from Mumbai

But don’t be fooled by the serene façade. Patnem also knows how to throw a party. Once the sun dips below the horizon, the place morphs. Beach bars start to hum, live music kicks off, and the sand becomes a dancefloor.

“We could dance under the stars,” I thought, immediately followed by, “Or we could simply watch others do it while nursing a lukewarm glass of red.” The latter seemed far less strenuous.

Patnem is noticeably wider and longer than Colomb, a proper stretch that extends southwards for a good two kilometres. We noticed fewer tourists than on the nearby, more well-trodden beaches of Agonda or Palolem, and the further we ambled, the more we felt we were successfully giving the crowds the slip.

We passed a guesthouse called LalaLand. It offered rooms and various chalets, air-conditioned or otherwise.

LalaLand, a fitting name indeed, considering the prices suggest you must already be living in Lalaland to consider a week’s stay. Definitely not one for the shoestring budget brigade; the owner’s unwillingness to haggle was a sure sign of that.

It was, frankly, a scorching walk. A relaxing beach, yes, but shade was a scarce commodity, available mostly via the purchasing of guesthouse facilities.

There is also the usual quota of fishing boats parked high up on the beach.

• Unexpected Exercise: Depending on the time of day, there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to help the fishermen haul their boats in or out of the water. They do this by pulling the boat transversely across oiled beams of wood. It’s a proper communal effort. An excellent way to burn off the calories from last night’s paneer masala.
• A Word of Warning: Heed the dangers of the sun! Neglecting a hat and shirt in this heat will result in you burning off not just calories, but a sizeable layer of skin, too.
  Sunstroke is a spectacularly unfashionable look.

And if you’re in the mood for some adventure, you can take a boat ride to the nearby Monkey Island. As the name suggests, the island is home to a large population of monkeys. You can take pictures, or just enjoy the company of these playful creatures 😱.

Rajbag Beach 🏞️ The Exclusive River Barrier

Our odyssey continued, past a few more rocky outcrops, until we hit a natural roadblock: Rajbag Beach.

This place felt like a well-kept secret, relatively unknown and boasting soft, white sand and delightfully clear, calm waters.

The small snag, however, was that the beach ends rather abruptly, interrupted by a wide, clear river—a watery moat separating us from whatever lay beyond. A local fisherman, clearly sensing a business opportunity, immediately offered to ferry us across for a measly fifty rupees.

Did we take the boat? Did we plunge in? Did we attempt an ambitious, open-water swim?

None of the above. We decided, instead, to halt proceedings for a much-needed luncheon and a bit of reconnaissance.

We needed to assess the cost of a night’s kip around here.

• Accommodation Alert: There are a fair few resorts here, particularly beach cabins. However, the prevailing mood was distinctly expensive. One establishment, which we shall not name, was charging an eye-watering 3,500 rupees per night (about €50). As mentioned earlier, there was zero willingness to negotiate on price. Not a spot for the average backpacker, unless they’ve recently won the lottery.
• Activities (or Lack Thereof): This is, undeniably, a very tranquil locale. If you don’t count sunbathing as a strenuous activity, there’s genuinely little else to do on this stretch of sand.
• The Turtle Beach Resort: This is the real draw if you’re feeling flush. Right on the beach, it offers cottages and villas for a spot of serious relaxation and pampering. Their seafood restaurant, they claim, serves some of the freshest fare in Goa. We can almost hear the wallets weeping from here.

Yet the real, undeniable selling point of Rajbag is the nightly display put on by the sun. The sunsets here are truly spectacular, the sky bleeding into magnificent hues of pink, purple, and orange.

We simply perched ourselves on the sand, a cold drink firmly in hand, watching the world turn a rather glorious shade of fiery red.

Hotel Deals in Canacona

The Verdict 🏆 Palolem Remains Reigning Champion

Despite the undoubted charms of Colomb, Patnem, and Rajbag, we must concede that Palolem Beach remains the heavyweight champion of this South Goan stretch.

For us, it simply offered the most satisfying price-to-value equation. We ended up extending our stay there for a respectable eleven nights. That was enough time to properly de-stress without feeling like we’d completely forgotten how to function in the real world.

• Travel Tip: Getting to this sun-kissed locale from Vasco de Gama (Goa) airport will currently set you back around 1,400 rupees for a non-air-conditioned taxi. For the luxury of a chilled-out journey, expect to shell out 1,600 rupees for the air-conditioned option. We opted for the air-con; one needs to preserve one’s composure, after all.

Goa, with its natural beauty, its bustling nights, and its rather rich cultural background, does genuinely offer something for everyone.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, all this talk of sand and sun has made us rather thirsty. Pack a bag, make sure you have adequate sun protection, and experience the inherent, sun-baked magic for yourselves.

What could possibly go wrong? (Don’t answer that.)

---

If you enjoyed Goa Beach Hopping, check out India West Coast – Kerala to Goa. You may also like:

 

Spice up your inbox…

… with discounted hotel deals, cost-saving travel itineraries and SandSpice escapades! 😉