| Calangute
Beach in Goa is also known as the
Queen of Beaches. The period from November
to February is the most pleasant to visit
here. It's 15km from the capital city Panjim.
The beach itself isn't anything special, with
steeply shelving sand, however it's capacity
is large enough to accommodate the huge number
of high-season visitors.
The Calangute beach is
usually crowded and the small resorts thrive
in business during the holiday season. It
is one of the most popular beach in Goa
with a host of facilities to cater to visitors,
including Golden sand along the beach and
water sports.
Calangute beach lies on
the shores of the Arabian Sea of North Goa
in India. Calangute is the most popular
holiday destination in Goa. Excellent accommodation
facilities are available, particularly at
the tourist resorts and cottages. It has
also become a good investment plan to buy
properties in Goa.
The beach in Calangute is also 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. Its rainbow
hued canvas has welcomed everyone to it
always although it became popular across
the globe only after the hippies discovered
it in the 60's.
One of the places worth visiting nearby
is the St. Alex Church. The Church of St
Alex greets the visitors 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 attractive altars.
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.
Calangute Beach has become
nearly as popular and busy with holidaymakers
as Baga, with miles and miles of sandy beach
but with fewer coconut trees.
Walking along the beach you reach a busier
section by some big, wide steps which lead
to the souvenir shops and iced beer stands
near the Calangute roundabout. As you continue
past the steps in the direction of Candolim,
it becomes more quiet and relaxing.
Candolim Beach is the
longest part of this northern stretch and
is quieter than Calangute but still is getting
busier every year. At this point the beach
is as deep as a football pitch, and the
beach bars and shacks are set back on the
sand dunes. The shacks here have become
more sophisticated, each trying to outdo
the other with a more interesting design.
One of the most innovative has to be Stringfellos
which is designed like watchtowers with
seating on several levels and is a great
place to watch the world go by whilst enjoying
the late afternoon breeze.
Amidst the sunbeds and beach shacks the
fishing community have their huts on the
beach and still fish as they have always
done, most locals eating fish curry and
rice on a daily basis. The only difference
from their Grandfather’s day is the
fact that they have an outboard motor on
the back of their ancient craft!
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