Calangute

Calangute has been described as the "Queen of Beaches". 16km from the Goan Capital Panaji, the beach spreads 7km along the Arabian sea. On the north is Baga, south is Candolim all on one glorious stretch of sandy beach. Take a break from the parties of Anjuna to the relative calm solitude here (for an even quieter beach head to Candolim).

It was hippies who first discovered Calangute in late 60's and then spread the word about the beach. The 70's saw tourists from Europe coming in large numbers. Over time the hippie culture has moved further north but this hasn't detracted from the popularity of this beach. Round the year tourists arrive in Calangute for a perfect escape from their hectic schedule.

The name Calangute according to locals is a distortion of the local vernacular word 'Koli-gutti', which means land of fishermen. Others say it has derived from Kalyangutti meaning the village of art, and still others say it came from the earlier name Konvallo -ghott because the village is full of coconut trees.

At the beach

You can do what most people do, let your hair down. Tan yourself spreading on the beach or go swimming. Calangute is a reasonably safe place to swim though one should keep at least three hundred meters away from the mouth of the Baga river. Children can be seen here making castles out of sand. Watch the sun go down as you laze on the beach. Take a fifteen minute walk from the main beach front area and you will come in a hawker free zone. Sights of rows of wooden boats and teams of village fishermen hauling nets in a high tide can be seen here. Together the sun, sand and sea set the mood for that perfect holiday. And while at beach you will not miss hundreds of stalls of sea food. Gorge on the prawns or the lobsters. Sea food is available in abundance. There are options for vegetarians too.

Nightlife in Calangute is mainly concentrated towards Baga / Arpora with numerous Night clubs open until the early hours. These include Tito's, Club Mambo's

Water sports

There are more than a dozen of water sport operators along the beach. You can go for para sailing, water surfing, water skiing or banana and bump rides depending upon which you find more thrilling. There are also boat operators offering dolphin and crocodile spotting trips, island trips and fishing expeditions.

Shopping

A bazaar is held in Calangute every Saturday near to the post office and promises good bargains. Fish, meat, grocery, textiles, pottery and other provisions are all available in the market. There is also a Tibetan market and Kashmiri merchants also frequent Goa with carpet, embroidery works etc.

Some Sightseeing

The Church of St. Alex celebrated its fourth centenary in 1996. This parish church is a must see in Calangute. It has a two towers and a magnificent white dome and ornate altars. Another local attraction is the Kerkar Art gallery. It displays works of art and craft of local artists.

Anjuna
The Anjuna Flea Market (every Wed) is close by and is well worth a visit (at least once anyway). A taxi ride should cost about Rs250 return but because of the traffic this can be a 45 minute ride. The best way to visit the market is via boat - some shacks hire out their fishing boats to go the short distance round the headland to the market. The fitter of visitors can walk from Calangute across Baga River and round the headland (about 20 min walk) - but be aware there is some minor climbing and scrambling to be done. All manner of clothing, carvings, bedding, jewelery can be found at the market - just remember to haggle hard, prices (generally) start at about three to five times more than the vendors will really sell it to you at. Most of the goods on view can be also purchased from the numerous road-side stalls and beach sellers in Calangute and you may even recognise one or two sellers from your beach. Hint,  Wednesday (because of the market) is one of the quietest days on other beaches with far fewer sellers than normal.

The history of Anjuna beach is quite young. The beach was 'discovered' sometime in 1950's and 60's by a group of travellers and then they began to meet here in dry season to party.

One of the biggest beaches, the vastness of Anjuna can be realized by the fact that there is a north, a south and a middle to the beach. While most of the hotels, bars and restaurants are in north Anjuna, towards the middle Anjuna is Flea market and in the south is Little Anjuna Beach.

Things to see and do

Once in Anjuna leave your inhibitions and get into the party mood. Its difficult to say what's the main attraction of this beach, the beach parties, walking through the beach on moonlit night or the ever so famous Flea market.

The Acid House Party

The party never stops on Anjuna. Its the party hard spirit that makes Anjuna a rave venue for big parties and party animals, especially during the Christmas and new year period. Usually the nightlife of Anjuna centers at Shore bar which is in the middle of the beach. The sound system here is pounding and music really funky. The night comes alive with trance music from London. There is no dearth of party places. All you need to do is just swing into the party mood and the fun begins.

Sunsets

One of the best places to see the famous Goan sunset is Zorros in North Anjuna. A restaurant with marvellous views set on a cliff top, just wind down and enjoy


Arpora

The Saturday markets at Arpora Ingo's and Mackies provide a different shopping experience. Both markets operate from sundown till late in the night. They offer a variety of arts & crafts similiar to the Anjuna Flea market, but because of the night atmosphere, it is a more relaxing and certainly cooler way of shopping. Alongside the market stalls, there are numerous bars, food stalls, and live music. It is definitely more than just shopping more of a night out.