May 11, 2017

Agonda and its Neighbouring Beaches


After getting off the rickety bus at Chaudi, I took a rickshaw to Agonda which went through winding roads past coconut and cashew trees to the serene Agonda.  One of the beautiful beaches of south Goa, Agonda welcomed me with its magnificent white church that stands tall along the main road that runs parallel to the beach. Lined with shacks, restaurants and shops, this lane is the life of Agonda. Located in Canacona, the small village of Agonda is a long detour from national highway 17.



Agonda with its long ‘C’ shaped beach has hills on its either ends, and is considered to be one of the most serene beaches in south Goa. The white sandy beach is an ideal place to laze around early in the morning and when the sun goes down. The colourful shacks, gentle waves, blue sea, sunbathers and fishing boats make Agonda a pretty looking beach. However, what I liked the most is that despite the numerous commercial establishments, Agonda doesn’t get swarmed with visitors like Baga- Calangute or Colva. The beach also offers a few water sports such as jet skiing apart from boat rides early in the morning to spot dolphins. A boat ride to the secluded Butterfly beach, south of Agonda is an interesting ride into the sea.

The colourful shops on the main road sell myriad items from artifacts to accessories. I had a languorous stroll through them before heading back to the beach to see the beautiful orange ball retiring for the day. Sunset on Agonda beach is absolutely surreal and picturesque.  I loved the haziness that encapsulated the beach with a tinge of pink hue all over after the sunset.




To the south of Agonda lies the popular Palolem beach. Once known as a secluded beach in southern Goa, Palolem is now a crowded one with a host of activities, tourists, shops and restaurants. However, the beach as such is a beautiful one and still holds its charm with white sands, palm fringed hill to its south, a creek at its northern end and the Canacona island nearby. However, the weekend crowd was an eyesore and I left the place in a jiffy. Palolem offers water sport activities and dolphin spotting rides for visitors. The road that leads to the beach is lined with numerous shops and cafés.



Further south of Palolem lies the pretty Patnem beach. A narrow lane leads to this beautiful cove shaped beach where the sand slopes down to kiss the timid waves. With a couple of shacks, lined up fishing boats and few visitors, I would rate Patnem as one of the most beautiful beaches in south Goa. There are hardly any activities to do here and all that the visitors can enjoy are the waves and the serene setting.





Early next day left for Cola beach, a secluded beach fringed with innumerable coconut trees swaying to the breeze. The approach road is a mud road which ends over a cliff that overlooks another beautiful beach. A trudge down took me to Cola beach which is a long strip of sand wedged between a pretty backwater and the sea. The vistas from the cliff are gorgeous and it probably offers the most beautiful view of Cola beach.



In a mad rush to see the sunset, I somehow managed to end up at the not so popular Canaguinim beach which lies to the north of Cabo de Rama fort. Beyond the coconut trees, the laterite rocks looked gorgeous in the low light of the setting sun. The beach is a small one with a rocky outcrop on one side and a creek joining the sea with swaying coconut trees in the backdrop. It was windy, the waves were strong and the sun went down pretty quickly as darkness slowly engulfed this less explored beach. There are just one or two small eateries here and nothing else apart from that. However, Canaguinim could well be right up on the solitude seeker’s list.



Agonda and Patnem are some of the most beautiful and serene beaches in the south Goa. Make Agonda your base to explore these beaches.

Navigator:

Agonda lies in the southern most stretch of Goa and Canacona is the nearest big town. Panjim is 70 Kms and Margao is 40 Kms from Agonda. The nearest airport is at Dabolim (61 Kms) and the closest major railhead is at Margao. There are frequent buses connecting Agonda with Canacona.

Agonda- Palolem (9 Kms)
Agonda- Patnem (10 Kms)
Agonda to Canaguinim (17 Kms)

Food and Accommodation:

Both Agonda and Palolem have a wide range of shacks and restaurants. While Patnem and Cola have limited options, Canaguinim is almost devoid of any places to eat or stay. I stayed at Agonda sunset shack on Agonda beach, which is a budget accommodation  with basic facilities.

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