10 Must Visit Beaches in South Goa

Goa is a land of beaches and you cannot think of a Goa holiday without its seashore strolls, water-sports and beach shacks. So here are some of the most popular South Goa best beaches which totally deserve to be on your bucket list and the reasons for they are famous among travellers!

1. 1. Betabatim Beach

      Betalbatim Beach looks more like a cove tucked away neatly, stretching out of an endless strip of white sand, far away from the maddening crowds of Colva, to its south.

      Betalbatim Beach is not for the party goers and clubbing crowds. It is more for the languid, hammock napping, frisbee playing folks. The pristine beach is stunning in appearance with pine and mango trees on its fringes. One of the finest beaches of Goa where you can actually taste a holiday as it should be.

   2. Colva Beach

      Colva beach is the nearest beach to the city of Margao. Colva is as popular in the South as Calangute is in the north. The once pretty beach is now very crowded and commercialized. A small rivulet runs across the beach and empties into the sea. A beautiful bridge at the entrance of the beach enables people to cross over to the beach. The Colva beach goes back a long time in history. During the summer, the Portuguese and Goa’s elite would come down to the Colva beach for their evening stroll.

      It’s a long beach, and one of the oldest in Goa. The entire beach is lined with coconut trees, making it one of the most beautiful beaches in the South. Just before the entrance of the beach is the Colva Beach Circle, where most of the hotels, resorts and shops, are located. Just move a few meters to the South or North on the beach, and you will have almost the entire beach to yourself.

   3. Polem Beach

      Polem Beach is the southernmost beach of Goa, just a stone’s throw away from the Goa Karnataka border. It is completely secluded with nothing but a large stretch of white sand and azure waters of the Arabian sea. The beach has a couple of shacks, but there are hardly any tourists. A small road off the National Highway leads to the beach.

      The beach sees more visitors from the neighbouring town of Karwar in Karnataka than from Goa. Anjediv island is visible from this beach at a distance protruding out into the sea, just a few kilometers off the beach. The island is a naval base and off civilian limits.

   4. Majorda Beach

      Majorda is a picture pretty beach to the south of the quieter Utorda beach. The popular besach is studded with several hotels, the most prominent amongst them being Majorda Beach Resort. The Majorda village has great historical importance. This is the place where the Jesuits discovered the best toddy of Goa who used it to leaven the bread. Even today the people of Majorda are known to be the best bakers of Goa as they were the first to know the art of baking European breads. Majorda also is known to be the host for the annual Goa Christmas Carnival every winter.

      On the northern side of the beach, there are numerous shacks which serve great seafood, international and local cuisine.  Its easy vibe is great to spend a day stretching under the palm trees and watch the sun go down. The azure waters and golden sands attract many enthusiastic travelers to this beach.\

   5. Utorda Beach

      Utorda beach lies to the north of the very popular Majorda beach. The beautiful beach is flanked by a long stretch of palm trees and white sands which slope gently into the Arabian sea. Utorda is fairly less crowded than the other beaches in this stretch and is a great beach to go for a dip into soothing waters.

      The Betalbatim fishing village nearby is a quaint Goan village which offers a good insight into the ‘susegad’ Goan life. A cycle ride or a walk through the villages or across the long stretch of the beach is a good way to explore the place.

   6. Palolem Beach

      Palolem Beach in South Goa is known for many things, gorgeous sunsets, tiny islands, great swimming and coco huts but we discovered that there is so much more to this beach than mere sun and sand. The Palolem Beach stretch is not very long, a comfortable walking distance if you’re in the mood to kick off the flip flops and walk in the water occasionally stepping on tiny little crabs along the way. The first thing that takes your breath away here is the pristine beauty: the palm fringe stretches almost through the entire length of the beach changing color from bright green to olive green depending on the time of the day.

   7. Varca Beach

      Varca is a quiet and pristine beach sandwiched between the popular Benaulim beach and the beautiful Mobor Cavelossim beach. Varca beach is ideal for some idyllic time to do simple activities like dolphin watching, sunbathing and boating. This beach is famous for Dolphin watching. It is home to bottlenose dolphins and a great way to experience them is on an early-morning cruise along the River Sal.

      For those looking forward for a tranquil and romantic holiday in Goa, far from the clamour of the tourists even during the peak season, then Varca Beach is a perfect pick. There are many spas around the beach where one can relax and rejuvenate with a soothing massage.

   8. Butterfly Beach

      If you enjoy a little bit of adventure, peppered with some stunning views, even better… because all that and more is what this little gem called Butterfly Beach has to offer. Though getting here is no easy task, the journey is well worth it. The sands here are perfectly white and the water translucent. What adds to the beauty are the dolphins surrounding the island with their acrobatics. Butterfly Beach is located just along the coastline at Palolem. Though the distance from the main land is not more than 200 meters, one can take a short boat ride to get here. One can also do a two-hour trek through the forest, if you’re the sort who likes adventure.  No vehicles, not even bikes can make the trip through the forest as along the way you encounter brooks, steep climbs, fields and densely vegetated areas. In case you decide to go by boat, hire a local boatman at the north end of Palolem beach or in Colomb Bay to ferry you up to Butterfly Beach and back, relishing the views of untouched coastline along the way.

   9. Benaulim Beach

      It’s easy to get addicted to Benaulim. This beach has that effect on you. Here you’ll find a few odd tourists doing their own thing, some locals playing football, a smattering of honeymooners walking hand in hand – all very different types of people but each getting their one common fix – the Benaulim vibe. It’s a difficult phenomenon to explain and to understand it truly you need to experience it yourself, so try this: drop in here once at sunset and we guarantee that you will find it hard to tear yourself away. The beach is almost magical at this time, and as the warm orange glow of the sun descends behind a blanket of the big blue sea, the calm is almost surreal and even the lashing of the incessant monsoon rains cannot dampen the spirit of Benaulim. Come season time and Benaulim Beach is abuzz with shacks that set up shop for the tourists, each with its own unique character catering to a loyal crowd that comes here year after year.

   10. Bogmalo Beach

       Not many travellers coming to Goa know that merely five minutes away from the Dabolim airport lies one of Goa’s most beautiful beaches – Bogmalo.

       Bogmalo Beach is cushioned between two cliffs and while on one side lies the naval base, the other side plays host to a four star hotel. And in between lies everything that Goa promises to be – the sun, the sand and the shacks! But before we go into what you’ll get at Bogmalo, let’s talk about what you won’t get. A short visit to Baga and Calangute will make you appreciate Bogmalo Beach better. There is no fight for beach beds, no persistent hawkers, no touts and certainly no frenzy here. The atmosphere is relaxed, warm and open. Save for maybe a handful of beach beds and an odd couple walking along the beach or kids building sand castles, there isn’t the crazy madness here that the more popular beaches attract. Given its topography, what with verdant hills hugging it from both sides, Bogmalo Beach is also one of the safest beaches for water babies. So if you’re in the mood to chuck the boarding pass and jump into the sea as soon as you land, this would be the best bet.

Searching for more beaches in South Goa? Check out all beaches in Goa here

Planet Goa Team

For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.