I’ve heard so much about Goa before I came there that it’s quite surprising how I haven’t been there before. I actually wanted to see all of the different kinds of Goa beaches, spend a little time in each, and see how those match to the fairy tales told to me by Israeli backpackers coming back from their after the army 1-2 year India tours.
The first one up was Candolim beach, the closest one to Panaji. Goa’s Candolim’s nice, but its not quite there with the beautiful clear-water beaches of Thailand. Still, it makes for some nice beach shots and a good relaxation. Not that many people there, surprisingly enough. It was pretty much me with the local Indian Cricket folks and the somewhat loner up-market tourists.
The Candolim beach
Most of the time I was just chilling out, talking to the few tourists that were there playing with the locals. The beach sunset was especially nice.
The Candolim Beach sunset
Candolim’s Fort Aguada
Candolim is close by to a fort, which you arrive at walking down the beach to the south side. From Wikipedia :
Fort Aguada is a well-preserved seventeenth-century Portuguese fort standing in Goa, India, on Sinquerim beach, overlooking the vast expanses of Arabian Sea. […]
The fort was constructed in 1612 to guard against the Dutch and the Marathas. It was a reference point for the vessels coming from Europe at that time. This old Portuguese fort stands on the beach south of Candolim, at the shore of the Mandovi river. It was initially tasked with defense of shipping and the nearby Bardez District.