Located 16 km from Panjim, Calangute derives its name from the local vernacular word Koli-gutti, meaning land of fishermen. Included among the most popular holiday resort in Goa, Calangute is also known as the queen of Goan beaches. Everybody get s fascinated by rainbow hued canvas of Calangute. Not much before, Calangute was the favourite of all self-respecting hippies, especially around Christmas. Its sand is contaminated with red soil, with hardly any palms over there and the beach drops rapidly into the sea.

Calangute beach in Goa is also known as Queen of Beaches because of its unmatched beauty. Calangute beach offers tourists the shores of Arabian Sea, under the shade of palm trees and bathes. Kalyangutti (village of art) or Konvallo-Ghott (strong pit of the coconut tree) is some other names of the place as it's full of coconut trees. Scenic Agors (salt pans) at Agarvaddo and Maddavaddo are also abundant with Madd (coconut trees). Tivaivaddo laces the beach while Dongorpur skirts a bottle-green hillock. Goa Calangute beach is a haven for the hippies. It was the hippies who discovered this beach in the late 60s. The exquisite beauty of the Calangute beach is very much famous among European tourists.

Attractions Around Calangute Beach

Calangute beach of Goa houses two major and famous tourist attractions and that are Kerkar Art Gallery and Church of St Alex. Kerkar Art Gallery is the place where various talented upcoming artists display their paintings and sculptures. This art Gallery is located at close distance from beach. The gallery also hosts a night of Indian music and dance, once every week. This church greets with its two towers and a magnificent dome gracing the fade as the huge traffic on CHOGM road reaches the village. A display of line and beauty of its architectural style and ornate altars is inside of the church. Calangute celebrated the fourth centenary of its parish church in 1996.


Adventure Activities around Calangute Beach

Calangute also makes a perfect beach for those tourists who want to indulge in some water sports activities. Some of the water sports of this beach are Parasailing, water skiing and wind surfing which starts in the afternoon when the wind is blowing just in the right direction and it goes on till sunset. There are some more adventure activities for tourists to indulge in like Crocodile and Dolphin spotting tours. These activities are possible near to Mandovi River to the Zuari River. The banks of these rivers are thickly forested with mangrove trees where Crocodiles are found on the banks of the rivers. At the open sea at the mouth of the Mandovi River, dolphins can be spotted.

Where To Eat

There are several bars and restaurants which are mainly grouped around the entrance to the beach and along the Baga road. These restaurants and resorts serve tourist with the special seafood of Goa which is very difficult to find anywhere in all over the world. Western breakfasts also feature prominently.

Where to Stay

Plenty of guest houses and hotels are there in Calangute. If you are planning a longer stay, you should look out for 'To Let' signs, as there are plenty along the back lanes. One can find any type of accommodation for him according to his taste and budget. Some of the nice and best hotels of this beach are:

Hotel Pousada Tauma (5 Star)
Fort Aguada Resort (5 Star)
Grosvenor Apartments (4 Star)
Kamat Holiday Homes (3 Star)
Hotel Goan Heritage (3 Star)

How To Reach Calangute Beach

Dabolim, 29 km away from Panaji, is the nearest airport. Capital city of Panaji is just half an hour's drive away from Calangute. Karmali, 11 km away from Panaji, is the nearest railway station. Calangute Beach is just 10 minutes away from Mapusa, and 30 minutes from the state capital, Panaji. A number of frequent buses ply to Panaji and Mapusa from Calangute. Majority of these buses from Panaji terminate at Calangute and a few trudge further on up to Baga.