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About
20 years ago, precious little disturbed Colva, except the local
fishing people who pulled their catch in by hand each morning, and a
few of the more interpid hippies who had forsaken the obligatory
sex, drugs and rock and roll of Calangute for the soothing
tranquility of this paradise. Since there were only a couple
of cottages for rent, most people stayed either on the beach itself
or in palm-leaf shelters, which they constructed themselves.
Those
days are gone, but development is still more low key here than in
the north. You'll still see fishing boats on the main beach
and the odd fisherman mending a net, although most now have motorized
trawlers standing anchored in a line offshore.
Colva
village itself has suffered, with ugly shops, hotels and souvenir
stalls clustered at the end of the road from Margao. In peak
season this area is crammed with holiday makers. Benaulim, 2km
south of Colva, is still a very peaceful village, consisting more of
family guest houses than resort hotels.
In
April, Colva hosts a music and dance festival, Beach Bonanza, from
mid-April. Fama De Menino Jesus is a feast day held on the
second Monday in October when the Menino Jesus (a statue of the
infant Jesus said to perform miracles) is paraded.
With
fewer people than the northern beaches and quiet back lanes,
occasional robberies occur in Benaulim, although additional street
lighting has improved things. Avoid walking from the beach
alone at night. |
