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Calangute for example is towards the northern end of the five kilometre stretch that starts at Fort Aguada and includes Sinquerim, Candolim, then Calangute and Baga.

Similarly, Colva is in the centre of the 20-km southern stretch, the longest in Goa, which starts from Velsao and ends at Mobor, embracing several village names along the way.

Northern Beaches
Southern Beaches

Northern Beaches
It all began in the late sixties with Calangute, and old timers, including those whom are called "leftover hippies", in Goa talk about the days when there was nothing but a few skeletal shacks on the beach and fishing communities.

That has changed dramatically and the Sinquerim-Baga main road looks more like the typical Mediterranean resort -- with its cheek-by-jowl resorts and crammed beach apartment complexes -- than the laidback Goa. What used to be stalls selling trinkets is now glass-and-chrome boutiques. The stalls still exist, but their prices are frighteningly upscale.

The central Calangute market and beach zone is to be avoided at all costs; hopelessly unplanned over-development and busloads of tourists milling around.

The Baga end is interesting - a few of the better eateries on the stretch, most of the nightlife, and worthwhile shops from which you could pick up a Kashmiri rug or a Tibetan tankha are concentrated here -- though packed with foreign and domestic tourists during the season.

For sunbathing and a bit of swimming (not to be attempted at all from end-May to early October, when the monsoon currents are still active) there are plenty of spots along the beach, usually with a beach shack within 100 metres for fresh seafood and cold beer. The Candolim-Sinquerim area, towards the Fort Aguada and the Taj resort, is much quieter.

Further north are the laidback beaches -- Anjuna and Vagator, and across the Chapora river, another long stretch including Morgim, Arambol and Mandrem. After Calangute started getting commercial by the mid-seventies, the hippies colonised Anjuna and Vagator. Now they've moved further up into Arambol. These beaches are more picturesque than the Calangute group, though accommodation is very spartan. Food is the standard fresh Goan seafood and cuisine.

Southern Beaches
The 20 kilometres of broad beach from Velsao village, just under the Mormugao-Bogmalo hill, all the way south to Mobor and Betul, is considered one of south Asia's most spectacular stretches of sand and unmissable.

Colva is the beach best known in the south, but it's avoidable and downright ugly; a collection of badly designed concrete budget resorts, and the beach front is packed with stalls, cars, bikes, small bars and restaurants and thousands of domestic tourists.

But just a kilometre either way and the typical tranquil Goa beach re-appears. There are a couple of interesting hang-outs just off the main beach at Colva though, like Splash, a popular beach shack with an ecclectic music collection and decent food and Castaway, a shack-turned-permanent structure which features a disco as well.

The Velsao-Colva stretch does have several beach resorts -- the Majorda resort and the Goa Penta with tariffs in the four-star range. There are also several decent budget-range hotels in and around Colva like Williams (tel # 722852) on the Colva to Margao beach road which has a pool as well and Sea Queen (tel # 720449) and La Ben (tel # 722009). Colva and the neighbouring beaches have been a favourite with the foreign package tourists and Indian visitors to Goa from the early 70s.

Further down the coast though, and less commercialised are the deep south beaches -- Palolem and Agonda. The crush of tourists in the Calangute and Colva stretches have driven the "sustainable"' tourist - which is easily interchangeable with neo-hippie - further south or further north. In southern Goa it is these two beaches, and not without reason. The coast here has few developments, the villages subsist on fishing and running boatloads of the local brew into Karnataka state across the border, and the food is wholesome.

It is quite possible to spend an enjoyable holiday on a beach like Palolem, even though the facilities are rudimentary. Huts, tents and very simple rooms are available at wonderfully economical rates. Try Palolem Beach Resort, tel # 0834-643054 for the rooms and tents or Coco Huts for accommodation in tree houses, tel # 0832-230970, 230980. Venture into the village nearby and enquire about rooms in village huts. The beach shacks offer a variety of seafood and beverages. Tourists are few. Of late Palolem has gained fame for the dolphin spotting trips on offer.

Goa's southernmost beach, a few kilometres from the Karnataka border, is Polem. Polem is an absolutely spectacular beach, without a soul on it and completely untouched by tourism. That's just it. About the only thing to be done on this beach is to swim and sunbathe... in almost splendid isolation. The only refreshments are available at one tiny bar shack, Kamaxi, frequented by tipplers from Karwar, across the border or else directly from the coconut trees! But even if you don't spend the day at this beach, it is worth journeying all the way here to see what the real rural beach Goa is like. Information has it that hoteliers are looking the Polem-way and have hatched a few plans for some tony new resorts along this lovely beach front. Pity! We suggest you get there for a holiday before they do.

Two other unspoilt, wonderfully pristine beaches in the Canacona area are Galjibag, and Agonda, both near Chaudi. Agonda is stubbornly tourism free. There is a bit of history behind this. The beach was saved a few years ago from becoming the backyard of one of those 'exotic' daquiri-providing, golf-holed resorts. Galjibag, like Polem, offers refreshments and plenty of ambience.