Palolem Beach
Palolem is a slow-paced, postcard-perfect beach in South Goa. The beach is enclosed within a thick forest of palm trees with headlands on either side. In between, you will find a calm bay where you can swim. The sea bottom is flat and sandy. Palolem is South Goa’s most popular beach resort and one of the most picturesque coastal areas of the state. TripAdvisor rated Palolem as Asia’s third best beach, and India’s top beach for 2017. Many consider it to be the “Paradise Beach” of Goa.
It is a mile-long, semi-circle beach that has become very popular in recent years. As a result, many timber and bamboo huts have come up along the beach to house the tourists. Tourists include many backpackers, long-stayers and families. There are also many palm-thatch restaurants on the beach front and also under the shade of the tall coconut trees. But the beach still retains its serene and peaceful ambiance. In the center of the beach, there is the colorful Palolem Market. You will find a lot of handicrafts, souvenirs, home décor items, and beach wear stalls. There are also pharmacies, grocery stores, banks, and ATMs.
The northern end of the beach has a beautiful backwater that is surrounded by hills and a forest where there are many eagles and other birds. You can ride a boat or kayak in the placid water. There is also a small road that runs parallel to the backwater. The Canacona Island is just off the coast. In low tide, you can walk to the island. There is no beach here but it’s still worthwhile to visit the island. Also visit the nearby beaches and coves like the Agonda Beach, Dragonfly Beach, Butterfly Beach, and Honeymoon Beach.
The southern section of the beach has Silent Noise parties, which is why Palolem is often called the party capital of South Goa.
Palolem Map
Palolem Gallery
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Holidays and activities
- Various water sport activities. Diving. Going for a drive on a sea kayak which you can take for rent.
- Group trekking and canyoning; adventures in jungles.
- Travelling by boat for dolphins watching, amazing sunsets and sunrises enjoying.
- River cruises.
- Participation in finishing. You can also help fisherman if you have no idea how to fish or not a big fan of this kind of sport.
- Taking Yoga classes: Tai Chi, Chi-Hong, meditation for beginners. You can even take few classes of Bollywood dancing.
- Different Ayurvedic massages and treatments.
How to Reach Palolem
- By Air — The Dabolim airport is 57.8 kilometers from Palolem by the NH 66. Goa has a new airport at Mopa, which is at a distance of 99.1 kilometers.
- By Rail — The Canacona train station is only 1.5 kilometers away.
- By Road — South Goa’s biggest city Margao is 38.7 kilometers from the beach. Panaji is at a distance of 68.9 kilometers. It will take you close to two hours.
Places to visit
The Palolem Backwater – Explore the backwaters at the northern end of the beach. This place is unbelievably beautiful. A shallow, small river meets the Arabian Sea. You will find sandy banks at the mouth of the sea and thick forests, hills on both the banks. You can ride a kayak, boat to go upstream or hike through the small pathway that meanders through the thick vegetation.
Shopping
Here is the list of main places you can have a snack in Palolem Beach:
- Fernandes – the restaurant is located on the right side of the beach. To get there you will need to pass by the local Church. Here you will be able to enjoy amazing Indian food, tandoori and fresh fish.
- Palolem Beach Resort – in this nice place you will be able to try curry, paneer masala, nan with garlic, different dishes made of chicken. The kitchen and bathroom are very clean here. The restaurant has large wall-mounted TV.
- Cool Breeze – Jazz Cafe which is very popular among local citizens. The restaurant has very delicious dishes.
- Sameer Restaurant – is a shack which is situated directly on the beach. Here you will be able to try amazing tasty breakfast dishes and fresh fish.
- Café Inn – is situated on the main transport interchange, near the bus stop. Here you will be suggested to try freshly ground coffee, Italian espresso, sandwiches, cakes and pastries. You can choose barbeque from meat or fish. The restaurant has a large selection of sauces and salads.
- Drupadi – is placed in the very center of the village near the main entrance to the beach. The menu is rich, and the service is just amazing. The restaurant is specializing on Tandoori fish cooking: the great variety of dishes made of this type of fish will impress you without any doubts.
- Magic Italy – is located on the left side of the beach. People are saying that here you will find the best pizza not only in whole Palolem but in whole South Goa!
- The Lotus Lounge – is placed in the northern part of Palolem Beach resort. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are suggested every day. Mostly European cuisine.
- Spicy Bella – is situated on the main road near the bus stop. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are suggested every day. Mostly European cuisine.
- D'Costa Bar & Restaurant – is located in the right side from the entrance to the beach. Good proportion of value and money. Clients are suggested to take free deck chairs and umbrellas.
- Cafe Scheherazade and Peter Bar – both are placed in the main street of Palolem resort village.
Family Holidays
Palolem is popular with families. You will see many young children playing in the shallow sea water while the parents are relaxing on a sun bed and getting a massage. The sea bottom is sandy. There are no rocks. Most cottages and bungalows too have their loungers with umbrellas on the sand. The hanging palm trees add to the beauty.
Not just Indian tourists, the beach is also popular with foreigners. Many of them stay back for months.
But Palomen Beach is not just for families. It is popular with partygoers too because of the unique rave parties that are organized in its southern end. The party folks keep to themselves, separate from the family areas. It is also an awesome place for nature lovers because of the blue sea, coconut groves, forested backwater, and the offshore island.
Nightlife
In the evening Palolem turns into a real spectacle of lights and colors. Evening and night activities are generally held on the south side of the beach.
Palolem is well known with its famous "silent" discos, which are held directly on the beach or in some bars. Relaxing vibrations, the view of night beach and dancing people make parties in Palolem Beach resort really much amazing and very specific. All visitors of such unique discos and dancing parties are getting headphones: they can select a radio channel, listen to their favorite music and dance.
Silent discos on the sand - Silent Noise - are held every Saturday from 9 pm till 4 am in the southernmost part of the beach, in a place called Neptun Point. In "Alpha Bar" from Friday to Sunday you can visit fantastical Headphone Party. There are couples of places which can offer tourists some of other types of parties. You can learn more about them while talking to people or from reading or looking through commercial suggestions and leaflets.
Every evening a real live-music can be found in some bars and restaurants: reggae, dance, rock, Indian and classical. You can spend a very nice and cool evening sitting in Cuba Bar on a main street or in Sameer Restaurant where you will have a chance to taste amazingly delicious dishes. Café del Mar is opened around the clock.
Often on a nearby Butterfly Beach, which is situated 2 miles north from Palolem Beach resort, real trance parties are conducted: huge and small bonfires are lighting up there and people are dancing all night long till the sun rises up. If you are interested to visit such a party and want to find out when and where it will take place, you’ve better ask local citizens.
Hotels and Villas in Palolem
There are no large resorts, star-category hotels, or luxury properties here. What you will get are small villas and beach cottages. However, you will have everything here for a quiet and comfortable holiday with your friends or family. Some of the places to stay include Alessandra Resort, Brendon’s, Café del Mar and Camp San Francisco. There are also guest-houses and very cute villas for rent in Palolem like Cleopatra, Palolem Beach Resort and Luke's Residence.
You will find many places to eat, including European restaurants and cafes. The local Goanese and Konkani foods are particularly popular. Choose from Cafe Inn, Drupadi, Magic Italy, Spicy Bella, Cool Breeze, Sameer Restaurant, and Peter Bar.
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