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Calangute 'Queen of beaches' is 16 kms
from Panaji (capital of Goa) is the 7 kms. long . Calangute lie on the
shores of the Arabian Sea of North Goa in India. It is encircled by
Arpora-Nagoa, Saligao and Candolim, in the Bardez taluka, and is just
 15 km from Panaji, the capital of the state of
Goa. Being a
popular holiday resort, the small houses amidst the coconut groves behind
the beach are always in constant demand. Calangute seems to be a
distortion of the local vernacular wordKoli-gutti, which means land of
fishermen. Some people connect it with Kalyangutti (village of art) or
Konvallo-ghott (strong pit of the coconut tree) because the village is
full of coconut trees. With the advent of the Portuguese, the word
probably got distorted to Calangute, and has stuck till
today.
Seemingly not all that long ago, Calangute
was the beach all self-respecting hippies headed for, especially around
Christmas when psychedelic hell broke loose. If you enjoyed taking part in
those mass pujas, with their endless half-baked discussions about `when
the revolution comes' and `the vibes, maaan', then this was just the
ticket. You could frolic around without a stitch on, be ever so cool and
liberated, get totally out of your head on every conceivable variety of
ganja from Timor to Tenochtitlan and completely disregard the feelings of
the local inhabitants. Naturally, John Lennon or The Who were always about
to turn up and give a free concert.
Calangute's heyday as the
Mecca of all expatriate hippies has passed. The local people, who used to
rent out rooms in their houses for a pittance, have moved on to more
profitable things, and Calangute has undergone a metamorphosis to become
the centre of Goa's rapidly expanding package-tourist market. It isn't one
of the best Goanese beaches: there are hardly any palms, the sand is
contaminated with red soil and the beach drops rapidly into the sea. There
is, however, plenty going on, especially if you don't mind playing a minor
role in this stage-managed parody of what travelling is meant to be about.
Try heading off the beaten track unless you need a bit of R 'n' R to
recover from life on the road, or want to mix it with the Simons and
Sandras of this world who are visiting India to pep up their winter
suntans.
A final note, please treat these lovely beaches as
your backyard and keep them clean. We have lost innumerable natural
resources to our own be
| Best Time to
Visit |
Calangute Beach can be visited at any time of the year,
though the monsoon months, which bring heavy rains, are best
avoided. The best time of the
year to visit this area is between September and
March. |
Travel Information:
Nearest airport is at
Dabolim, which is 32 km away from Panaji.
Nearest railway station is at Karmali 11 km away from
Panaji.
Nearest Town: Mapusa.
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