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Calangute

Under the shade of palm trees, bathes the Queen of Beaches—Calangute. Calangute seems to be a distortion of the local vernacular word—‘Koli-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. In a green semi-circle, the villages of Arpora-Nagoa, Saligao and Candolim do their bit to enhance the divine beauty of Calangute. There are picturesque agors (saltpans) at Agarvaddo, Maddavaddo is full of madd (coconut trees), Dongorpur skirts a bottle-green hillock and Tivaivaddo laces the beach. In Gauravaddo lived the gaudds or milkmen ran dairies.

Calangute became a traveler’s cliché in the '60s and early'70s. It was the hippies who discovered the pristine surroundings and blissful serenity and golden sands. The hippies also spread the word around and brought hordes of European tourists. Decades later, tourists still trudge down the dusty, weather-beaten roads in search of that idyllic coastal Goa. On this lovely beach, Goans and tourists spend summers, bathing in the quiet solitude of the sea, sun and sand.

Fact File
Location: 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 Panajim, the capital of the state of Goa. Distance from major cities: Mumbai - 515 km Latitude: 15°32'43"N Longitude: 73°45'20"E Best time to visit: Throughout the year.

Exotic Locales Around Baga

Lying in the rocky, wooded headland, the only difference between this far northern end of the Baga beach and its more congested center of Calangute Beach is that the scenery of this beach site is more varied, unspoiled and scenic.

topAttractions

Eating out at Calangute Beach -
Calangute's bars and restaurants are mainly grouped around the entrance to the beach and along the Baga road. As with most Goan resorts, the accent is firmly on tempting seafood, though many places also serve vegetarian dishes. Western breakfasts also feature prominently at some of the restaurants in Calangute.
Leisure & Entertainment Activities -
The beach itself is nothing special, with steeply shelving sand, but is more than large enough to accommodate the huge numbers of high-season visitors.
Head fifteen minutes or so south of the main beachfront area, towards the rows of old wooden boats moored below the dunes. In this virtually hawker-free zone, one' will only come across teams of villagers hauling in hand nets at high tide or fishermen fixing their tack under bamboo sun shakes.
Water Sports at Calangute-
Calangute also makes a perfect beach site if you want to indulge in some water sports activities. Parasailing, water skiing and wind surfing at the Calangute beach starts in the afternoon when the wind is blowing just in the right direction and it goes on till sunset.
Night Life and Entertainment -
Calangute's nightlife is surprisingly tamed and provide a nice break from the wild parties at Anjuna. All but a handful of the bars wind up by 10.00 pm. One notable exception is Tito's at the Baga end of the beach, which stays open until after midnight in the off-season and into the small hours in late December and January.
The other places that consistently stay open through the night at Calangute are a couple of hippy hang-outs in the woods to the south of the beach road. Pete's Bar, a perennial favourite next door to Angela P. Fernandes, is generally the liveliest, offering affordable drinks, backgammon sets and relentless reggae. Further afield, Bob's Inn, between Calangute and Candolim beaches, is another popular bar.
Kerkar Art Complex -
The Kerkar Art Complex, is the one and only of its kind on this beach. It is a popular center for exhibitions of arts and crafts of local artistes. On Thursdays and Fridays, connoisseurs of Indian classical music and dance can be an audience to various concerts.
The St. Alex Church -
As the vast traffic on the CHOGM road reaches the village, the Church of St Alex greets with its two towers and a magnificent dome gracing the façade. The inside of the church is a display of the line and beauty of its architectural style and ornate altars. In 1996, Calangute celebrated the fourth centenary of its parish church.
Shopping at Calangute -
Saturday bazaar near the new Post Office is an ideal place for good bargainers. The bazaar offers commodities like fish, meat, grocery, textiles, earthenware, household articles and other provisions. Toys and trinkets, piglets, chicken, eggs, brooms and all the traditional, rural produce find their way into the Saturday bazaar.
In the center of Calangute, there is a nice Tibetan market. It offers all kinds of gems and silverwork, wooden statues of the Buddha's and Hindu deities. Besides, Calangute and Baga have been swamped by Kashmiri traders, putting up Kashmiri carpets, embroidery, and papier-mâché boxes for sale.

topReaching There

By Air -
The nearest airport is at Dabolim, which is 29 km away from Panaji. Panaji is just half an hour’s drive away from Calnagute.
By Rail -
The nearest railway station is at Karmali 11 km away from Panaji. Panaji is just half an hour’s drive away from Calnagute.
By Road -
Calangute Beach is about ten minutes from Mapusa, and thirty minutes from the state capital, Panaji. There are frequent buses to Panaji and Mapusa from Calangute. Most buses from Panaji terminate at Calangute and a few trudge further on up to Baga. Mapusa is 8 km away from Calangute.

topAccommodation

There are plenty of guesthouses and hotels in Calangute. One planning a longer stay should look out for ‘To Let’ signs, as there are plenty along the back lanes.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 11 September 2007 )

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