Calangute beach is also called the 'Queen of Beaches' because the beauty you find here cannot be found elsewhere. Under the shade of palm trees, bathes the Queen of Beaches - Calangute.
Calangute beach 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.
About The Beach
Calangute is a town on the northern coast of Goa. Calangute is well connected to other parts of Goa by road, and the roads are in fairly good condition.
Calangute situated at about 15 km from the capital city Panjim is the one of the most popular holiday destinations in Goa. It is usually crowded as it has a host of facilities to cater to the visitors. Calangute is well known due to its beautiful golden sanded beach which is also known as the Queen of Beaches. November to February is the most pleasant time to visit the Goa Calangute beach. It is amongst the most popular beaches of Goa and it's capacity is large enough to accommodate the huge numbers of high-season visitors.
Excellent accommodation facilites are available in the Calangute village of North Goa India, particularly at the tourist resorts and cottages. There are also a number of hotels and restaurants scattered all over the place. It has also become a good investment plan to buy properties in Goa. Calangute is the perfect tourist haven, completed with shacks and stalls under the shade of palm trees selling everything from fried prawns and beer, to trinkets made of seashells. One of the places worth visiting nearby is 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. Calangute's nightlife is surprisingly tame and provides 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 of the morning in late December and January.
Things to do
Odyssey Tours
Odyssey Tours has a luxury yacht with a license to carry 27 passengers on deck, plus 4 crew members, including a captain and engineer (so you can’t rent the yacht and drive it yourself). They offer half-day dolphin-spotting cruises for about affortable cost per person, including lunch; reservations are necessary. The yacht leaves from Brittona, where it has its own jetty. In the afternoon, it’s available for private charter groups also.
Relaxation
Relax at the beach. The beach reaches from Candolim to Baga. Known also as the Queen of Beaches, although is rather crowded nowadays. Unfortunately it has also been reported to be a place where women risk to be harrassed. The sand is quite full of beds for sunbathing. These are free at least if you buy something from the beach shack, but expect a lot of salesmen. Beggars are not common.
Water Sports
If you go from the center of the town to the beach, you will find a massive amount of water sports operators; they are cheap and fun but their safety is very doubtful due to the large number of jetskis operating in the breaking waves. At this part of the beach there are no beach shacks.
Jolly ride on Bike
Hire a bike or scooty for day and roam around other nearby beaches like Baga, Candolim, Anjuna. You can also ride straight upto Aguada Fort. Make sure to fill your vehicle's tank before you start off the journey. Fuels are sold by many roadside shop
Sports & the Outdoors
Sports & the Outdoors on the BeachHop aboard a dolphin-or-crocodile-spotting tour, which winds past thick mangroves along the Zuari and Mandovi rivers, or take a ride on a banana boat.
Shopping
The road from the town to the beach is lined with Kashmiri-run handicraft boutiques and Tibetan stalls selling Himalayan curios and jewellery. The quality of the goods - mainly Rajasthani, Gujarati and Karnatakan textiles - is generally high. Haggle hard and don't be afraid to walk away from a heavy sales pitch - the same stuff crops up every Wednesday at Anjuna's flea market
Nightlife & Entertainment At Calangute
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
Sightseeing
Church of St Alex - Apart form the beach, there is the Church of St Alex which is a must-see. Church of St Alex, with its two towers and a magnificent dome displays the beauty of the architectural style and ornate altars. In 1996, Calangute celebrated the fourth centenary of its parish church.
Kerkar Art Complex, Located at close proximity is the Kerkar Art Gallery, displaying the paintings and sculptures of various talented, upcoming artists of Goa. The Kerkar Art Complex in this Indian State of Goa is quite special and is the one and only of its kind on this beach. It is The gallery also hosts a night of Indian music and dance, once every week. Dr Subodh Kerkar has two galleries, one for his permanent collection, and the other housing the works of Indian and foreign artists.
What to Eat and drink
The coastline is nearly full of beach shacks that offer food as well. For better cuisine you can choose from numerous (tourist) restaurants that are found from the main roads. Food is somewhat expensive by Indian standards, but cheap by Western ones .
Oriental - A family run Thai-European Restaurant. Expect authentic Royal Thai and selected European Cuisine – specialized in tenderloin fillet steaks - better "Little Chateaubriands" -. Location: Calangute Holiday Street, behind Kerkar Art Complex, befor Little Italy.(Former Roma)
Tibetan Kitchen - Great place for Chinese & Tibetan dishes, very authentic and good environment though you need to walk from main road for about 20 meters through a small lane.
Mirabai Goan Village, The best! Authentic Goan food, excellent sea food, charming knowledgeable owner.
Souza Lobo - Its on the beach, you won't miss it. King Fish and Seafood are excellent.
After Seven, on the border of Candolim-Calangute. . Started by Leo, who speaks 4 languages and has travelled the world with the reputed Taj Group of Hotels, this restaurant has been around for 9 years. The restaurant was formerly known as After Eight Restaurant, till Nestle decided that the restaurant was so good that it would prove competition to their mints, asked Leo to change the name, which he did in 2005.
Electric Cats - An wonderful place for authentic seafood & cocktails.
Temptation Shack, Calangute Beach. Friendly and welcoming shack serving excellent food with great service. Take them up on the offer of a barbecue and try the tiger prawns and calamare - amazing.
Xavier's Beach Cafe, Midway Between Calangute and Baga Beach. This is one of the shacks that are present between Baga and Calangute. Outstanding behaviour and reasonable rates compared to the ambience! reasonable as per Goan standards.
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