No haggard hippies of Arambol, no noisy yuppies of Baga/Calangute, we trek till the extreme south of the Goan coastline to some lesser-known beaches in search of that tropical paradise
No haggard hippies of Arambol, no noisy yuppies of Baga/Calangute, we trek till the extreme south of the Goan coastline to some lesser-known beaches in search of that tropical paradise
I admit it with a sigh that Palolem is probably past its heyday. Located in Canacona district of South Goa, it has long been promoted by Lonely Planet and its competitors as the most idyllic of all Goa beaches. Since I first arrived there in 2005, a lot has been gobbled up by that greedy monster of commercialisation. There is less and less of the beach and more and more of vulgar moneymaking. As they say now, if you shake a palm tree hard a Londoner falls off instead of a coconut (and with him a drawling "My friend, I give you cheap price" Indian salesman).
Never mind, I decided to look around for alternatives and found that the coastline in this part of the state is dotted with little-known gems, all awaiting their destined share of glory:
Colomb Beach
Immediately south of the arc of Palolem, Colomb comprises of two beaches, none more than about 50m long. Situated besides an old fishing village, Colomb gives you a breezy, unhurried peek into the rural life of South Goa. At any time you can find wooden boats anchored in the shallow bay and fishing nets stacked in random bundles. 
Hard to believe as it may be, this pie of Goan heartland is claimed by a Russian as his property which is, of course, contested ferociously by the local villagers, with the result that the two parties are currently involved in a messy legal dispute. That shouldn't however stop you from strolling on its benign, even spread of stand and climbing over the rocks littering the seashore at various intervals for one of the most gorgeous sunsets ever.
A lot of visitors to Colomb are looking for an extended, meaningful holiday and rent houses in the village for the whole season. However, as everywhere else in Goa things are changing very fast. One shack-owner told me that the same house he used to pay Rs 150 per month as rent for in 2002 is currently being let out at Rs 15,000.u00a0
ADVERTISEMENT
Where to stay: Ocean Breeze (Ph: 9823776317, 0832 2644850) has huts overlooking the fishing boats and the arc at the larger Colomb Beach. The sea-facing huts cost Rs 1,000-1,200 (during season).u00a0 Laguna Vista (Ph: 9921056427) offers rooms for Rs 600-800 (during season) and Rs 300-500 (off-season), and does an authentic Coq au Vin and Nepali thali. Elsewhere in the village rooms can be rented for as cheap as Rs 200 per day (during season). Just ask around at any of the beach shacks or the local households.
Patnem Beach
A Swedish old timer who makes it a point to undertake the journey south every winter, told me that Patnem is what Palolem used to be in the late 1980s. Not nearly as picturesque as its more popular cousin to the north, Patnem is flanked by casuarinas and wild bush. It's wider than and not as safe to swim as Palolem, but is favoured by families and people looking for that lost chapter of solitude in their lives. Till around 20 years ago, the beach was mostly covered by thorny shrub (locally known as godya kaate, or horse thorn) before it got gradually cleared, and was planted with casuarinas by the forest department.
It's easy to see that in many ways Patnem is Palolem on a diet. It has most elements that make up for a relaxing holiday, without the sparkle or picture-perfect splendour of Palolem. At the beach, masseurs walk the sands in search of nirvana-thirsty clients, yoga classes are conducted in full attendance and people meditate to the ember light of the sunset.
Rumour has it that the most of the land overlooking the southern end of the beach has been bought over by some wealthy businessman from Vasco, who plans to convert it into a five-star resort. All the more reason to lap it up the coming season.
Where to stay: Patnem offers a mind boggling array of staying options lining the sandy expanse of the beach. Home (Ph: 0832 2643 916) is known for its coffee and cakes, and offers rooms in an old Goan House from Rs 900-2000 (during season). Goyam (Ph: 9326127437): has luxurious two-room huts overlooking the sea which cost Rs 3,000 (during season) besides other cheaper options. Cuba (Ph: 9822183775) is a branch of the same establishment at Palolem
Rajbagh Beach
This stretch of sand straddled between two rivers at the northern and the southern ends is like a silent leaf turned over from Palolem and Patnem. If you arrive by crossing the rocky promontory to the south of Patnem, you are suddenly overwhelmed by that secret awe at discovering a hidden paradise. Of course, you soon realise that the aura of exclusivity and desertedness is meticulously maintained by the staffers of the nearby five star resort. There is only one shack, 'Corta's' on the beach also run by the hotel besides a few thatch covered sun beds next to which local women sell freshly pressed fruit juice. Be careful though, a bottle of water at the outlet may cost as much as Rs 110! 
A villager tells me that the late owner of the hotel also bought some property atop a rocky headland across the river on the south presumably as a future personal retreat, but death overran him before it could be developed. Now you can just see a mysterious, foliage-sheathed silhouette of a hut from the sands.
Where to stay: Intercontinental, the Lalit Resort (0832 2667 777) is a sprawling property overlooking the Rajbagh beach. It boasts of a Double 'T' nine-hole golf course besides luxurious rooms blending old Goan furniture pieces with modern sensibility and comfort.
Agonda Beach
Make no bones about it, Agonda is the next big thing in the south. This season has been conspicuously good and many visitors who would otherwise flock to Palolem and Patnem are opting for this relatively undeveloped sea-front towards the north. Just as Palolem's year of reckoning was 1991, Agonda took off around 2005, with the result that the number of restaurants has more than tripled during the last four years according to one estimate from 10 to around 35. In fact I remember having come here the first time in 2005, that the only thing to photograph on the beach was a lone fisherman pulling his catch back from the ocean. Now the banners of transformation and prosperity flutter proudly at the entrances of the numerous beachside establishments (never mind that most of the proprietors of these hotels are foreigners). In two or three seasons, a local entrepreneur tells me, it is bound to be the preferred destination of the older and more seasoned crowd.
Geographically speaking, this long parentheses-shaped beach is situated across the hills to north of Palolem, and boasts of pristine white sands and an endless soulful blue stretch of the ocean. A series of rocks jutting out of the ocean and enclosing a bay towards the southern end give it a wild, untamed character which is a welcome relief from the mapped pre-charted charm of most north Goa beaches.
Right in the middle of the village, almost dissecting the beach by half is St Anne's Church, built more than a century ago and an important nerve centre of activities in the area. A 20 minutes hike towards the hills on the north leads one to the Khola village and beach, the only other significant strip of sand before the Cabo de Rama fort.
Where to Stay: Take your pick, the choice is endless. Turtle Lounge (0832 2647 774) owned by a German fashion photographer is the most luxurious roof over the head on the beach. There are only two
huts available, both dressed up elegantly in black combined with elements from local architecture. The huts cost Rs 6,500 during season and Rs 4,500 in off-season. A lot of tourists like to stay in Agonda for longer periods, say one or two months and hence there are rooms with kitchen available on rent at the village. Otherwise, you can get a basic hut for as cheap as Rs 150 (shared loo).
Polem Beach
The final paradise on the coastline of Goa, I am in two minds as to whether this secret should really be let out. I am terrified of this enclave of rural bliss turning into a Palolem part two. But then, if development is inevitable, it better be measured and pre-planned. If Polem has to arrive, it better be a smooth docking than a haphazard crash landing as has been the case with many other beaches of Canacona district.
Polem takes you where Palolem would have been twenty years ago. A quaint Goan fishing village of about 100 households, it possesses the most picturesque of all beaches mentioned in this feature (of course except Palolem which aesthetically is still impossible to match). The arc-shaped stretch of virgin sands is flanked by multitudinous palm trees and looks over many hazy silhouettes of islands in the distance. The most prominent of these land masses is a cluster of rocks known as bhide (an unmistakable feature on the horizon) where the local fishermen like to spend a lazy picnic lunch over their roast fish. Further south is the Devbagh island in Karnataka (Polem is the southernmost of the Goa beaches, in fact, Karwar is just 12km from the village) where a lighthouse guides steamers and other vessels safely along their course.
In the better part of the afternoon and the evening that I spent on the beach this time, I stumbled upon just one couple from Switzerland who had landed by accident. Apart from them the only visitors were Karnataka natives out to enjoy the pleasures of cheap booze.
Where to Stay: The administration has been understandably cautious in developing tourist infrastructure in the village. There are no permanent facilities for accommodation at Polem. However, do ask at Kamaxi Bar and Restaurant (which does a mean fish curry rice incidentally) and the owner might let you out a room for Rs200 per night.
P.S: Do not miss the small secluded beach that can be reached by trekking over the rocks to the north. The villagers believe the sand is rich in iron ore, but all you are likely to extract from it is a collection of exquisitely shaped sea-shells and a rare moment or two of reconnecting with yourself.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
