North Goa Beach Guide

Guide to the Best Beaches of North Goa

Do you want to know which is the best beach in north Goa? Then this guide to my favourite beaches of north Goa is for you.

If you prefer to see for yourself then go ahead and watch my North Goa Beach Guide video now.

Beautiful Beaches of Goa - Why North Goa?

With so many beautiful beaches to choose from in Goa, everyone has a favourite. I have split my Guide to the Best Beaches of Goa into three sections, North Goa, Central Goa (which most people will still refer to as South Goa since the beaches are south of the airport at Vasco da Gama) and South Goa which are the beaches in the far south furthest away from Goa Airport. First up in todays blog are the beaches of North Goa.

The beaches of north Goa tend to be the most developed and busiest beaches due to their proximity to the airport at Vasco da Gama. They remain popular due to the large number of facilities available at the beaches.

If ease of access is your top priority or you are short on time then North Goa might be the best option for you when visiting this beautiful section of the west coast of India.

North Goa Beach Names

North Goa beaches India sunset over Anjuna Beach through the palm trees. Palm trees are in silhouette against the orange sky. Some of the beaches of North Goa from north to south are:

Arambol Beach
Ashvem Beach
Vagator Beach
Anjuna Beach
Baga Beach
Calangute Beach
Candolim Beach

The list of beaches in North Goa goes on, there are far too many to list here however the above list gives a cross section and there should be at least one beach here that you like.

All the beaches in north Goa offer beautiful sunset views, lifeguards and plenty of activities to keep you and your family busy during your holiday or vacation.

Which is the Best Beach of North Goa?

This is a subjective question, so I will explain a bit about each of these beaches in turn and let you decide.

If you want to know which is my favourite beach of North Goa then you can watch the video above, or read on and I will let you know at the end.

Arambol Beach Goa North

Aerial view of Arambol Beach showing the beach to the left and the shacks and shops wensing their way along hte beach to the right with mainland Goa rising behind. The most northerly of the beaches in this Goa beach guide is a Arambol beach.

Arambol is also the least developed of the tourist beaches in north Goa and is a great for swimming as well as sunbathing. The beach itself has sections which are quite rocky but also has lots of sandy sections.

There is still a hippie culture at Arambol and it is one of the cheaper places in Goa to stay making it popular with foreigners in particular. There are no resorts of any kind at Armabol, however a street full of local shacks and shops wends its way along the road behind the beach.

Ashwen Beach Goa North

View of Ashwen Beach India with the ocean to the left, beach running diaganally from the bottom right hand corner and the green hills of Goa behind. Ashwen beach is one of the less crowded beaches of north Goa which means more peace and quiet and privacy for you. They still have lifeguards though.

There are long stretches of beach along Ashvem with no shacks, no restaurants and no sunbeds so you can choose your own private spot and enjoy the day feeling the light soft sand underfoot and running through your fingers. The waves at Ashvem are also quite gentle for swimmers.

If you want a peaceful quiet option in the north Goa area without too much going on Ashwem is a great choice, although it isn't too busy there are still various shacks and places to eat along Ashwem beach offering a variety of drinks, meals and sunbeds if and when you want them.

Vagator Beach North Goa

A cow stands by a shrine on Vagator Beach in North Goa India as people walk along the beach behind along the edge of the sea. Vagator is not as busy as some of the more popular north Goa beaches, but it's still popular with foreigners and very picturesque with the Chapora Fort on the hill behind making it a beautiful setting to enjoy a quiet day.

There are rocky outcrops at either end of the beach, and there are also a few rocky patches on the beach with big swathes of sand in between.

While there are only a couple of places to get food and drinks on Vagator Beach itself there's a whole selection of places to stay right behind the beach ranging from private villas to hostels.

Anjuna Beach North Goa

Curlies Beach Bar on Anjuna Beach in North Goa. Blue sunbeds with beach brollies stretch along the beach in front of the dining tables. Anjuna is a fantastic place for people wanting to get a taste of that hippie lifestyle Goa is known for, backpackers on a budget and people looking for a cool place just to hang out.

Anjuna is not a typical all sand beach, rather it's made up of rocky outcrops with little sand beaches in between, a bit like Vagator Beach. The tide can come quite high creating small sandy bays.

There's also a lot of live music in the evening and often there's a few parties along this beach (although this is also true for almost every beach in north Goa).

There is a good selection of accommodation available at Anjuna, with most of it being towards the budget end of the market.

Baga Beach North Goa

Top down view of Baga Beach in north Goa showing beach shacks and beach umbrellas along the beach with the ocean to the left The popular Baga beach one of the busiest beaches in Goa.

Tourism arrived here in the 60s when tourists started to flock here to experience the tranquil way of life, laid back atmosphere and endless parties on beautiful beaches.

You can find everything you might need or want to do along Baga beach, water sports, cocktails, sun beds, yoga, dance clubs, food, massages, drinks, sunsets and more.

If you are looking for a party then Baga Beach is the beach for you, Baga is still known today as the top party spot in Goa.

Calangute Beach North Goa

Man sitting on a jet ski parked on Calangute Beach in North Goa India with the ocean to the left, the beach behind and to the right with beach bars and beach shacks in the background. Calangute beach is a popular Goan beach next door to the more famous Baga beach.

Shacks and restaurants offer food, snacks and drinks while further along the beach you can partake in a lot of water sports including jet skis, parasailing, banana boats, or just take boat trip for dolphin watching.

Along Calangute beach you've also got massages and sun beds available, and of course the ever popular Goan nightlife if you are looking for a party.

A lot of the places along Calangute beach offer live music in the evenings and dancing right along the beach, so find a place that matches your beat and dance until dawn on Calangute beach.

Candolim Beach Goa North

Aerial view of Candolim Beach North Goa with beach to the left and ocean to the right. Above is someone with a multicoloured parasail being towed by a motor boat. Lined with sunbeds and brollies Candolim beach has a more relaxed feel than Baga or Calangute but it is still a very busy beach with plenty to do including yoga, parasailing, dolphin trips and massages amongst the cafes, shacks and restaurants.

Candolim is also a popular place for buying souvenirs or shopping for cloth and many local shops offer a beautiful selection just behind the beach.

As with most of the beaches in north Goa Condolim beach comes alive at night, with live music spilling out onto the beach and in the nightclubs on the street behind the beach.

My Favourite Beach of North Goa?

Before I let you know which of these beautiful beaches I prefer, here is a summary for you to choose your own preferred beach of North Goa.

Arambol Beach

Arambol has kept it's local character but has still got quite a lot going on and is a great beach for swimming.

Ashvem Beach (or Ashwem Beach)

Ashvem is one of the less crowded beaches of north Goa which means more peace and quiet and privacy for you.

Vagator Beach

With a fort at one end and a river of the other Vagator beach might be the most picturesque beach in north Goa.

Anjuna Beach

Anjuna is great for people wanting to get a taste of that hippie lifestyle, backpackers on a budget and people looking for a cool place to hang out.

Baga Beach

One of the first beaches in Goa to develop for tourism Baga remains one of the busiest beaches in Goa and is still considred the top party spot in Goa.

Calangute Beach

Although this beautiful long beach can get busy it is busy for a very good reason. The nice gentle waves make Calangute suitable for swimming along.

Candolim Beach

During the day Candolim is popular for buying souvenirs or shopping for cloth. Condolim beach comes alive at night with live music spilling out onto the beach.

And my favourite beach of North Goa? It's hard to choose but if pushed I would choose Anjuna Beach. Even though it isn't the quietest beach the rocky outcrops create a feeling of seclusion in the white sandy bays, especially at high tide.

Photo of Ashvem Beach North Goa