Canacona - Rustic Charm Of Goa

The first time I passed through Canacona, was on my first visit to the south of goa on my way to the extremely beautiful Palolem beach. The second time I went even further away from Canacona to another beautiful spot by the kali river in karwar, close to the Goa border.

If you traveling in Goa and you are on a bike, then it is the best mode of transport. Canacona which is the southernmost district of Goa, like the whole of Goa has small narrow winding roads, all of them either climbing up or running down the mountain sides covered with very thick forests.

As compared to the rest of Goa, Canacona seems relatively untouched by the overtly intrusive tourists, thus it carries the rustic charm of Goa of the past. The few beaches of Canacona, which were discovered relatively late also, happen to be some of the most beautiful and isolated beaches, especially Palolem, which also got a mention in the latest Hollywood, hit ‘The Bourne Supremacy’. Apart from Palolem, there are close to a dozen secluded beaches on the western side of Canacona.

One of the most important landmarks other than the beaches is the ‘Parthagali Math’, a five hundred year old Hindu monastery, it architecture a confluence of both Portuguese and Hindu influences.

In Goa it is not the man made but the nature made that has always attracted the world, and Canacona has a few more of these natural attractions. If you want o enjoy the company of the very intelligent dolphins then you must head to the beaches of Palolem or Agonda. If you think you could spot the two hundred species of birds, then a map to Cotigoa wildlife sanctuary and a pair of binoculars is all that will be needed, as the rest can be found within the reserve.

Margoa - Also Known As Madgaon Or Margao

The first time I came to Goa, was on the bike, we were six of us on three bikes. Our final destination was Margoa or Madgaon as it is known by both the names. It was late in the evening, around seven thirty that we reached our destination. The ride through the mountains was amazing and all the way to Madgaon we were on pretty much high spirits.

ON the way to Madgaon we took quite a few halts to look at some of the churches that were on the way. Our friends place was a bit away from the main Margao, so we had to take a flyover which went over the railway tracks into the other part of the town.

Earlier we had passed through Panjim, it immediately hit upon us the being the capital of Goa it was pretty laidback and open. In Madgaon it was the complete opposite, as everywhere there were crowds and traffic moving in the chaotic fashion. We decided to pick up some sweets to take to my friends home, beside the sweet shop was a wine shop.

My friend’s house was located in a close by village called Dramapur, and unlike in other cities there were no street lights to guide us. So we missed the turn, but luckily for us one of the guys in the bike behind us saw the road sign of Madgaon, and realized that we had come way to ahead.

Madgaon turned out to be a very great place as it was very easy for us to go to satisfy our craving for vacant beaches which were all connected one after the other. Also Madgaon being the central stop for all major bus routes and train junction, which then continued into Karnataka as the border was very close to Madgaon.

Vasco Da Gama - Famous For Adventure Sports

Only one place in the whole of Goa offers this exiting and adventurous sport, the sport is deep sea diving and the place is Bogmolo beach in Vasco. The name Vasco pays respect to the Portuguese explorer who first discovered Goa, Vasco-Da-Gama. It is perched on the mouth of the Zuari River on the western tip of Marmagoa peninsula. 

A grand name, but compared to the rest of Goa, Vasco isn’t considered a hot spot. In the past it was a strategically important Port and even today it is a key shipping center. But with the construction of the Konkan Railway, the center moved to Margoa from Vasco. The Dabolim airport is 8-km southeast of Bogmolo beach, generally everybody does pass though Vasco on their way to the airport.

Vasco doesn’t see that many tourists compared to other attractions of Goa, but if you are not the kind to favor crowds and don’t mind just one beach, the Bogmolo then you are sure to find it worth the visit. Bogmolo beach was a fishing village till a hotel chain built a five star and forced the red bricks houses and the clean beaches to welcome visitors. There are places that predominantly cater only to the westerners and Kashmiri artefacts sellers hawking their wares on the beach.

Lately the Diving School came into the picture, certified by PADI offering open water diving courses, one of the very few in all of India. It is a British run outfit which operates from Joet’s Guesthouse at the far end of the Bogmolo beach. You can have a go at a half day “ Try Dives” course meant for those new to diving and you can follow it up with more advanced courses.They also conduct guided dives to shipwreck sites and coral beds of the coast, for all the Discovery channel lovers it could be a trip worth your while.