A guide to Agonda Beach South Goa – The most pristine beach of Goa

Although there are many beautiful beaches in Goa. And we have had the luck of exploring many of them over the last two years particularly. As we had a workcation from Goa, staying at Biera Mar Beach Resort. Over these years, we had the opportunity to visit Candolim beach, Calangute Beach, Vagator beach and Anjuna beach in North and Central Goa. While we also explored Palolem beach in extreme south Goa, wherein we stayed in a beach hut. And also Benaulim beach, Colva Beach and Betalbatim Beach in South Goa. Finally, on our last trip to Goa, we stayed at Agonda Beach. And what a beautiful and peaceful beach it is! In fact, I will vote it to be the most pristine beach of Goa that I have experienced so far. So, if you are looking for a peaceful, relaxing stay in Goa on a fine sand beach that is also idle for swimming, here’s my guide to Agonda Beach South Goa for you.

Related Read : Wednesday Flea Market at Anjuna Beach Goa

Arpora Flea Market – the most happening night market of North Goa

How to reach Agonda Beach South Goa

Agonda Beach is a beach in South Goa. Located just north of Palolem Beach. And just like Palolem Beach, it is characterised by several beach side shacks. But, it is located besides a sleepy village. And has limited water sports options. The best way to reach here will be self driving or hiring a taxi or a cab. Buses also ply from nearby regions but I have not explored that option. We drove to Agonda Beach from Vagator in North Goa, after spending 3 days there. Exploring the Anjuna Flea Market, trekking the Chapora Fort and driving across the Chapora Fort to explore few more North Goa Beaches like Ashvem beach. A drive from Panjim to Agonda Beach will take you around 2 hours. And it leads through winding western ghat hills before taking a short 8km detour to the village of Agonda. Here’s a video of our drive to Agonda Beach from Panjim :

 

 

Where to stay at Agonda Beach South Goa

There are several sea side beach huts and hotels lining the whole coastline at Agonda Beach. So, there’s no shortage of accommodations. You can explore the complete list here. There are also very budget friendly lodges available. And some hotels that are more costly. We ourselves stayed at “Forget me not” resort. It is a small scale property run by a couple. Their restaurant “Manveer’s Kitchen” is very famous in the area for it’s cuisines. The accommodation was comfortable and nice. And the food super tasty. They have a back door which leads right to the beach. And in the backyard, they have sitting arrangements to spend the evening enjoying the sea from the shack itself. They also arrange for parking of your vehicle in the ground right in front of the property. We highly recommend staying here. Here’s our youtube video giving a walk through of the property :

 

 

Some other properties that we closely looked at and would like to stay in future include Agonda Serenity Beach Villa, Agonda Serenity Resort and The Bay Agonda.

Food options at Agonda Beach South Goa

The beach is lined with resorts that provide hut like accommodations and most of them also have restaurants. Manveer’s Kitchen is quiet famous in the area. And since we stayed in the resort that hosts this restaurant, we had most of our meals here during our stay. Some days for lunch we ventured out into the street of Agonda. And were delighted to find many restaurants. Most of them were of the same mid – budget range. And the food was equally delicious at all these places. In the evening, some days we went to the setting on the beach provided by the restaurants right besides our resort. And liked the food there also. The only problem in Goa that we have faced with late night dinner at beach side restaurants is venturing back to your accommodation without attracting the street dogs !! Anyways, coming back to the topic, there are plenty of food options at Agonda Beach South Goa to satisfy your taste bud.

Night Life at Agonda Beach South Goa

I won’t compare the night life at Agonda Beach South Goa to that of Palolem Beach or other beaches of North Goa. We didn’t see much of “party” scene here. And that was to our liking. I know many of us head to Goa for overnight parties and enjoying the night life. But, you will be disappointed if you head to Agonda Beach for that. Rather, this is a place for relaxing and relaxing…away from all the hustle and bustle. Music plays at the restaurants as night approaches. And you will also see some vendors selling stuff in the night light while you enjoy your dinner or take a stroll along the beach. But nothing beyond that! Our purpose of staying at Agonda Beach was to spend peaceful time, have relaxing meals and work from there for a few days. While our kids could play in the fine sand and enjoy swimming in the swallow water of the beach. And Agonda Beach South Goa completely served the purpose for us.

 

Things to do at Agonda Beach South Goa

Although Agonda beach might not be the best option to enjoy a “happening” night life that most of the North and Central Goa beaches are famous for. But that doesn’t mean in the least that there is any lack of options when it comes to things to do at Agonda Beach South Goa. Here we list for you the things to do at Agonda Beach South Goa :

PS : A self guided walking tour of Fountainhas in Panjim, Goa

Walk along the fine sand beach at Agonda

Walking along the shore has been one of my most favorite activity when it comes to the clean fine sand beaches. There is a dramatic effect as you walk on the wet sand, challenging the waves to come crash against your feet. Leaving your footprints and then seeing them get washed away by the waves … reminding you of the transit life we are all spending here on earth !! I have been lucky to enjoy such walks on some of the finest beaches in India. Including Radhanagar Beach on our trip to Andaman and Nicobar Island, Palolem Beach in South Goa, Benaulim Beach in South Goa, Ashvem Beach in North Goa and Varkala Beach on our recent trip to Kerala. The walk on Agonda beach is one of the few I have enjoyed the most of all the above.

You can walk on either side till the cliffs. Crossing small water streams that cut the sand across and rush to meet the sea. The sand is very fine and comfortable. You can even walk all the way to the backwater lake at the beach! Particularly the morning and evening hours are so beautiful to enjoy a walk on this beach. That we never missed one while we stayed at Agonda Beach South Goa.

Enjoy sumptuous meals

Like I mentioned before, all the meals that we tried in and around Agonda were very tasty. We are vegetarian. But, Aashi was excited to try her first fish platter in Goa this time. And she had the opportunity to do so in Agonda. The restaurant manager suggested a particular variety of fish which he said was easy to consume for kids pertaining to it’s big bones. (I have zero knowledge on fish as a food!). And she tried the same. I was sceptical that she will finish her platter. But she actually did. So, that itself speaks volumes about the quality of the food. Also, like I mentioned before, Manveers Kitchen is very famous. It didn’t have a very extensive vegetarian menu option but whatever meals we tried were all mouthwatering. We particularly liked the super soft paneer (cottage cheese) that they made fresh as and when we ordered a paneer dish. So, do try a meal here when you are at Agonda Beach in South Goa.

Take a boat ride on the backwaters of Agonda Beach

Well, I know if you think of backwaters, it reminds of the backwaters of Alleppey or those of Kumarakom in Kerala. Goa definitely doesn’t come to mind in the first place. But there are several backwater lakes in Goa along the sea shore that one can enjoy boat rides on. And one of them is in Agonda. You can take a boat ride on this lake. And for once appreciate the beauty of Goa beyond beaches, as this small state has so much more to offer.

Try a horse ride at Agonda Beach

You can also enjoy a horse ride on many of the fine sand beaches of Goa. We saw people taking horse ride morning and evening on the Agonda Beach as well. So, definitely, one of the activities that you can enjoy on Agonda beach is a horse ride. You can ride the horse alongside the beach from one end to the other. I am not sure of the charges though as we were not interested in taking a horse ride. But I am sure it will be negotiable and you can try negotiating your best to what price suits you.

Explore the nearby Cola Beach

Another hidden beach just few kilometers from Agonda Beach is the Cola beach. It is the less explored gem of a beach in Goa. Where you can reach by trekking down from the road on the cliff. There is one restaurant with a changing room, a fresh water pool to take a plunge and enjoy swimming. And of course the beach itself. We couldn’t explore the Cola Beach this time around as we were working from Agonda. And thus, didn’t get time to venture here. But Cola beach is definitely high on our bucket list.

Take a cooking class

I saw several boards in restaurants and homestays / hotels while walking along the main Agonda street. For dedicated cooking classes specialised in teaching the Goan and Konkan cuisines. So, do try one if you have nook for cooking.

Enjoy swimming in the waters

Of course this one is a no brainer. But you know what. After visiting the crowded beaches of North Goa, and many beaches of Kerala and even Kanyakumari, I have realised, not all beaches are apt for swimming. Some of them are rocky, some gain depth swiftly. Reminds me of our recent four days trip to Pondicherry. Where we couldn’t enjoy swimming in the Eden Beach – the blue flag beach – because there was a high tide. So, if its a beach, doesn’t mean you can necessarily swim there.

That way, Agonda Beach is one of the few fine sand beaches in India where the water is swallow to a great length. And thus, makes for a perfect swimming option all through the year. (Maybe except for few monsoon months when the sea can be rough). Thus, swimming is definitely an activity not to be missed when at Agonda Beach Goa.

General tips on Agonda Beach South Goa

More or less the tips that will be applicable for most of the other beaches of Goa will be applicable for Agonda Beach as well. Some of the ones more specific to Agonda Beach are :

1. The main street of Agonda village tends to be narrow, if you are traveling in a big vehicle, navigation can be a challenge.
2. Parking can also not be available with all resorts, so enquire with the one you want to stay at. Forget Me Not had a decent parking space.
3. There are not too many fancy restaurants in this area. Mostly beach side shacks and restaurants. But the food is very good.
4. Book in advance as the hotels tend to get booked well in advance in the season.
5. Carry plenty of sunscreen, hats and your sunglasses for the beach.
6. You will get most of the general grocery in small shops dotting the main Agonda street. But don’t expect very big super markets.

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