“On the rocky shore,
seagulls play in the bright blue sky,
the salty sea spray splashes the bright shiny rocks,
the sand squishes between the toes”
If there’s one place in Goa where this lovely poem by Nathan comes alive, it is Anjuna Beach. Unlike all the other beaches to it’s north and south, I find Anjuna Beach, Goa, very different. A hippie paradise, like it was known earlier because of large hippie population, you are bound to fall in love with this beach. The first time when I had a chance to spend some time on Anjuna beach, I was fascinated by its landscape. Rocky , black corals make a large area of the bed of this beach. And as I stood on one of the rocks, I saw the waves crash against the rocks…almost mesmerised. It was on my first trip to Goa when we stayed in Calangute, at Resort Terra Paraiso. And did this day trip of Goa from there, which had a lunch halt at Anjuna Beach shack.
Finally on my fourth trip to Goa I explored Anjuna Beach Goa properly. This time, we stayed right besides, at Vagator Beach, in The Grand Leoney Resort. And Wednesday evening, we headed to Anjuna Beach. The timing was deliberate. For the famous Anjuna Flea Market is held every Wednesday right besides the beach.
How to reach Anjuna Beach
If you are driving to Anjuna beach, you can put “Anjuna Beach Parking” on your google map. And it will take you straight to the paid parking area for Anjuna Beach. However, you are not obliged to park in the first parking area that you see. Although we parked here. And then walked some 800 metres to the Anjuna Flea Market. We saw a lot of other paid parking areas along the way – some big and some small. And a lot of them were very empty. Not sure if the price of parking could also be different. For us, it was flat INR 100/- for however long we wanted to park. Which was pretty descent. Compared to our experience parking in Calangute Market where the charge is hourly and quiet steep.
What to do on Anjuna Beach Goa
After exploring the Wednesday Flea Market at Anjuna, we headed to the Anjuna Beach. To be honest with you, Anjuna beach is one of the most commercialised beaches of Goa. We saw more crowd on Anjuna Beach than we have on any other beach during our recent trips to Goa including Vagator Beach, Benaulim Beach where we stayed for 2 weeks during our Goa Workcation , Colva beach which we often visited from Benaulim and the beaches of North Goa that we had explored a day before.
So, there’s an equally large plethora of things to do at Anjuna Beach Goa. These include –
- Water sports activities like Paragliding, surfing, scuba diving, banana boat ride, jet skiing, speed boat ride etc.
- Swimming – although the sea is rough here and there are rocks so I will not recommend it but people swim here irrespective of everything.
- Enjoying a spectacular sunset while sitting in one of the beach shacks
- Trying mouth watering Goan, Indian or multi cuisine delicacies in one or more of the numerous beach shacks that line Anjuna Beach
- Shopping – there is a flea market held every Wednesday almost right on the beach and then there are permanent beach side shops selling various things that you find only in Goa
- Just enjoying a walk along the shore – something that has become a ritual with us, no matter which beach we go to
- You will also find Anjuna beach nightlife as one of the best nightlife in Goa, thriving with clubs & pubs. And Anjuna Beach parties are famous all over India.
My experience at Anjuna Beach
Like I have said even in my previous posts, that I will personally not prefer staying in Anjuna area, given it is more commercialised. And I prefer more peaceful and serene beaches like South Goa beaches or extreme North Goa beaches. However, I still count Anjuna Beach as one of the best beaches of Goa. It’s unique landscape is a major attraction for me. And as I set foot on the coral rocks after years, I couldn’t help but get mesmerised once again. My idle experience on Anjuna Beach is to sit by a peaceful beach side shack, enjoy some food. And have uninterrupted views of the sun setting while the waves tirelessly crash against the rocks.
However, as you move further, the rocky facade gets replaced with coarse golden sand. And the beach becomes a little more favourable for swimming. I couldn’t convince my kids to stay at the shore, as the water here is a little rough. They still managed to dig the sand and go sit in the water. Although we were constantly attending to them. After their tryst with the waves, we all went to a beachside shack and ordered some snacks. We sat there for a good 1 hour. And through this one hour, the evening sky changed colors numerous times. Each time, I picked my phone and clicked a shot, like an excited child.
While sitting up there on the shack, I saw people coming and going, dancing and sitting, enjoying their food and drink, happily chatting. There was a harmony in all the diverse actions – everyone seemed to be present in the moment. And so was I, forgetting everything else for a while.
Where to eat in Anjuna, Goa
Some of the famous eateries to try in Anjuna, on the beach or otherwise, are German Bakery, Ohm and Burger Factory. There is a place between Anjuna and Vagator called “Bean me up” which has really great healthy food options. Do try it out if you are in the locality and want to try some deliciously healthy food for a change. It’s ambiance is also good. Last but not the least, do remember to try out some yummy local dishes in the beachside shacks. Apart from these, many of the food chains and international brands have their presence in Anjuna. Couple of these being Domino’s pizza and Baskin Robins. However, when in Goa, I will rather prefer to try some local cuisines or at least local restaurants than the fast food chains.
Where to stay in Anjuna, Goa
Anjuna beach was once a hippie paradise. The area still thrives with hostels, backpackers accommodations and quirky cafes and restaurants. If you want to stay in Anjuna, here are some options for you :-
PS: Some of our links are affiliated, this means we will earn a commission when you buy a service or product by clicking those links. However, this will have no extra cost for you.
 |
 |
 |