Colva Beach

What Chowpatti is to Mumbai, Colva is to South Goa; minus the filth of course. This is the place where the buzz is. Come evenings, the seemingly endless stretch of sand at Colva beach becomes a healthy heterogeneous mix of tourists, locals, fishermen, vendors, foreigners, hippies. You can see them all here. That, of all beaches it’s the closest to Margao helps. Till some years back, Colva used to be that special stretch of sand where the elite of Margao used to head for, to wind down after a days work. Today, it would seem that the whole world has followed suit.

Weather

Colva keeps in sync with the rest of the state. It’s as sunny as it can get. The weather ranges from 33 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees in peak summer. The rains provide a wet respite. Winters are almost nonexistent in Goa’s tropics.

Best time to visit:

Conventionally popular visiting months are from October to March. Some try to avoid Goa in the rains. But it’s worth a visit then too, to see the monsoons in their uninhibited glory.

Getting there / Route Information

By Bus

Colva is just a stone’s throw away from the Margao bus terminus, barely six kilometres. That’s an hour’s brisk walk or a 20 minute bus ride from Margao. Buses tend to be packed because of the very volume of tourists who head for Colva.

By Train

Predictably the Margao is the closest train terminus to Colva at 7 km. The options you have from the station are either a pre paid cab, a pilot or an auto. If it’s a bus ride you want. Step out of the railway station near Platform 1 and take the straight road out of it for about 400 meters until you hit a T-junction. That’s where you can hail down buses which head for Margao town. Take a connecting bus to Colva from there on.

Pictures of Colva Beach

 

Major attractions

Colva has no qualms about the sheer number of tourists it attracts, thanks to its proximity to Margao. If it’s tranquil you want, this is not the place for you. This beach is for those who love to mingle. Given the sheer number of tourists at Colva, it’s really no surprise that private entrepreneurship has blossomed here. The shores of Colva are known for a lot of water sports activities including jet skis and parasailing. One of the other attractions at Colva is the "Our Lady of Mercy Church", a spectacular structure build in the 1600s by the Portuguese conquistadors, when they to explore and subsequently conquer Goa. The beach was also famous for it ‘Beach bonanzas’ till sometime back where a musical gala is held on the sands.

Events

The beach bonanza is one of the major events, which happens at Colva beach during the tourist season. The beach also plays host to several ‘beat shows’ which are essentially local bands belting out amplified music on the beach in the open. These shows are a great hit with the young local crowd.

Nightlife

Colva is the only hubs in South Goa with a semblance of nightlife. You’ll find a lot of shacks on the beach, which are open till the wee hours of the morning with music, food and liquor flowing. The beach also regularly plays host to several beat shows during the weekends in the tourist seasons.

Shopping

There’s an amazing range of shopping avenues at Colva. Things you can pick up at a bargain are cotton beachwear. Fine chic footwear ideally suited for beach use. And a wide range of artifacts made out of shells, wood, coconut and fishbone.

Vital Tourist Information

Hotel availability

Just walk into Colva village blindly and chances are the only thing you’d bump into, would be either a restaurant or a hotel or a house with a room to let. There’s no dearth of accommodation here. But we would really recommend some of these homes with rooms to let. Along with home made food for lunch and dinner ask for coconut pancakes for breakfast. They’re yummy.

Local Transport

Motorcycle

The most preferred mode of transport is a motorcycle pilot, which are in effect two wheeler taxis, driven by licenced riders, who can transport one individual at a time.

Rent-a-bike

These self-driven yellow-letters-on-black number plate two wheelers or four wheelers can be sourced from the hotel you are put up in.

Taxis

Taxis, although are easily available during the peak season, the rates charged are exorbitant. Try hardball bargaining.

Nearest known city

Madgaon, 6 km approx

Contacts in case of contingency

Hospitals:	Hospicio hospital. Tel: 0832-2722164
Police:	Colva police station. Tel: 0832-2788396