Benaulim Beach Goa

Benaulim Beach

Goa Benaulim beach is a very quiet beach. Benaulim beach in Goa starts where Colva beach ends. The best thing about Goa Benaulim beach is that it is still rather undiscovered by domestic tourists even though it is a famous beach for fishing. Benaulim beach gets fairly crowded in the evenings and on weekends. Local visitors often frequent this Benaulim beach; they get off their buses about a kilometer away and pour onto the beach.

Apart from the lovely beach, there is the Church of St John the Baptist which is situated on a hill beyond the village and is worth a visit. On the arrival of the monsoon, Feast of St John the Baptist (Sao Joao) is celebrated as a thanksgiving. Young men wearing crowns of leaves and fruits tour the area singing for gifts. To commemorate the movement of St John when he was in his mother's womb and visited by Mary, the mother of Jesus, the young men of this village jump in the wells.

A Sleepy Village
Only a decade ago, this fishing and rice-farming village, scattered around the coconut groves and paddy fields between the main Colva-Mobor Road and the dunes, had barely made it onto the backpackers map. Now, the shady lane leading through it is studded with guesthouses and souvenir stalls while the paddy fields on the outskirts are gradually disappearing under a rash of gigantic luxury resorts and time-share apartment blocks. For the time being, however, this remains a peaceful and welcoming place to unwind.

Either side of the sand blown beachfront, the gently shelving sands shimmer away almost to the horizon, litered with photogenic wooden fishing boats that provide welcome shade if the walk from the palm trees to the sea gets too much. Hawkers, itinerant masseurs and fruit wallahs appear from time to time, but one can easily escape them by heading south towards neighbouring Varca, where tourism has thus far made little impact.

Moreover, the sea is safe for swimming, being generally jellyfish-free, while the village itself boasts a few serviceable bars and restaurants, several telephone booths and a couple of stores.

Eating Out
Benaulim's proximity to Margao market, along with the presence of its Christian Fishing Community, means its restaurants serve the most succulent, competitively priced seafood in Goa. The most popular places to eat are the shack cafes in the beachfront area, where Johncy's catches most of the passing custom.

However, one'll find better food at lower prices in the smaller terrace restaurants further along the beach and scattered around the village. Arguably the best of bunch is the Palm Grove's Congenial Garden Restaurant, and there is a string of lookalike café-bars, which dot the lane leading to it. For fresh seafood, though, the Hawaii Shack is hard to beat.