India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [185]
4 The Central Coast
Compared with the beach playgrounds of north Goa, the beaches south of Panjim are more about solitude and stretches of virgin sand (with the north only a short ride away). For the most part, you’ll be sunning yourself on whatever beach is slap-bang in front of your resort hotel—each with its own idyllic setting, these stretches of largely untouched beaches are paradise. Nearest of the beach resorts to the airport, and one of the quietest of south Goa’s more popular beaches, Bogmalo has quaint shacks (as well as a number of ugly concrete buildings), fishing boats, and a view of two small islands some distance out to sea—ask about trips to the islands at the Watersports Goa shack, which also has equipment for activities like windsurfing and water-skiing. As you move down the coast, you’ll discover that you’re on a seemingly endless stretch of beach until you reach the headland at Mobor; with the exception of development-mutilated Colva, much of this is pristine, practically untouched by the sort of commercial mayhem that has besieged Baga-Calangute in the north. You can unfurl your beach towel and cozy up to a friendly beach shack almost anywhere here—just be sure to check that you only swim in areas where lifeguards are stationed, or ask about the local swimming conditions at your hotel.
Alternatively, consider a meandering trip via the Goan interior, traveling past Ponda to the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary to view Goa’s oldest Hindu temple, Mahadeva Temple in Tambdi Surla, and the 600m-high (190-ft.) Dudhsagar (Sea of Milk) Falls. Constructed from slabs of black basalt, the 11th-century Mahadeva Temple is one of the few to have survived the Portuguese, thanks largely to its distance from the coast (some 75km/46 miles from Panjim). To reach the falls, you will need a jeep, so either set off with one from the outset (see “Arrival & Orientation,” earlier in this chapter), or hire one in nearby Collem. Take lunch (look out for greedy monkeys) and a bathing suit for a swim in the deep, icy pool surrounded by rocks and wild greenery; be cautious at the falls, however, as each year a number of careless visitors drown because they underestimate the depth of the water, or bash their head on the rocks after diving in. There is little reason to spend much time in Goa’s second city, Madgaon (Margao), which has little more to offer than a stroll through the sprawling spice-scented town market—a maze of covered stalls selling everything from garlands of flowers and peeled prawns to sacks bursting with turmeric, chilies, and tamarind. The town does boast some gorgeous crumbling colonial architecture, and two particularly worthwhile house museums are in the nearby villages of Loutolim and Chandor respectively (see “A Trip Down Goa’s Architectural Memory Lane,” below); or you can visit Quepem to combine a heritage visit with an authentic Goan meal (see “Feasts with a Nostalgic Twist”).
A Trip Down Goa’s Architectural Memory Lane
Goa’s unique architecture has to some extent been well preserved, so much so that—away from the coastal belt, toward the interiors as well as in Panjim, Mapusa, and Margao—you’ll find entire lanes and villages of beautiful