Colva and Benaulim Beach Travel Guide

Colva and Benaulim beach are both good options for a beach trip but as they are so close and both offer slightly different things I have decided to put them in the same guide.

Benaulim is where the arrow of Lord Parsurama landed when he created the state of Goa. The beautiful beach has been largely untouched by commercial tourism so you won't find any raves here, in fact, you won't find much of anything which is just fine by me. A short stroll up the beach and you find Colva beach which is becoming more and more popular every year and has some great bars and restaurants.

Which Beach?

Benaulim is more peaceful and serene than Colva and is still very undiscovered by domestic and foreign tourism so it doesn't really matter anway, as you can see from the map they are so close anyway.

Personally, I would stay at Benaulim and when you get bored of peace and contemplation, drag yourself up the beach to Colva where you can find some company, music and good food. Together they make a perfect team and that's why they are in this list.

Things to do at Colva and Benaulim

Beach activities here are not of a large variety but if you are like me and are looking for aloofness and peace, you'll fit right in! Still, unless you are a buddhist monk you will need sort entertainment so here is a small list of things to do.

1.) Bring in the nets.Help the local fishermen bring in the nets and spread them on the beach for drying. A good photo opportunity!

2.) Colva by moonlight. The food stands and small shops cover the blue sands at night and make for a wonderful atmosphere.

3.) See a bullfight. It's not to everyone's taste but it is possible to see Bull fights at Benaulim. Often held in old rice fields outside the village after 4 pm. Ask around for more times and locations.

4.) Dolphin watching. Like most of the beaches in Goa and most of the beaches on the west coast of India, dolphin watching is a popular past time and can be a very rewarding thing to do. (2 hours cost around 300 ruppes but bargain hard)!

5.) Watersports. Jet skiing and parasailing have arrived at Colva and for me this is just another reason to stay at Benaulim but if that is your thing you can find Chris on the beach and he will sort you out. (You can't miss him).

6.) Daytrips. You can get a minibus down to Anjuna for the Wednesday flea market which is always fun but if you are here for long time the best thing to do is hire a moped for like 150 rupees a day and just explore the area and beaches. Panaji is very close if you want to go there for any reason.

Where to stay at Colva and Benaulim Beach?

Colva and Benaulim beach is a great place to rent houses for the long term. Although I never have, most people say that Benaulim is the best place to rent long term. Most houses are about 20 minute walk from the beach and ask in the shops and restaurants for more information.

This page is designed purely as a guide, for full information on where to stay when you are at the beaches you need to follow the link below!

A selection of loads of Hotels in Colva categorised into price, location and quality. As I mention somewhere on this page, their are few places to stay in Benaulim so Colva is definitely your best bet! Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!

Colva

Colva is growing at a fast rate and new hotels are popping up everywhere. There is a large selection of beach resorts, guest houses and five star accommodation, don't bother booking beforehand unless you are turning up for New Year's Eve. Take a good look around when you first get there and then decide.

A few reccommended places to stay are listed below.

Vailankanni Cottages

Vailankanni Cottages offer comfortable accomadation at a very low price. Perfect for travellers but also for family; everyone gets their own cottage, perfect.

Longuinho Beach resort

It is quite expensive at 1000 rupees upwards but is worth it as the rooms are all well furnished and there are loads of facilities including a swimming pool and fast internet.

Benaulim

Benaulim has a different sort of accommodation most of which is in the form of rustic shacks and small guest houses. There are a few expensive resorts out the back which are lovely but they are quite far from the beach so I should just ignore them.

Check out the reccommended accommodation below as a guide to what is there.

Cocohuts

My personal favourite, Cocohuts have a few rooms but mainly have little huts which all have attached bathrooms. There is also a beach side restaurant attached. 150 rupees a night upwards, excellent value, lovely friendly owners.

Palm Grove Cottages

At 5 - 900 rupees a night, this place is excellent value and is one of the most relaxing place to stay in Benaulim. There are a small collection of well furnished cottages which surround a well looked after leafy garden. There is also a restaurant and bar.

Taj Exotica

If you are looking for somewhere to stay that cost $240 a night then this is it. A very sytlish resort with all the facilities and free pick up from Dabolim airport.

Getting to Colva and Benaulim

Getting to and from these beaches is actually really easy as the nearest airport is at Dabolim, only 68 km from Colva. A taxi won't cost much or you can get a bus to Margao and then another to Colva.

The nearest railway station is at Karmali, 11 km away from Panaji which is 39 km away from Colva so this option is pretty crappy actually. Better to get a train straight to Panaji and then a bus to Margao. Easy peasy!

Facilities at Colva And Benaulim

There is a small bank and a couple of cash machines in Colva. There are a few travel agencies there as well where you can book tickets to various places like Hampi and also air tickets.

There are a few interent cafes the best being the GK tourist centre which also changes traveller's cheques and money.

Colva and Benaulim Map

As you can see from the map, Colva and Benaulim are very close. I believe as little as two kilometres..... It's a nice walk!

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