Agonda Village is situated in South Goa in the region of Canacona. Designated as one of the only beaches for turtle nesting , this beach offers much more than that.
Agonda beach is one of the heart & soul stirring beaches in Goa, ideal for those who wish to relax away from the hustle and bustle of a holiday itinerary. This endless pristine beach stretches for quite some length and is lined with shacks and huts catering to each budget. The beach is located in South Goa, 43 kms from Margoa and 76 kms from Panaji.
There is Palolem beach, one the most popular beaches of South Goa which is just a short scooty ride away and it is exactly set in the mould of a popular action-packed beach catering to the hordes of tourists that come visiting it. However, if you want a laid-back holiday Agonda is the place to be.
I have been visiting this beach for quite some occasions and thought to list down some of the key way points in case one is planning to visit Agonda.
Where to Stay
Well like I said there are no dearth of options from the upscale to the basic rustic shack, so it all depends on what you wish for … but I would recommend Simrose Cottages, Agonda White sands. Both these have parking facilities. But my personal favorite is Sand Sapphire situated in the Northern end of the beach, do insist for the first floor cottages which will give you an amazing view of the beach. The place is budget friendly and offers great views and a lovely breakfast/dinner.
Where to Eat
There are many places to eat , but my recommendation is Simrose and Dunhill resorts for a fine dining experience , overlooking the beach with a quiet and chilled out ambience and in case one wants to hang around in a noisy vibrant environment and meet up with some great travelers over some drinks I would recommend Kopa Desa.Kopa Desa is a small street side bar cum diner with quaint furniture , bright lights a pool table and some music. For lunch I would recommend Dersy’s place, which is opposite Dersy Holiday Home. One can just sit on the chairs and laze into the later afternoon.
For breakfast I would recommend at the place that one is staying to maybe the next door eating joint.
What to see
This is definitely not a place where there is a list of things to do or see, the theme of this place is to slow down and basically not do anything touristy.Just spend time on the beach and soak in the atmosphere and vibes.
However, having said that definitely spend time on the beach especially the Northern part where there is a small lagoon created by the rise and fall of the tides. The Northern end is comparatively quieter. Do opt for an early morning ride into the ocean in order to have a look at Porpoises as they come to the surface and one can also hitch a ride to Butterfly beach which is a small isolated beach.
Do visit the Leopard Valley for some high-octane music and party nights. This one is located in the middle of the wooden surroundings and is accessible by a not so great gravel path. The place is open only on Friday nights and the action is from 11PM till 4am in the morning.
Rest there are few street shopping joints out here, but I never had much interest in them so cannot provide any credible info on the same. Agonda is a great place to sit and slow down and definitely still retains the essence of Southern laid-back Goa.
Note. By the way regarding turtle nesting, the presence of numerous strays on the beach somehow will be a major inhibiting factor to the turtles coming ashore , i hope the wildlife conservation authorities are aware of this problem for the turtles have no hope on the beach if the strays dominate the beach end to end.
