Goa’s best-known feature is its lovely languorous golden beaches that stretch across the 60 miles (100 kms) long coastline. While, some of them are well prepared for tourists and appointed with every facility, be it hotels and resorts, beach shacks and small restaurants serving delicious but affordable food, or beach bazaars with colorful balloons, the others are sandy and isolated retreats perfect for unwinding and relaxing.

The beaches in Goa can be divided into those of North Goa and those of South Goa. North Goa lies to the north of River Mandovi with a long stretch of several beaches namely Betim, Reis Magos, Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, Siolim, Chopdem, Morgim, Mandarem, Asvem, Arambol, Querim, and Terekol.

South Goa, on the other hand is predominantly virgin countryside with beaches some of the most beautiful beaches in the world located here. Isolated and tucked away from pollution and noise, they offer wonderful food and hospitality of the locals. The beaches here are Miramar, Dona Paula, Vainguinim, Bambolim, Vasco da Gama, Bogmalo, Velsao, Cansaulim, Arrosim, Utorda, Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim, Mobor, Betul, Cabo Daram, Agonda, Palolem, Galjibag and Polem.

The Agonda beach is a small, picturesque and secluded beach 37 Kms from the town of Margao where nature lovers can find peace of mind. It is relatively deserted due to its distances from the main cities and is the next beach after Palolem when are driving towards Panaji.

Agonda Beach is a three-kilometer long and lonely beautiful cove of white sand that is fringed with palms and casuarinas. It is dominated by a large hill to its south. There are very few facilities available here with few tourists, no souvenir stalls, and no restaurants. It is also not safe to swim out too far on this beach.

The fort of Cabo de Rama is not too far from Agonda beach. It is as yet undiscovered by most visitors. The fort is named afterLord Rama, the central figure of the Hindu epic Ramayana. According to local legend, Rama stayed here with his wife Sita during the period of his 12-year exile. The atmosphere of the fort creates a sense of history and drama that takes you back in time.

The Sinquerim Beach is the first tourist beach of North Goa and is also where the famous and best preserved of all Portuguese coastal forts, Fort Aguada is located. The Aguada Bay, which is divided into two parts, the Caranzalem Bay and the Sinquerim Bay is formed by two headlands, Cabo and Aguada. The Aguada Bay is dominated by the battlements of the old fort and tends to be more popular with affluent tourists who avail the facilities offered by the Fort Aguada Hotel Complex that is a luxury establishment.

The Fort of Aguada was built by the Portuguese to control the entry of any enemy into River Mandovi and to protect old Goa from any attack. The fortification skirts the seashore, and its center lies a circular lighthouse tower. The Fort is currently the Central Jail, Goa’s largest prison.

The beach is a good and clean stretch of sand and an ideal place for swimming. The Aguada hotel complex is built around the remnants of the fort with the hotel built on the cliff. However, the complex itself is cut off from the beach since there are no private beaches in India. The hotel has been constructed in three parts, consisting of expensive cottages on the upper reaches of the hillside, the fort jutting out to sea, and a delightful Goan village, with individual cottages. Drawn by the clientele of the hotel, Aguada beach has cafes, and itinerant vendors who sell everything from Kashmiri carpets to massages. The complex also offers and a good range of water sports with two or three water sport companies operating from here.

The Aguada Beach lies at the southern end of a very long stretch of beach that extends up to the mouth of the Baga River. Individual segments of this extensive stretch of sand have been given separate names as according to the villages that lie behind them, such as Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute and Baga.