Aesthetic, pleasing, mesmerizing, charming; no matter whichever adjectives you use, words will always fall short to describe the beauty of Palolem Beach. Tucked away in southern tip of Goa, this arc shaped slice of sandy strip is every beach lover's ecstasy. Its has its own vibe of elegance and classiness that attracts tourists every year from all over the world. 

It was a love at first sight, when I first visited Palolem beach in Jan,2012. The vast stretches of the silver beach, tranquil atmosphere, pristine white sand, the calmness and serenity of the waves, palm groves popping out from the shore and colorful shacks dotting the coastline created the most perfect and picturesque landscape;  something I thought existed only in a dream. I regretted the fact that I got to spend just one night in Palolem. This was the precisely why I was desperate to revisit this slice of heaven.

I made my second trip to Palolem in April, 2012. It was certainly not going to be an ad-hoc trip like the earlier one was. On the contrary, it was a 3 nights/4 days long excursion, all of which, I was to spend in Palolem.This time, I had researched and planned each minute of my trip. I wanted to experience everything that this place had to offer (I have given a detailed itinerary at the end of this article). Previously, we had stayed at Sai Valentine, which is located on the northern part of the beach. This stretch is considered to be more family-oriented, with most of the restaurants closing down by 11:00 PM. This time we opted for the southern side, which apparently appeals to the party types (considering that most of the bars here have a 24*7 license to serve alcohol). After few weeks of online research and multiple mail conversations later, we finalized upon Camp San Fransisco as our choice of stay for the trip. The owner of the shack, Mr. Joseph was  prompt in responding to all our queries on the phone. He even helped us by suggesting few Do’s and Dont’s after arriving in Madgaon and tips on haggling with cabbies for Madgaon-Palolem fare.

Our shack, was a sea facing AC hut with en-suite bathroom. As power supply is a huge problem in Palolem (with power cuts for as long as 4-5 hours in a day), the AC hut was fitted with stabilizer which allowed for an  uninterrupted power supply (there was a timer which cut of AC after a fixed duration of time; this allowed for AC to be run at periodic intervals throughout the day, keeping the room sufficiently cooled, without any worries of long power outages). The interiors were decent, bed sheets were clean, bed and pillows were soft. The toilet was much better than the one at Sai Valentine (especially, since it also had a jet).



The bed had a mozzie net, which was intact and not torn (our previous experience regarding mosquito net had been horrible).
This was a relief as mosquitoes can be a huge problem in Palolem (especially during summer).

The best part about these shacks was that, they were located 3 meters above the ground, thus providing an unparalleled view of the beach.

 

One could literally gaze at the vast expanse of the Arabian sea with blue waters spanning all along the horizon.

Camp San Fransisco also offers Sea Facing Non AC huts and Papaya Garden facing huts.

 
Given below is the trip log for 3 nights/4 days which I spent in Palolem. I have also tried to include review for some of the restaurants, I visited during my stay:

Day 1:

1:00 PM : Check-in at CSF, Palolem (and have a chilled beer to kick start the vacation!)

2:00 PM : Lunch at The Dylan’s (tender chicken steak and an awesome Banoffee pie; Prawns salad is avoidable)

5:30 PM : Swim – Palolem beach

8:00 PM : Sameer Restaurant (must try is a Fish sizzler)

9:00 PM : Silent Noise Party at the Neptune Point in southern most end of  Palolem beach (its a sin to miss this party when in Palolem – the birth place of Silent Noise Disco)

 Day 2:

10:00 AM : Hire a Scooterette (Do not pay for anything more than Rs 200. Ensure that, you are carrying an additional photo ID apart from the Driving license)

10:15 AM : Breakfast at Cafe Inn (located at the back side of Palolem bus stand on the main street, this place is a hidden gem. The deli sandwiches and tortilla wraps were perfect and served with authentic sour cream.

Watermelon Juice and Mint Ice Tea was fresh and soothing. The staff is local and trained to a very high degree of service. The atmosphere is friendly, relaxing and warm. Café Inn serves amazing coffee and coffee slush from a real Italian coffee machine. Undoubtedly, one of the best cafe/restaurants in Palolem.)

11:00 PM : Visit to Cabo-de-Rama fort (Not much is known about who built the fort, but legend has it, that Lord Rama and Sita took an abode here, during their years of exile from Ayodhya.

    
The fort now lies in ruins, but the panoramic view of the Canacona sea coast makes it a must visit)

12:30 PM : Visit to Cola Beach (Finding this beach is like finding a lost treasure.

 

Though the beach is not safe for swimming during summers, the adjoining fresh water lagoon makes up for the loss)

1:00 PM : Visit to Agonda beach

 

(a relatively younger cousin of Palolem, this beach is less crowded and has limited food and stay options than its southern counterpart)

1:30 PM : Lunch at Patnem beach (This beach is comparatively rougher than Palolem but attracts a swish crowd. It has plethora of BnB options, thus making it similar to Palolem on many fronts).

For lunch, we had Stir fry prawns and Goan fish curry at Casa Fiesta, Patnem. The stir fry was perfectly done with hint of tanginess of the soya sauce. The Goan fish curry was bland with no visible tinge of spiciness that is expected from a Goan fare. Other options for foodies include The Papayas, The Home and Cuba)

4:00 PM : Visit to Rajbagh beach (Nothing much to see here, as the entire beach stretch is owned by a private five star hotel. However, we did manage to click few snaps of the Talpona river located at the end of the road)

 

6:00 PM : Drop off the Scooterette (Make sure to collect Photo IDs submitted with the bike rental shop)

10:00 PM : Dinner at Casa Feista, Palolem (This is one place which you can clearly strike off your itinerary. A clear sham in the name of authentic Mexican food, they serve, what you can call, an Indianised-Mexican fare. The nachos were nothing more than fried maida (plain flour) and tacos were maida roti stuffed with vegetables and chicken.

 
Heck, they even served Rajma chaval under the name of fried beans and rice. Avoid at all cost)

Day 3:

8:00 AM : Breakfast at Ciaran’s (This place is undoubtedly a five star as far as beach huts are concerned. However, there are very limited options when it comes to breakfast)

9:00 AM : Kayaking in Palolem (Per hour charges for a two-seater kayak ranges from Rs 200 – Rs 300 per hour. Knowing how to swim and life jackets are mandatory pre-requisites before indulging in any water sport. Avoid kayaking after mid-April, as sea may tend to get a bit rough)

1:00 PM : Lunch at Camp San Fransisco (We had one of the best meal of the trip at CSF. Chicken Cafriel with Roti (Indian bread) and Fish curry with Rice was as perfect as an authentic Goan fare could get. Highly recommended)

4:00 PM : Trek to Columb Hill (This is the southern most tip of the Palolem beach. From here one can have a panoramic view of the entire Palolem stretch. A visual treat for photography aficionados)

       

6:00 PM : Sunset drink at Boom Shankar (this restaurant tucked away in Columb hill has a sunset view to die for. Strawberry Daiquiri is a must try)

8:00 PM : Shopping in Palolem market (there is a plethora of artifacts, handicrafts, hand bags, apparels, masalas and flavored tea leaves that can be bought. Be ready to bargain. If possible, do buy one of the exquisite hand crafted chillums)

10:00 PM : Dinner at the Cuba (Famous for cocktails; Bloody Mary, Cosmo  and Margaritas are a must try. Avoid Pin-a-colada as the cream may not be fresh. The Italian fare is also delectable)

Day 4:

7:00 AM : Fishing trip (Local fishermen will take you on a fishing trip to nearby Honeymoon beach. If you are lucky enough, you might as well catch some small fishes. However, if you are not so lucky, you may end up catching some weird sea creatures like eels and sea urchins!)

10:00 AM : Breakfast at Smuggler’s Inn (A Palolem institution, this restaurant has a fan following of its own. It has a typical British feel to it, with interiors resembling that of London pub. It has an extensive menu to chose from with cuisines ranging from English, Mexican and Indian. We had chicken burger and French toasts with honey. The food was delicious and mixed fruit juice was tasty and filling.

  
Off topic, but worth mentioning is the in-restaurant toilet. It has got the cleanest toilet amongst other restaurants in Palolem.

1:00 PM : Lunch at Magic Italy (A must try for Italian food lovers. It serves mouthwatering and scrumptious pastas, pizzas and other Italian favorites)

3:00 PM : Explore the north end of Palolem beach (This side has classic shacks like Sundowner Cafe, Ordo Sounsar, Dreamcatcher and Cozy Nook. This side also has the famous inland creek which cuts inside the northern end. During low tides, one can even walk along the shore to Canacona Island).

6:00 PM : Depart from Palolem


I could not believe the fact that my 4 days and 3 nights of blissful solace had ended, no sooner than it had began. Leaving Palolem was easily the most toughest thing to do!
Finally, I hope Palolem retains the beauty and rawness that it already has instead of succumbing to the perils of heavy influx of tourists: too much commercialism, over-development, noise and littering. I don't want it to be just like another Baga or Calangute. I hope Palolem continues to remain, Palolem.
 
As for me, I'll keep returning to this heavenly abode, for as long as I possibly can. In me, Palolem has found an admirer, for life.
Tips:

• Be ready to bargain at all places, especially with vendors, rikshawallahs, cabbies, bike rental etc
• Carry a hand sanitizer at all times
• Only drink bottled water
• Don't trust anyone with valuables and important documents
• If possible, book a room before arriving on the beach. The locals might take you for a ride otherwise
• Stock on cash as cards are not accepted. The nearest ATM is 3 kms away.
• In case you hire a bike, fill up the gas at the nearest petrol pump (about 5 kms away from Chaar Rasta). Petrol sold at local shops is twice the authorized rate. There is also the possibility of the petrol being adulterated.
• Don’t Litter. We are equally responsible for preserving the beauty of Palolem. Help the locals keep the beach and its surroundings clean.
• Enjoy responsibly