Four or five years ago, Candolim, at the far southern end of Calangute beach, was a surprisingly sedate resort, appealing to an odd mixture of middle-class Bombayites, and Burgundy-clad Sannyasins taking a break from the Rajneesh Ashram at Pune. Now, large-scale package holiday complexes jostle for space behind the dunes and the increasingly crowded beach has sprouted ranks of sun beds.

Places to Stay

Candolim has plenty of pleasant places to stay, many of them tucked away down quiet sandy lanes and better value than comparable guesthouses in nearby Calangute, making this a good first stop if one has just arrived in Goa and are planning to head further north after finding one's feet.

Restaurants

Candolim's numerous beach cafes are a cut above your average seafood shacks, with pot plants, state-of-the-art sound systems and prices to match. The main road is also dotted with restaurants serving the usual selection of fresh fish dishes, with a handful of continental options thrown in.

The Aguda Fort

Immediately south of Candolim, a long peninsula extends into the sea, bringing the seven-kilometre white sandy beach to an abrupt end. Aguada Fort, which crowns the rocky flattened top of the headland, is the best-preserved Portuguese bastion in Goa.