Calangute & Baga

Introducing Calangute & Baga

Calangute and Baga were the first beaches to attract hippies travelling overland in the ’60s, then the first to secure the rampant package- and charter-tourist market in the ’90s. Today they are India’s ‘kiss me quick’ hat capital and the most popular beach resorts in the country with holidaying Indians. For many people it’s just a busy, noisy and tacky Indian Costa del Sol and the thought of spending a single night here is enough to make them shudder. For others, the very fact that it is so alien to anything else in India is an attraction in itself, there’s certainly no denying that the town has a certain character to it and, if you’re searching for a glimpse of how the much-hyped ‘New India’ holidays, then here she is in all her glory.

Calangute is more of a bucket-and-spade family holiday destination while Baga, up near the mouth of the river, is popular with those wanting to drink, dance and get rowdy. For something a bit more chilled out take a room at the southern end of Calangute, towards Candolim, or among the last remaining patches of greenery on the north side of the Baga River.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009