GOA - A Carnival of Beaches

The state of Goa on the West coast of India, is located in the coastal belt known as Konkan. While this tourist magnet has much to offer: old churches, carnival atmosphere, Portuguese flavour, wildlife, nature and tantalizing cuisine, yet, mention Goa and the first, often only, image that flashes in one's mind is of the BEACHES.

For the 105 km long Konkan belt has generously bestowed Goa with some of the best beaches in India: a wide eclectic range guaranteed to suit every taste and fulfill every fantasy. Goa offers both, popular hotspots swarming with tourists where every inch of territory is claimed and contested to virgin stretches practically untouched by 'development'.

For the beach aficionado traveling to Goa, it entails choosing between being in the midst of the action where ultra modern facilities such as luxury hotels, malls, night clubs, restaurants, spas and massage centers abound or courting the solitude of a rustic shack that opens out to wide empty sand and sea.

Goa's beaches are roughly divided into two groups based on their location: Those lying in North Goa and others situated in South Goa.

Goa's capital Panaji in the North and Margao, a major city in the South, are two central points from where most of Goa's beaches can be accessed.

As one goes up north from the beach at Calangute or down south from Colva, the traffic on the beaches starts thinning so that soon there remain just the golden sands and tranquil waters under the beneficent beam of a glorious sky - Goa's beaches at their purest, most unadulterated!
Check out some of these options:

Vagator and Chapora

About 22 kms from Panaji, situated in Bardez Taluka, the crescent shaped beach of Vagator and nearby Chapora are isolated havens in North Goa. Tourists come for the sheer beauty of the white sand and black lava rocks sparkling against a verdant rural landscape. The rural atmosphere untouched by the scepter of commercialization that often plagues good beaches, the nearby 500-year-old Portuguese fort of Chapora is another attraction here.

Anjuna

One of the more spectacular of Goa's beaches, this five-mile stretch, nestled between the sea and a hill has some interesting black rock formations jutting into the sea. Former haunt of the hippies, the beach is just right for lazing on the sands all day. Night-long parties spice up the atmosphere on Anjuna, which is also famous for its Wednesday flea market where you can pick up anything from paper backs to pottery. The Mascarhenas Mansion, a classic piece of old Goan architecture with woodwork and floral stained glass etchings makes for an interesting visit.

Calangute

Undeniably one of North Goa's most popular beaches, one can expect a crowd here! This Queen of Beaches, with nearby saltpans and coconut groves adding to its charms, was the original mecca for the European hippies who came to Goa in droves in the 60s and 70s. Today, Calangute offers all modern facilities including spas, massage parlours, shopping centers and internet cafés. While the golden sands here still retain their magic, the Church of St. Alex and the Kerkar Art Complex are added attractions.

Baga

Quiet in comparison to Calangute, this small beach is for those seeking the idyllic Goa of the yesteryears. Its scenic beauty is enhanced by the hill with the retreat house and the Baga River flowing alongside - the sea explodes in dramatic sprays where the river flows into it. Offering water sport opportunities, this beach is popular with the western tourists in Goa.

Sinquerim

One of the best beaches in Goa for water sports including water-skiing, para- sailing, diving and surfing, facilities for these activities are of international standard here. The uninterrupted sandy stretch north from here till Baga beach makes this an excellent beach for walking too.

Miramar

Lying adjacent to the Mandovi River as it empties out into the sea, Miramar was earlier known as the Gasper Dias Beach." One can enjoy an excellent view of Fort Aguada from the beach, which is studded with luxury hotels and the homes of Goa's rich and famous. Demphe college of Arts and Science and the memorial to Goa's first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar also stand here.

Aguada

This beach is well known for the Fort Aguada Hotel built around a 17th century fort that goes by the same name. While the hotel grounds are off-limits for the general public, one can still walk around the beach. The fort, originally built to protect Old Goa from foreign attack, today houses Goa's Central Fort. Aguada beach is full of cafes, stalls, massage parlors and facilities for water sports.

Agonda

A three-kilometer long stretch of sand and palm with a hill to the south, this beach is one of those offering a sense of solitude quite rare in Goa. In fact, Agonda is just the place for an overnight beach camping adventure! Nearby is Cabo de Rama, where according to Goan legend, Lord Rama stayed with his wife Sita for 12 years.

MAJORDA

A 5 km stretch of sand, Majorda is where the Jesuits harvested the best toddy palms to leaven their bread. As a result, Majorda was home to the original Goan bakers skilled in the art of European baking, a skill possessed by bakers here even today. Much earlier, so Goan legend states, Lord Rama as a child was kidnapped and brought up here.

Bogmalo

With a huge 5 star hotel right at the edge of the sea, this beach is somewhat separated from both, the North and South Goan beach circuits. And the sea around has some intriguing islands. The beach is lined with eateries, each claiming to be Osibisa's chosen favourite!

Colva

Most beloved beach of the Goans, Colva in South Goa is plush with modern tourist amenities. Colva is also famous for the Church of Our Lady of Mercy with its famous statue of Menini Jesus.

Benaulim

A tranquil beach, legend describes it as the place where the legendary arrow of Parashuram's arrow fell, from which Goa was created. This is where you can see the famous handicrafts of Goa, including fine rosewood furniture. A good beach for those seeking solitude. The church of St. John the Baptist, as well as the Feast of St. John are synonymous with this beach.

Dona Paula

Made famous by the legend of Dona Paula de Menezes, the daughter of a viceroy of colonial Goa, who threw herself off the cliff rather than relinquish her love for a local fisherman, Gaspar Dias, this is also how this famous Goan beach got its name. Famous for its water sports facilities, this beach is also a popular location for movie shoots. The National Oceanography Institute, Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary and the Reis Magos Church are the main attractions around here.

VARCA, CAVELOSSIM, MOBOR

Beautiful beaches from South Goa, these also display a cleaner, quieter visage than some of the more famous and therefore over-commercialized. Shacks offering authentic Goan dishes line the beach, as also some exclusive luxury resorts. Tourists here can also avail of boat trips to watch dolphins.

Palolem

One of the southernmost of Goa's beaches, this stretch of white sand and blue water is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. The beach is lined with shacks selling food, clothes, trinkets and other Goa souvenirs.

By Roozbegh Gazdar

How to Get to Sydney's Beaches

First of all there are over 37 beaches (yes that many!) in the Greater Sydney area. They are located along the entire coastal belt of the city on the Pacific Ocean. You'll also find beaches in the bays, rivers and harbours of the city. The warm climate all year round generally makes the beaches, with their white and golden sands, a popular place to hang out - whether its surfing, resting on the warm sand, or indulging in a spot of sea fishing from the rocky shore.

Actually wherever you are in Sydney, you're never more than a 30 minute drive from a beach. These 37 beaches can all be easily accessed either by hiring a car or by public transport.

The beaches can be divided into ones on the northern and southern sides of the city. On the northern shores the most popular beaches are Palm Beach, Whale Beach, Avalon, Vilgola, Mona Vale, Dee Why, North Curl Curl, Curl Curl, Queenscliff and Manly Beach. On the southern shores, the main beaches are Bondi Beach (one of the most famous beaches in the world!), Bronte, Coogee, and Cronulla.

How to get to the most popular beaches in Sydney...

Northern Beaches

Palm Beach - Is located 41km to the north of Sydney's Central Business District, in the Northern Beaches Region. Palm Beach is famous for filming of the popular Australian soap opera "Home and Away" and attractions here include the famous Barranjoey Lighthouse, with its spectacular views

Palm Beach is a very affluent area and home to many luxurious houses. To get there, take the peninsula road north of Sydney, from George Street, and get on the Pittwater Road. Once you reach the Barranjoey Road you are in the area. Note that it can take over an hour to reach Palm Beach, depending on traffic.

Whale Beach - Is located 40km north of Sydney. To get here head north on George Street and continue onto Military Road. The road you need to get on from here is the Pittwater Road. When you see the signs for Barranjoey Road, veer left onto Whale Beach Road.

Avalon Beach - Is located 35km north of Sydney city centre. The Avalon area is a vibrant community with plenty to do and see, and has a perfect beach for relaxing and waves for surfing!

To get to Avalon, take George Street to the north, and then onto the Manly Road, and north on the Pittwater Road. At the junction to Barranjoey Road, take a left and then onto Avalon Parade. Follow the road to the beach!

Manly Beach - Manly is a suburb in the north east of Sydney, located 17km from the city centre. Manly Bech has a long stretch of sand on the ocean side, which follows all the way from Queenscliff Beach to North Steyne Beach and down to Manly Beach. There are other rock pools and beaches in the area called Fairy Bower and Shelley Beach.

What to look out for! If you can take your mind off the scenic beauty and the sea you will notice that the beaches in the area have pine trees dotted around the landscape and as such are a popular symbol of the area.

To get here, again, take the route from George Street and travel north to get onto the Military Road and then Manly Road. Take a right when you come to Sydney Road, and then left at Central Avenue, and right at North Steyne and you'll be at the wonderful and enchanting Manly Beach!

Southern Beaches

Bondi Beach - Bondi Beach is a national Icon of Australia, and you're probably well aware of it, either from a photo image or a travel documentary on TV! It's the perfect place to be during the warm, summer days, with so much to see and explore, or just relax on the warm sands.

Bondi Beach is about 1km long, and is located around 7km from Sydney's Central Business area. To get here, drive along Oxford Street from the city, to Syd Einfeld Drive at the Bondi Junction Bypass. Go straight ahead along Bondi Road, which veers left just before Campbell Parade. Enjoy!

Bronte Beach - Located 8km to the east of Sydney, Bronte is about 2.5km south of Bondi Beach, and you take the same route from Sydney to get here. It's less populated here than at Bondi, and it is a popular surfing destination as well!

Coogee Beach - Is located 8km to the south east of Sydney Central Business District, and in the Randwick Area. It's a great beach for surfing, swimming and fishing, and boasts wonderful coastal views.

To get here, take the same route as to the Bondi Junction Bypass, and follow the signs for Coogee. You should take note of the signs for Randwich as Coogee is in the juradistiction of the area.

Cronulla Beach- Cronulla (known in Aborigine as the "Place of the Pink Seashells") is a beachside area located 26km south of Sydney city centre. It's situated on a peninsula surrounded to the north by Botany Bay, the south by Port Hacking, the west by Gunnamatta Bay, and to the east by Bate Bay.

The Cronulla area is home to many beaches and rock pools and it is a growing tourist destination, for swimming and surfing, especially at Shark Island.

To get to Cronulla from Sydney, drive south past Sydney International Airport along Botany Bay and follow the signposts to Cronlla.

Hope our guide helps get you to the picturesque beaches of Sydney

By Mairead Foley

The Most Enchanting Mexico Beaches!

Mexico Beaches... Ole'!

I won't list all the wonder of Mexico, but I will tell you just one thing; Mexico is a land where the nature has dictated its laws of survival, where the landscapes change almost every mile and, as a consequence, the life style of its inhabitants.

The cultural and the natural patrimony are incomparable to other zones of the World.

One of the best reasons to travel Mexico is the endless stretch of gorgeous, white sand beach that hugs most of the coastline.

Mexico vacations are generally enjoyed on the coast, which offers a complete array of activities, including scuba diving, tours, fishing, cruises, surfing or of course simply laying back with a book and cooled beverage. Mexico travel can accommodate any budget. Every year thousands of tourists travel Mexico and find a good mix of youth hostels and inexpensive spots to stay, as well as luxurious beachfront resorts and hotels.

What's more, most Americans can make the trip to Mexico in little more than a two-hour flight.

And here's why... With 6,000 miles of its 9,000-mile coast as beaches, Mexico offers everything from bustling mega-resorts to tranquil ecological hideaways.
Mexico brags 440 beaches consistently ranked among the very best in the World.

With coasts along the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Gulf, Mexico is known as one of the world's top beach destinations. With that many beaches how can you possibly choose the perfect one?

Well, here some advice for choose the perfect beach holiday in Mexico.

The Riviera Maya and the Caribbean part of Mexico are one of the most wonderful tourist destinations of Mexico. Its beaches are legendary and great for all kind of activities.

• 130 km south of a massive resort of Cancun there is one of the most picturesque of all beaches of Mexico, Tulum.
• Tulum, the final part of the Riviera Maya, fascinates even the more sceptics!
  The Mayan ruins overlook the beach, endless stretch of white and soft sand with a few palm shades and the azure Caribbean Sea that bursts unique creatures. The landscape is decorated of small cabanas and ecological hotel, Tulum shines along the Mayan Riviera for its primordial simplicity.
• Playa del Carmen is exactly in the center of the Mayan Riviera, between Cancun and Tulum. The Playa del Carmen beaches offer a casual atmosphere with nearby accommodations. Along its beach will find beach bars, beach hotels, restaurants, dive shops and water sport vendors offering everything under the sun. It has also boats to Cozumel - for world class diving and a park for swimming with dolphins
• The romantic sunsets of the Pacific Ocean colors its gilded beaches of love and magic.
• The grandeur of the rocky formations and the green florid mountains to your shoulders makes this landscape indescribable!
• Between Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta are hundreds of miles of beaches and attractions. There are small resorts with beach hut, huge beach areas surrounded by motels and restaurants, or tiny out-of-the way spots that may be difficult to get to, but are worthwhile in the long run. The central Pacific Coast has several hundred miles of coastline with fine sandy beaches and excellent facilities. The choices are enormous from international resorts like Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco for monster all inclusive resorts packed densely, to smaller resorts with local color such as: Barra de Navidad and Zihuatanejo.
• One of the most beautiful seashore of the Pacific Ocean is the beach of Puerto Escondido in the State of Oaxaca. Puerto Escondido consists of several strips of shoreline. Puerto Escondido offers a beach for everyone - from world class surfing to hidden coves and miles of white sand beaches with majestic rock formations. Puerto Escondido has numerous stretches of wonderful sandy beach, with a laid-back ambience and plenty of inexpensive hotels and accommodations.
• o Acapulco's magic is more potent than ever. Acapulco is rated as one of the top tourist attractions in the World. It is also Mexico's largest beach resort. Once the most popular beach in Acapulco, Caleta beach is located in the "old" part of the city, and then, located in front of La Palapa Hotel, Playa Icacos witch is the favorite beach for vacationers and spring breakers.
• Puerto Vallarta is one of the friendliest and most diverse beach destinations in the World. From wide open soft white sand beaches to small rock surrounded coves. The most popular beach by far is Los Muertos, located just south of the Rio Cuale, in Old Town. The northern beaches, on the road to Punta de Mita are full of beach side restaurants featuring fresh seafood of all kinds.
• The Baja California peninsula extends 1,100 km from the U.S. border to the southern tip. Its widest point is approx. 230 km. Most of it is separated from mainland Mexico by the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California).
• This is a wildly beautiful place of unusual scenery and dramatic colour changes, of exquisitely azure bays and miles of fine white beaches, rocky cliffs and deserts. Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, Baja California [península] Offering miles of marvelous beaches this is a major American tourist destination for fishing, golfing or young party animals.
• Some of the Baja California beaches are hidden coves or below sand dunes and not visible from the highway. To gain access to these beaches the Mexican government has placed signs that say "Accesso a Playa" (Beach Access).
• Playa Solmar, 1 km west of Cabo San Lucas is the place to go for watching whales. The best time is from January to April. The area is also suitable for scuba diving and other water sports. Nearby Playa Costa Azul is known especially for the fabulous surfing opportunities.
• Playa Cemeterio 4 km east, Playa Santa Maria 12 km from Cabo San Lucas for swimming, with easy access.
• The shore of Bahia Concepcion [Conception Bay], between 10 and 50 km south of Mulegé, has several scenic beaches including Playa Requesón, Playa Buenaventura, and Playa Coyote. The bay is on the coast of Sea of Cortez, which is a protected marine sanctuary. The facilities are fairly basic [some places have no fresh water], but there is wildness, natural beauty, and tranquility. Excellent for watersports and great for seafood, especialy clams. Playa Santispac has the best campsite, with a fine restaurant. If you are up to kayaking, try Playa Buenaventura.

Mexico beach hotels, besides comfort, services and suggestive landscapes, offer a wide range of activities and sports.

Don't miss the best! Book your vacations in the most beautiful beaches of Mexico and surely you won't be disappointed!

Along with its famed beaches, salsa and nightlife, Mexico is an excellent place to explore!

By Elena Piccini

Best Beach Vacation Package For Your Family

You and your family want to head some place where your kids can have a lot of fun especially as summer approaches. But of course, you, as parents, should have fun too. So how can you mix both child and adult enjoyment all in one place? The answer is? Head to a beach resort.
There are adults who seem to enjoy the beach because of the facilities that are in the resort, even though children mostly enjoy the beach. You need to choose a beach vacation package that is not only pleasurable for the kids but for adults as well. The list below will help you find a good place for the whole family to enjoy.
Discounted Prices
Since you are going out as a group, you need to avail of an all inclusive vacation package where you can save more. At discounted prices, these beach vacation package deals are sold anywhere and at anytime during the year. To get the cheapest prices, you need to book far in advance or at the very last minute. Before everyone else books the best deals, you need to make the reservations first and pay in advance to get the package discount that you want to purchase. By doing so, you will not only save on your money but you will get the kind of accommodation that you and your family will surely benefit from. Waiting until the last minute will net you deep discounts also, but you have to be able to go with very short notice.

The Facilities Available
You need a beach vacation package that offers no limitations to its facilities, for the adults to enjoy. For example, you should choose a place that offers more amenities such as golf courses, casinos and other nightlife. Your kids can enjoy the beach and the pool while you enjoy playing during the afternoons or at night, if they have these types of facilities at their resort. Compared to traveling to places where there are few activities that you love to do, a beach vacation package that offers complete amenities will make your trip a lot more enjoyable.

Tips On How You Can Spot The Beach Vacation Package
Beach vacation package deals are easy to find. Some can be bought during your summer leave while others can be purchased as early as December. If you book ahead of time you'll get to save a lot more. Most of the discounted rates are offered months before the set time of departure.
You can also choose from among a wide selection of beach vacation package deals if you browse the internet. They have tours that are limited not only to your area but in other parts of the country as well. When you talk of beach vacation package deals the possibilities are almost endless. The only key to getting the best beach vacation package that you and your family dream of having is searching and booking ahead of time.
Looking for the perfect beach vacation?