What kind of sea does South Goa wash? The best resorts in India by the sea: review, photos and reviews
One of most popular resorts The destination that many tourists from all over the world flock to is Goa. But some vacationers have a question: what kind of sea or ocean is in Goa?
This is a very important question, since sometimes the ability to swim to your heart’s content in a body of water depends on this geographical condition, since, for example, the ocean coast can be dangerous (a large number of sharks, poisonous jellyfish), while the sea coast is created for active water recreation.
- Indian pools
- Is there an ocean or a sea in India?
- Holidays in Goa
- Coast
- Beaches
- Entertainment
- A little about seasonality
This may be useful to you - a table of seasonality by country of the world for vacation planning.
Indian pools
If you are wondering: what awaits you on the Goa coast (sea or ocean), get ready to receive several answers, contradictory to each other.
Read our article on how to get to Goa by plane and how long the flight lasts.
Is there an ocean or a sea in India?
From the west, India is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea, from the east by the Bay of Bengal, a small southern part by the Laccadive Sea, and the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is washed by the waters of the Andaman Sea. All these bodies of water, in turn, are part of the Indian Ocean.
Which body of water surrounds North and South Goa?
For many inexperienced tourists who decide to go on their vacation to Goa, the question always remains open: what waters wash the resort: marine or oceanic.
The answer here lies on the surface: Goa is located in the west of India, and accordingly, is washed by the Arabian Sea.
Considering that the Arabian Sea is an open part of the Indian Ocean, it can be said that there is both sea and ocean. In the oceanic part of the waters of Goa, sharks are rarely found; large concentrations of them are found off the coast of Australia and Oceania.
Sharks also love reef areas, so divers need to be careful when diving. Found in the Indian Ocean tiger, gray and great white shark, and the most dangerous resorts in these waters are Kosi Bay in South Africa, Seychelles, and resorts in Australia.
Holidays in Goa
It should be noted that a beach holiday is not the strongest point state of Goa.
Coast
The sea coast of North Goa and South Goa is not much different. Perhaps the only visible difference is sand. In the southern part of the resort the sand is whiter. Due to this, it visually seems that the beaches here are cleaner and the sea is more transparent. In the northern half of the resort from Sinquerim-Candolim to Anjuna, the sand is more yellow with a grayish tint, and is coarse.
In general, we can say that lovers of clean “paradise” beaches will have a hard time here, since the Indian mentality is rather indifferent to garbage, so you can talk about cleanliness and order here forget.
The sea waters here seem cloudy, because the Arabian Sea is constantly agitated and mixed with sand and clay from the coast, so those who like to dive off the coast with a mask will have to abandon the idea. Many tourists speak unfavorably about the coast of the northern part of the resort, since the bottom of the coastal waters here is strewn with sharp stones, which can easily injure you.
Find out in the following article what time of year is best for a holiday in Goa.
In addition to the uneven bottom, dirty sea and unattractive beaches, here you may encounter, for example, cows freely moving along the coast. So for those who love an unusual holiday, there will be something to remember after the trip.
Beaches
For those who cannot decide on a beach, here are some of the most popular beaches in both North and South Goa:
Entertainment
In addition to a beach holiday, Goa has a number of entertainment options, among which you can find something that suits you to make your vacation memorable for a long time.
Read in this article what natural and man-made attractions are worth seeing in North and South Goa.
From water activities, which can be combined with a passive beach holiday, are presented:
In addition to water activities, there are land excursions. For example, a popular excursion remains elephant riding. There are not many elephants here, but it is not difficult to find those who provide the opportunity to ride this animal. Sometimes it is even offered to swim with elephants if the excursion route passes near a waterfall or spice plantations.
For those who like to experience another culture, there are Indian dance courses, cooking courses, and yoga.
Extreme lovers can purchase tickets for bullfights- spectacles that are held spontaneously, without special arenas or preparation.
A little about seasonality
In addition to the place of rest, you need to choose the time of rest. High or low season, large or small number of tourists, high or low prices - all this is very important when organizing a holiday.
High season begins in Goa around December and ends in February. It is in December that the most diverse crowd flocks to India to get a unique golden tan and also to swim to their heart's content in the sea.
Water temperature in high season it is not much different from other times in Goa, it ranges from +26 to +29 degrees. You can swim in Goa all year round, so you don’t have to choose a tourist peak for this. The air temperature ranges from 29°C to 31°C all year round.
India, drowning in ocean waves, attracts tourists from all over the world. Goa is especially attractive to vacationers. Tour operators promise a lot of impressions and completely different beaches. To get the most out of swimming, you need to know what Goa is surrounded by. Then the waves and sand will make you come back more than once.
What Goa washes
When wondering what kind of sea awaits on the coast, be prepared to receive different answers. Most often called the Arabian Sea. However, its currents are an integral part of the ocean in Goa.
Hindustan, on which India is located, gave its name to the third largest water area on Earth. This is why inexperienced travelers get lost and cannot decide whether the Arabian Sea or the Indian Ocean washes the tourist paradise.
Some features of a sea holiday in Goa
The majestic and diverse Indian Ocean occupies a huge space and is the largest attraction of the state. Here it has its own characteristics:
- You can swim all year round. The sea warms up to 28 degrees, deviations of a couple of degrees do not play a role in the weather. Despite this, you should not swim after sunset at any time of the year; stingrays and sea snakes become more active;
- You can enjoy the Indian Ocean completely free of charge.
The coast is completely free and is under the care of the municipality. No hotel has the right to block access to the beach. The buildings are located no closer than 200 m;
- The Arabian Sea is excellent for diving, especially in the bays and bays. Although the underwater world is significantly inferior to the diversity of other recognized water areas. The Indian Ocean washing the resort creates a lot of waves. The water is often cloudy due to strong currents. The Red or Mediterranean Seas are much richer in flora and fauna and more transparent;
- The coastline, which is always washed by a warm current, leaves much to be desired in terms of cleanliness. But this is a characteristic feature of India. The water here is designed not only to wash the shores, but also to wash away garbage from them.
In fact, India attracts tourists with its authentic culture, tropical nature, the opportunity to touch thousands of years of history and original philosophy, especially in Goa. The sea or the ocean washes the coast - it doesn’t matter at all. The main thing is the sun and nature in the heart of an oriental fairy tale.
What kind of sea or ocean is there in Goa?
On the pages of our website you will find many articles about the beaches of Goa. We covered this topic very well, but we said almost nothing about the sea in Goa. The time has come to fill this gap and talk in detail not only about what Goa washes, but also about the state of the water in the beach area.
Which sea is washed by Goa?
If you are well versed in geography, then such a question may even seem stupid to you. But many tourists will not even be able to find Goa on the map. Sometimes they even ask me what kind of sea or ocean surrounds Goa.
That is, some people think that Goa is an island.
In fact, Goa is a part of India, a state located in the west of the country. It is not an island (although there are several small islands within the state), so it is not surrounded by anything, but is washed on the western side by the Arabian Sea.
Can we say that Goa is washed by the Indian Ocean? I think you can say that, and it wouldn’t be a mistake. After all, the Arabian Sea looks like part of the Indian Ocean, and you won’t even be able to find the border between them. For example, the Baltic and Mediterranean seas are separated from the Atlantic Ocean, so I wouldn’t dare say while on vacation in Turkey that I’m vacationing on the Atlantic Ocean. In the case of Goa, Sri Lanka, Phuket and some other regions of Asia, this can be said.
Sea conditions near Goa
We have figured out the name of the sea that washes Goa. Now let's look at what this sea looks like off the coast of Goa. Although Goa's beaches are considered one of the best in India, they still cannot be included among the best beaches in the Indian Ocean basin. Phuket also has several more beautiful beaches. Moreover, the water in the Goa region is not always calm and there are often dangerous currents. There are beautiful flags here even during the peak season, and during the monsoon season they never disappear at all.
Between October and May, you can swim in the sea near Goa in more or less safe water, but it is important to keep an eye on the flags on the beaches. If there is a red flag on the beach, then swimming there is dangerous. A red and yellow flag indicates more or less good swimming conditions, but you should still be careful not to swim too far. Even with a yellow flag you need to be careful. It is also worth noting that sometimes an army of “Portuguese ships” approaches the coast of Goa. These are jellyfish that are not in the water, but on its surface, but their flagella are under water. In general, contact with such a jellyfish is not dangerous, but if it happens far from the shore, then different options are possible.
Sea in Goa during monsoon season
June to September is the monsoon time in Goa when the prevailing wind changes from southeast to southwest and brings huge amounts of rainfall. Since Goa is located on the west coast of India, high waves and dangerous currents form here. These waves can knock you off your feet, causing you to bruise your knees, arms, face, lose consciousness, or even suffer a fracture.
Even more dangerous are reverse currents. Their danger is that they are often found in areas with calm, smooth and generally darker water, and therefore look very good to an inexperienced swimmer. If you enter such a current, you will be pulled into the sea very quickly, faster than you can swim. The current itself is not very dangerous, but people often start to panic, try to fight it and swim to the shore (which is completely pointless, since the current moves faster than an Olympic champion swimmer). As a result, due to panic or fatigue, a person drowns. In Goa, unfortunately, tourists and locals often drown. Many people are simply unaware of this danger, so don't be fooled by the fact that there are a lot of people in the water. If you see red flags on the beach, then under no circumstances go into the water.
Remember that during the monsoon season there are no lifeguards on the beaches in Goa, so it is unlikely that anyone will help you if you drown.
Purity of the sea in Goa
Interestingly, it is during the monsoon season that the water in the sea near Goa is the cleanest. It's hard to believe when you look at the stormy gray sea, but it's true. The reason is simple: during the rainy season in Goa there are fewer tourists, fewer vacationers on the beaches, less garbage, and, accordingly, less dirty drains. Only at the beginning of the monsoon season do heavy rains wash away accumulated garbage and various harmful bacteria into the sea, but already in July the sea becomes clean. But, unfortunately, not suitable for swimming.
During the high season, the sea in Goa is a little dirtier, but this does not mean that you cannot swim in it. But it is still advisable to choose a suitable place for swimming. I would not advise you to choose those places that are located very close to the mouths of rivers, as these rivers often carry garbage and runoff from the villages and towns located on their coasts. In North Goa, it is generally difficult to find a truly clean beach with clean water. Off the top of my head I can only remember Mandrem. In South Goa, things are better in this regard. There are no really dirty beaches here.
Conclusion
If you are traveling to Goa mainly to swim in the sea, then we advise you to choose a beach in the south of the state, on a long strip on which the beaches of Colva, Cavellosim and others are located. The beaches south of this coast (Agonda, Palolem, etc.) are also good for swimming, but you need to be careful here as there may be rocks in the water.
India, drowning in ocean waves, attracts tourists from all over the world. Goa is especially attractive to vacationers. Tour operators promise a lot of impressions and completely different beaches. To get the most out of swimming, you need to know what Goa is surrounded by. Then the waves and sand will make you come back more than once.
What Goa washes
When wondering what kind of sea awaits on the coast, be prepared to receive different answers. Most often called the Arabian Sea. However, its currents are an integral part of the ocean in Goa.
Hindustan, on which India is located, gave its name to the third largest water area on Earth. This is why inexperienced travelers get lost and cannot decide whether the Arabian Sea or the Indian Ocean washes the tourist paradise.
Some features of a sea holiday in Goa
The majestic and diverse Indian Ocean occupies a huge space and is the largest attraction of the state. Here it has its own characteristics:
- You can swim all year round. The sea warms up to 28 degrees, deviations of a couple of degrees do not play a role in the weather. Despite this, you should not swim after sunset at any time of the year; stingrays and sea snakes become more active;
- You can enjoy the Indian Ocean completely free of charge. The coast is completely free and is under the care of the municipality. No hotel has the right to block access to the beach. The buildings are located no closer than 200 m;
- The Arabian Sea is excellent for diving, especially in the bays and bays. Although the underwater world is significantly inferior to the diversity of other recognized water areas. The Indian Ocean washing the resort creates a lot of waves. The water is often cloudy due to strong currents. The Red or Mediterranean Seas are much richer in flora and fauna and more transparent;
- The coastline, which is always washed by a warm current, leaves much to be desired in terms of cleanliness. But this is a characteristic feature of India. The water here is designed not only to wash the shores, but also to wash away garbage from them.
In fact, India attracts tourists with its authentic culture, tropical nature, the opportunity to touch thousands of years of history and original philosophy, especially in Goa. The sea or the ocean washes the coast - it doesn’t matter at all. The main thing is the sun and nature in the heart of an oriental fairy tale.
One of most popular resorts The destination that many tourists from all over the world flock to is Goa. But some vacationers have a question: what kind of sea or ocean is in Goa?
This is a very important question, since sometimes the ability to swim to your heart’s content in a body of water depends on this geographical condition, since, for example, the ocean coast can be dangerous (a large number of sharks, poisonous jellyfish), while the sea coast is created for active water recreation.
Indian pools
If you are wondering what awaits you on the coast (sea or ocean), get ready to receive several answers, contradictory to each other.
Read how to get to Goa by plane, and how long the flight lasts.
Is there an ocean or a sea in India?
From the west, India is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea, from the east by the Bay of Bengal, a small southern part by the Laccadive Sea, and the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is washed by the waters. All these bodies of water, in turn, are part of the Indian Ocean.
Which body of water surrounds North and South Goa?
For many inexperienced tourists who decide to go on their vacation to Goa, the question always remains open: what waters wash the resort: marine or oceanic.
The answer here lies on the surface: Goa is located in the west of India, and accordingly, is washed by the Arabian Sea.
Considering that the Arabian Sea is an open part of the Indian Ocean, it can be said that there is both sea and ocean. In the oceanic part of the waters of Goa, sharks are rarely found; large concentrations of them are found off the coast of Oceania.
Sharks also love reef areas, so divers need to be careful when diving. Found in the Indian Ocean tiger, gray and great white shark, and the most dangerous resorts in these waters are Kosi Bay in South Africa, Seychelles, and resorts in Australia.
Holidays in Goa
It should be noted that a beach holiday is not the strongest point state of Goa.
Coast
The sea coast of North Goa and South Goa is not much different. Perhaps the only visible difference is sand. In the southern part of the resort the sand is whiter. Due to this, it visually seems that the beaches here are cleaner and the sea is more transparent. In the northern half of the resort from Sinquerim-Candolim to Anjuna, the sand is more yellow with a grayish tint, and is coarse.
In general, we can say that lovers of clean “paradise” beaches will have a hard time here, since the Indian mentality is rather indifferent to garbage, so you can talk about cleanliness and order here forget.
The sea waters here seem cloudy, because it is constantly agitated and mixed with sand and clay from the coast, so those who like to dive off the coast with a mask will have to abandon the idea. Many tourists speak unfavorably about the coast of the northern part of the resort, since the bottom of the coastal waters here is strewn with sharp stones, which can easily injure you.
Find out what time of year is best for a holiday in Goa.
In addition to the uneven bottom, dirty sea and unattractive beaches, here you may encounter, for example, cows freely moving along the coast. So for those who love an unusual holiday, there will be something to remember after the trip.
Beaches
For those who cannot decide on a beach, here are some of the most popular beaches in both North and South Goa:
Entertainment
In addition to a beach holiday, Goa has a number of entertainment options, among which you can find something that suits you to make your vacation memorable for a long time.
Read in what natural and man-made attractions are worth seeing in North and South Goa.
From water activities, which can be combined with a passive beach holiday, are presented:
In addition to water activities, there are land excursions. For example, a popular excursion remains elephant riding. There are not many elephants here, but it is not difficult to find those who provide the opportunity to ride this animal. Sometimes it is even offered to swim with elephants if the excursion route passes near a waterfall or spice plantations.
For those who like to experience another culture, there are Indian dance courses, cooking courses, and yoga.
Extreme lovers can purchase tickets for bullfights- spectacles that are held spontaneously, without special arenas or preparation.
A little about seasonality
In addition to the place of rest, you need to choose the time of rest. High or low season, large or small number of tourists, high or low prices - all this is very important when organizing a holiday.
High season begins in Goa around December and ends in February. It is in December that the most diverse public strives to get a unique golden tan, as well as to swim in the sea to its heart's content.
Water temperature in high season it is not much different from other times in Goa, it ranges from +26 to +29 degrees. You can swim in Goa all year round, so you don’t have to choose a tourist peak for this. The air temperature ranges from 29°C to 31°C all year round.
Silence covers Goa in May, this month the parties die down, hotels empty, restaurants and cafes close. The days of May bring stifling heat, stuffiness and the rainy season to the Indian state.
Water the sea warms up to +30 degrees, with constant waves and such temperatures it is impossible to swim. The only advantage of a holiday in the low season, perhaps, will be the prices.
The Arabian Sea coast in Goa is next video:
Goa- the smallest state of India, a tourist resort, the coast is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean. The population of Goa is one and a half million people. The capital of Goa is Panaji. From the west, Goa is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea. The climate here is subequatorial, humidity is high. The hottest time of the year is in May. The temperature rises to 33 °C – 35 °C.
During the winter months (December – February) daytime temperatures reach 31 °C. Precipitation mainly falls in June–September. Goa has endless sandy beaches and the vast expanse of the ocean. The coastline is up to one hundred kilometers long. The nature of Goa amazes tourists not only with its beautiful beaches, but also with waterfalls, lakes, jungles, mangroves, and plantations where various spices are grown.
The beaches of Goa amaze with their silvery sand. In the rays of the bright sun they simply shine. The most famous beaches are Colva Beach, Miramar Beach, Arambol Beach (its length reaches fifty kilometers). Calangute Beach attracts young people with its discos and the unusual turquoise color of the water. And for lovers of water sports, Dona Paula Beach is the best choice.
But not all beaches in India are like those in Goa. Beyond Goa the coast is rocky, the banks are steep. The waves hit the steep cliffs with all their might. There are all possibilities for a comfortable holiday in Goa. The entire coast is one endless beach. Using the services of a rickshaw, you can travel along the entire coast. Vacationers can enjoy scooter rides, boat rides, parachute flights, diving and much more.
Goa has seven navigable rivers. A walk along the river and the picturesque nature of the surrounding banks will bring great pleasure. One of the most favorite entertainments of tourists is dance parties right on the beaches. Imagine thousands of vacationers moving to the rhythm of a dance in the rays of the setting sun on the shores of the endless ocean.
The food in Goa is very tasty. Numerous restaurants and bars offer menus to suit every taste. Seafood dishes are especially popular, as are vegetarian dishes.
You can also order a traditional European menu. If you are staying at a hotel, you may be offered full board. And on the beach, local kids will offer you coconuts filled with cool coconut milk for almost nothing.
It is very interesting to visit the Dadsagar waterfall. Here you can not only swim, but also watch the antics of monkeys. During the return journey to the Bondla Sanctuary, tourists will see Indian elephants. An unforgettable walk through the plantations where world-famous Indian spices are grown: cardamom, pepper, vanilla, as well as pineapples, bananas and other fruits.
While vacationing in Goa, you simply need to visit the center of traditional Indian medicine Ayurveda. This medicine treats the entire body as a whole. Healers will use ancient recipes to rejuvenate and heal your body. Travel services in Goa will provide you with entertainment for every taste, and magical nature will make your vacation unforgettable.
