Palolem is the beach for you if you are looking for a family holiday, couple holiday or a wellness/ yoga retreat.
You will learn how to relax again and most importantly to live again.
My photos below will help you to book your next holiday!
Palolem is another melting pot of cultures where you will meet people from all over the world!
🚗 How to get to Palolem?
Palolem is situated in South Goa, near the Karnataka border.
You can travel by train to Margao (Goa Sampark express, Mandovi express trains) and take a taxi, which will be an hour’s drive, from Margao city to Palolem beach.
By car or bike from North Goa to South Goa, it’s a 2-3 hours drive, via Panjim, towards Margao but via the Margao bypass road, and then take the NH 17 highway to Palolem.
Traveling from North Goa to Palolem?
If you need a taxi from Anjuna to Palolem, ask at Rosegarden next to the post office for reasonable fair rates.
Palolem is THE holiday destination for Goans.
Indian and Goan tourists alike tend to have only 2-3 days holidays, it’s become a trend, so the beach is busier during the weekend.
The last time we were in Palolem we stayed 2 days too because of our tight schedule and I think so that was the shortest holiday we have ever had, but it was well worth it.
We came back fresh and in full swing to our daily life.
Planning to travel the Indian West Coast further downwards?
Then check out Karwar in Karnataka, a lesser-known but interesting travel destination with gorgeous rock landscapes.
1-hour drive from Palolem to Karwar!
A couple of years ago we had shared a review about a restaurant shack at Palolem Beach.
🛏️ Accomodation
There are countless restaurants, hotels, and rooms for rent in the surrounding.
If you plan on coming during the new year, you better book rooms in advance, otherwise you usually get rooms and coconuts easily.
The Season starts mid-October and ends in May, so most shacks are closed by that time and coconuts as well.
Coco huts are cool because they give you the real beach life feeling.
Coco huts in Palolem are right on the beach.
In the night you can hear the waves hitting the beach and it sounds as if you will be flooded any time soon, however, of course, the seas are far away and you end up falling into a deep satisfying sleep with the natural sound of the sea.
Most hotel rooms and coco huts have mosquito nets.
The buildings and rooms are safe, criminal activities are very very low in these areas.
When you pick a room make sure to ask if there is warm water as well in the bathroom.
The beauty of Palolem is the ghat hills surrounding the area and the jungle is.
Palolem beach area is even on the other hand, yet full of coconut trees, and local houses nearby decorate the village.
It’s charming and gives you a feeling as if you found one of those last authentic, but global at the same time, places.
👁️ Things to do
Palolem is known for years now as a great place to focus on yoga, meditation, and sports.
Wellness is much promoted in the surrounding, you will find countless massage centers where you can enjoy Ayurvedic specialized massage or you can even take part in a massage workshop.
When you get up at 8 am in the morning you get to experience the spirit of Palolem, with Palolem guests taking part in running, stretching, and yoga exercises around.
A great tip is to hire a kayak at the beach.
You can get a single or double kayak for 200 INR upwards per hour.
You can paddle in your own time to the butterfly island or beyond that to the hidden, inaccessible beaches.
Dolphins might join you on your journey.
Another activity which some should consider since they are around the sea is to learn to swim.
You might be able to hire a swimming teacher, which would be the opportunity to learn how to swim.
Families with small children might prefer to do a dolphin trip.
The fishing boats for the dolphin trips are handled by locals and the price is somewhere around 2000 INR because you roam for nearly an hour with a diesel engine boat in the bay.
It’s not the best environment-friendly option but at the same time families get to learn the natural beauty around them and so learn to take care of our nature.
✨ Night Life
Beach Shacks in Palolem create a romantic environment with candle lights and dining tables on the beach at night.
Live music events are common in selected beach shacks during season time, from November to March.
Headset trance parties are another cool, sound pollution-free, the novelty of Palolem.
Sometimes you can come across cool bonfire events organized by shack owners.
Just grab your guitar and pitch in!
Hidden in between the countless Coconut trees, you might see these pots, that are still used to collect the Coconut Toddy.
This has been mostly practiced in South Goa and generally speaking South India.
Locals can be seen gathering their fishnets in the morning and night and watching them will give you a serene feeling of timeless being.
This is a sensation we tend to miss in our lives, and it’s a priceless feeling all of us, without exception, are looking for desperately.
Palolem will give you back some of the innocence and peace you might be longing for in your life and might even help you to get back to your real self.
The water is gorgeous and full of harmless wildlife such as small fish, shells tiny crabs.
Kids love that!
Tell me, who wouldn’t love to be there right now?
If you are looking for more information about Goa beaches, check out the North Goa beach guide.
