Palolem Beach in South Goa used to be a quiet backpacker beach, but it has now developed into a busy tourist resort. Its half-moon shaped beach still attracts travelers who love to wake up in a simple bamboo hut by the sea, but they now mix with families, day-trippers from nearby luxury hotels, and more and more Indian tourists. It was Palolem Beach that Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) was running along in the 2004 film Bourne Supremacy.
Where To Stay In Palolem
There used to be very little on Palolem Beach but a few cheap bamboo huts and a couple of beach shacks. The bamboo huts have multiplied, but they now compete for business with guesthouses that offer air-conditioned rooms with tv and fridge. Palolem still has those INR200 (US$5) rooms, but more and more visitors now come with more money to spend. The best way to find a bamboo hut or a room in a guesthouse is to turn up, look around and choose your favorite, although in the high season places fill up fast and options may be limited.
The beach is filled with beach shacks that serve imitations of Western food, some with better results than others. There is still a little chai (tea) shop on the road that leads to the beach, but there is also an authentic Italian pizzeria. The roads are lined with traditional Goa tourist shops that sell sunglasses, souvenirs and tie-dyed cotton clothing (some things have not changed), but there now is also a store that sells imported bikinis.
Low water and lack of waves make Palolem safe for swimming although the lifeguard’s seat seems to be mostly vacant.
When To Go To Palolem
Christmas and New Year's Eve are busy times in Palolem. According to a waiter who works in one of the beach shacks, there were 75 000 people partying on Palolem Beach on New Year’s Eve 2005, but recent restrictions have affected late-night parties. High season brings high prices; a simple room that would cost INR200 during off-season can cost INR700 or more around Christmas, and restaurants have special, more expensive high season menus.
Unlike in many beaches in Goa, Palolem stays at least partly open throughout the year. Many restaurants, guesthouses and tourists shops don’t close their doors even for the rainy season that starts in June. The later monsoon months from August onwards have become a new favorite season for those travelers who don’t mind a little tropical rain if it means a quieter beach and significantly cheaper accommodation and food.
Paradise Lost In Palolem?
Growth in tourism, of course, does not come without problems. Sometimes it is hard to find the beach between the bamboo huts and the beach shacks and the shops, and the beach used to be cleaner. Nudity and topless sunbathing are not acceptable in Palolem (or anywhere in India) and the fact that some Western women do sunbathe topless is considered very offensive. Large groups of Indian men with video cameras walk up and down the beach during weekends, filming sunbathing Western girls. It is understandable that Palolem has been sometimes referred to as “Paradise Lost”, although it is still more quiet and relaxed than many beaches in North Goa, especially outside the high season.
Getting To Palolem
The nearest train station is Canacona (Chaudi), about 2 km from Palolem, on the Konkan Railway. There is a bus station in Chaudi with local bus connections, and there is a regular bus from Palolem to Margao for more bus and train connections. Palolem’s several travel agents sell bus tickets to private long-distance coaches. Palolem has all the usual tourist services from travel agents to internet cafes and book exchanges, but the nearest ATM is in Chaudi.
