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Colva is the oldest and most heavily developed South Goan
resort. The town itself is dotted with colonial-style villas and
ramshackle fishing huts, but the beachfront is crowded and blighted
with unimaginative concrete hotels, snack bars and souvenir stalls.
Indian tourists and local children mill around this central area
and westerners are pestered by traders and beggars. However it is
easy to steer clear of this central area; within a few minutes'
stroll from here the beach is spotless and relatively quiet.
Benaulim is only a 30-minute walk to the south, still on Colva
beach, and attracts a more upmarket clientele, including British
and Indian holidaymakers. There are many luxury resorts along the
coastal stretch and brightly painted wooden fishing boats litter
the beach. The hawkers and touts here are persistent but in a
good-humoured rather than aggressive way. To escape completely
visitors can hire a bicycle and ride further south along the beach,
beyond the Taj Exotica, which stretches for miles with the only
possible interruption likely to be a stray cow wandering along the
sand, its bell jangling. Restaurants line the beachfront at both
Colva and Benaulim, in general the food is of an excellent standard
and the atmosphere is much better than at the hotel restaurants.
For the freshest fish, aim for the more popular restaurants.
