Surf at Arambol
Take a lesson, the easiest way to try it. Arambol is called the best surf beach in the north, and Ashwem and Mandrem get praise too. The season is about October to April or May, and November to March is best.
3 to 4 daysHow long to stay
Budget to luxuryRough cost
Friends, Couples, SoloWho it suits
Goathe West Coast
Is this for you?
North Goa is the busy half of Goa: surf schools, sunset parties and beach shacks, the open-air beach restaurants. Pick your beach by mood: Arambol for surf, Mandrem and Ashwem for calm, Anjuna to Arpora for clubs. Friends do best here, and families should stick to Mandrem and Ashwem. Goa has strict rules on drinking, swimming and drugs, so read the notices. If you want quiet, skip it and go south.
When to go
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.
What to do
Mandrem and Ashwem
The calmer end of the northern coast, and a good beach day. Mandrem has a turtle sanctuary, so keep away from any nesting area.
Anjuna Flea Market
Wednesdays only, roughly 8 or 9 am into the evening, in season. Sources give November to March or April, and the 2026 to 2027 opening isn't confirmed, so check first.
Arpora Saturday night market
A night market on Saturdays in season. Start and end times vary by source, and the 2026 to 2027 opening isn't confirmed.
A night out at a licensed venue
Anjuna, Vagator and Arpora are the club areas. We name no clubs after the fatal Arpora fire of December 2025. Pick a licensed place with more than one clear exit, and leave if it's packed or has a single door.
What to eat
Goa's food comes from Hindu fishing homes and Portuguese-era Catholic kitchens, and the good stuff is rarely on the beach. Rent a scooter, or take a taxi, inland or into Panjim for lunch.
Chicken cafreal
Chicken marinated in lime and a green chilli sauce, then grilled. Portuguese in origin.
Goan fish thali
Fish curry, rice, fried fish and small sides on one plate. A lunch that locals actually eat, and the best value in Goa.
Pork vindaloo
A sharp, vinegary Goan pork curry, far from the British curry-house version. Try it in Panjim.
Rawa fry
Fish or prawns coated in semolina and fried until crisp. Order it alongside a thali.
Xacuti
A dark coconut curry with roasted spices, made with chicken, fish or crab. Say it sha-koo-tee.
Where to go
BJ's Bar & GrillAnjuna, Vagator road
A local pick for fish thali and mackerel curry.
Cheap eatsRitz ClassicPanjim
The fish thali, with about 13 items, and a lot of people eating it.
Cheap eatsVinayakAssagao
A family-run spot for fish thali, xacuti and prawn rawa fry.
Cheap eatsViva PanjimFontainhas, Panjim
Xacuti, vindaloo and cafreal in the old quarter. Service can be slow.
Mid-range
Getting there
Fly into Mopa (GOX) in Pernem, the airport for this coast, about 1 hour 10 to 25 minutes from Mumbai. Dabolim, the other airport, is about 90 km away, so check yours. Vande Bharat 22229 leaves Mumbai CSMT at 05:25 and reaches Thivim at 12:05, not Fridays. Thivim-to-beach times aren't confirmed, so ask your hotel to arrange a taxi.
Where to stay
Anjuna and Vagator One guide lists hostels and apartments close to the markets and clubs, so stay here for nights out. Calangute and Baga are the other nightlife base.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Arambol Your surf and backpacker base, with hostels and simple guesthouses. Don't expect anything fancy.
Mandrem and Ashwem Calmer beaches with mid-range stays, and better for families than the club areas.
Worth knowing
Safety
Stay out of the sea and off coastal water sports from June to September. Goa Tourism and Drishti, the state lifeguard agency, say so for the monsoon, though no official order gives exact dates.
Rules
Alcohol, drugs and smoking are not allowed on Goa's beaches. Licensed beach shacks (open-air beach restaurants) may still serve alcohol, so drink there and not on the sand. Illegal drugs carry prison sentences in India, and foreigners are not excused.
Safety
Swim only between the two red-and-yellow flags, and stay out of the water when a red flag is up. Do not swim after drinking. Beaches are closed for swimming from sunset to 7 am. Goa recorded 71 drowning deaths in the first half of 2026, and officials point to alcohol, restricted areas and ignored flags.
5 more to know
Rules
A tourism notification reported on 1 August 2026 lists activities at tourist places as a nuisance, with fines of ₹5,000 that can rise to ₹1 lakh (₹100,000). The list includes drinking where it is not permitted, breaking glass bottles, open cooking, littering, public urination, hawking, unauthorised water sports, driving vehicles on beaches, placing deck chairs without permission and illegal beach parties. We could not find the notification text or a fine for each offence, so follow the rules above and use licensed operators only.
Safety
UK and Canadian government advice both ask visitors to take extra care in Goa. The UK advises women to avoid isolated areas, including beaches, when alone at any time of day. Choose busy beaches, tell someone your plans, and keep the emergency number 112 (and 1091 for women) to hand.
Safety
Look for more than one clear exit before entering a club, and leave if it's packed or has one door. A fire at Arpora on 6 December 2025 killed 25 people, so we name no clubs.
Rules
Nudity on beaches and in public places is forbidden and can be punished. Dress modestly at temples, churches and mosques. Do not drive on beaches, and do not accept food or drink from strangers.
Rules
The legal age to be sold alcohol in Goa is 21, under the Goa Excise Duty Act.
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