Coco's Nest
Aerial view of Arambol beach with shacks, umbrellas and fishing boats along the shore below wooded hills

Where to stay

Every area of Goa, with the downsides left in.

Arambol to Palolem: who each one suits, what it is bad at, and which airport is closer.

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Photo: Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0

Scooters parked on a narrow street in Fontainhas, Panaji, lined with colourful old houses and a blue balcony home

Rent or arrange

The things you would spend the first morning sorting.

Scooters, cameras and beach kit, brought to the door of where you are staying.

See what you can rent

Photo: iMahesh, CC BY-SA 4.0

Bright green paddy fields in South Goa with a few farmers at work, backed by coconut palms and clouds

Season

Goa in the monsoon, and whether it is worth it.

What closes between June and September, what is at its best, and what it costs.

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Photo: iMahesh, CC BY-SA 4.0

Goa guides, places to visit, and everything for the stay.

Reading

Written by people who live there.

All 9 guides →
Arambol beach seen from above, a long stretch of sand with shacks and palm trees along the shorePlanning 10 minWhere to stay in Goa: every area, explainedTen areas of Goa, from Arambol to Palolem, with who each one suits, what it is bad at and which airport is closer.Read
Exterior of Mopa airport terminal with a paved walkway lined by palms and landscaped planting bedsGetting there 5 minMopa or Dabolim: which Goa airport should you fly into?Goa has two airports about 50 km apart, and the right one depends on where you are sleeping, not on which is newer.A piece of fish in red Goan curry beside a mound of white rice on a plate, with a fork in frontFood 8 min10 restaurants worth booking in GoaTen places to eat across North Goa, Panjim and South Goa, from fish thalis at lunch to chef-led Goan and South Indian dinners.Beach huts glowing with red and green lights at Palolem Beach at night, reflected on the wet sandNightlife 8 min10 clubs and nightlife spots in Goa worth a night outBig Baga clubs, a trance hill in Vagator, a Morjim day club and a headphone party in Palolem: ten places for a night out, and how to get home.Dense green mangroves overhanging a dark creek in Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, with a small boat mooredExperiences 9 min10 offbeat things to do in GoaTen things to do away from the beaches and clubs, from paddling the Chorao mangroves to a working cashew distillery in season.Coconut palms leaning over a green hill on Cola Bay, with laterite rocks along the edge of calm waterPlanning 5 minNorth Goa or South Goa? How to choose the right halfNorth and South Goa are two different holidays about three hours apart. Here is who each suits, and how to split a trip between them.Scooters parked on a narrow street in Fontainhas, Panaji, lined with colourful old houses and a blue balcony homeGetting around 5 minRenting a scooter in Goa: licence, helmet and plate checksThe licence you need, the helmet rule, the yellow plate, and the five-minute check at the door that saves your deposit when renting a scooter in Goa.Bright green paddy fields in South Goa with a few farmers at work, backed by coconut palms and cloudsWhen to go 5 minGoa in the monsoon: what is open, what closes, and is it worth itJune to September is the greenest and emptiest Goa. What closes in the monsoon, what is better, and how to stay safe in the rains.A mint green house with arched windows and a tiled roof behind a white wall, with a lion statue and nameplateStaying 5 minWhat to ask your host before you arrive in a Goa holiday homeSix questions to ask your host before arriving at a Goa holiday home, plus why they ask for ID, that prevent nearly every first-night problem.

Goa

Places worth the ride.

All 10 places →
Laterite bastion of Fort Aguada curving into the sea beside a sandy cove, with a cargo ship on the horizonHeritage

Fort Aguada

Candolim, North Goa

A Portuguese sea fort from the 1600s, built to keep the Dutch out and still holding the best view of the coastline north of Panjim.

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Carved stone and brick facade of the Basilica of Bom Jesus, with visitors walking in the square in frontHeritage

Basilica of Bom Jesus & Se Cathedral

Old Goa

What is left of a city that was once larger than Lisbon. Both churches are part of the UNESCO-listed Churches and Convents of Goa.

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Dudhsagar waterfall pouring down a forested cliff, with a blue train crossing a stone bridge halfway downNature

Dudhsagar Falls

Mollem, South Goa

Four tiers of water down a cliff face inside the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, at its most absurd just after the rains.

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Palolem Beach with families playing on the sand, gentle waves and beach shacks under coconut palmsBeaches

Palolem

Canacona, South Goa

A crescent of sand with headlands at both ends. South Goa's pace is slower than the north's, and the shacks close earlier.

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People relaxing on the sand at Anjuna Beach in front of Curlies beach shack, with palm trees and flags behindMarkets & nightlife

Anjuna & Assagao

North Goa

The Wednesday flea market, and a village next door that has quietly become the best eating in the state.

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An old laterite temple tank on Divar Island with stone steps, still brown water and dense green treesNature

Divar Island

Tiswadi, Central Goa

A river island of empty lanes, old Portuguese houses and almost no traffic. The free ferry across is half the point.

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People walking along the laterite walls of Chapora Fort, with a dry rocky plateau and the open sea behindHeritage

Chapora Fort

Vagator, North Goa

A ruin on a headland with the best view of the northern coast, and a steep ten-minute climb to earn it.

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Large smooth boulders on Agonda Beach in evening light, with waves and a few swimmers in the distanceBeaches

Agonda

Canacona, South Goa

Three kilometres of open sand with no road running along it, and a turtle nesting site at the southern end.

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A narrow wet street in Fontainhas, Panaji, lined with yellow, red and blue houses with balconies and window shadesHeritage

Fontainhas

Panjim, Central Goa

The Latin Quarter: narrow lanes of ochre and blue houses, best seen on foot and early.

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A quiet paved road on the way to Cotigao, with a wooden stick fence, green fields and a forested hill under cloudNature

Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary

Canacona, South Goa

Dry deciduous forest with marked trails and a canopy watchtower, half an hour inland from the southern beaches.

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Rent or arrange

The things you'd otherwise spend the first morning sorting.

Browse all 12 →
A paved walkway beside planted gardens leading to the columned terminal building at Mopa AirportInside the terminal at Manohar International Airport, MopaAircraft at the gates, seen from the Mopa airport terminalLandscaped forecourt and arch outside Mopa airportRoad sign pointing to Mopa Airport in Pernem, North Goa
Service

Airport transfer — Mopa

Transport

from₹2,200

A Goan fish thali with fried fish, rice, a papad, a bowl of fish curry and a small vegetable sideTraditional Goan meal laid out in clay bowls on a wooden table in GoaFish curry with coconut simmering in a pot on the stovePlate of Goan pork sorpotel in a rich red gravyWhole and ground Indian spices arranged on a white plate
Service

Cook for an evening

Food & drink

from₹1,500

A small grey DJI drone flying low over a grassy field, with trees in the backgroundDJI Mini 4K drone unfolded on a table, top view with propellersDJI Mini 2 drone with RC-N1 remote controller and phone showing live camera viewDJI Mini 2 SE drone resting on an open hand before launchDJI Mini 4K drone hovering in flight
Rent1 left

DJI Mini 4K drone

Photography

from₹1,500per day

+ ₹15,000 refundable deposit

DJI Osmo Mobile 8PDJI smartphone gimbal on its tripod, rear view showing the magnetic phone clamp and folding armSide view of a DJI smartphone gimbal with a phone mounted, standing on its mini tripodClose-up of the gimbal handle controls: joystick, record button, mode button and battery lights
Rent1 left

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P

Electronics

from₹400per day

+ ₹10,000 refundable deposit

Black GoPro action camera seen from the front, showing its lens and small front screenGoPro HERO13 Black on a mini tripod, three-quarter front view with front display and lensGoPro HERO13 Black, rear touchscreenGoPro HERO10 Black with battery door open, showing battery, USB-C port and fold-out mounting fingers
Rent3 left

GoPro HERO12

Photography

from₹700per day

+ ₹8,000 refundable deposit

Silver Honda scooter with a black seat parked on a roadside, a bus behind itBlack Honda Activa 6G scooter, front three-quarter view
Rent

Honda Activa 6G

Transport

from₹450per day

+ ₹2,000 refundable deposit

Close-up of the top of a dark grey Insta360 camera showing its round fisheye lens above the screenInsta360 X4 in a protective cover, front lens and touchscreenInsta360 X3, side profile with buttons and port coversInsta360 X4 with protective lens cap fitted
Rent2 left

Insta360 X5 Camera

Photography

from₹500per day

+ ₹10,000 refundable deposit

Three SIM cards of decreasing size, standard, micro and nano, laid side by side on a white surfaceClose-up of a nano SIM card showing its gold contact chipTwo SIM ejector pins on a wooden table
Buy

Local SIM with data

Electronics

from₹500

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