Agonda

Overview

Agonda is a village of 3,801 people at the 2011 census, in Canacona taluka, and its draw is a single beach of about 3 km that Olive Ridley turtles use for nesting. The shore runs between casuarina and palm trees and ends at a hill on the southern side. Travellers who like walking a long beach at a slow pace will find it suits them, and the main season for visitors falls between November and March.

The turtles shape how people talk about the place. Nesting is reported from November to February, and the forest department moves nests into a protected hatchery on the beach, and hatchlings are released once the nests hatch. If you are here in those months, expect a few ground rules about lights and noise at night, and ask your host what applies that week. The timing is not fixed, and some seasons start late.

Cola, the lagoon beach on the other side of the Agonda headland, lies to the north. Cabo de Rama and its ruined fort also sit in the taluka and have their own page. To the south, Palolem is about 9 to 10 km away and has the boat trips, the busier shoreline and most of the day-to-day activity in this corner of Goa. The two are close enough to visit in a single day, though they feel quite different once you arrive, and Agonda has fewer activities to plan around.

Stays range from simple huts to proper cottages, mostly strung along the road behind the beach. Most of the day tends to go on walking, reading and eating where you sleep. Buses run from Canacona bus station and take about 20 minutes. Canacona railway station is a few kilometres from the village on the Konkan line, and Margao is about an hour away by road. Dabolim airport is about 70 km away, and the trip can take around 90 minutes.

Plan on two or three days, or longer if you want a stay with little on the agenda. The cooler months from November to March are best, as the southwest monsoon brings the year's heaviest rain between June and September.

Known for

A long shore of casuarina and palm trees, ending at a hill in the south