¤ About Benaulim Beach
At
the end of the Colva beach, Benaulim is a quiet and pleasant beach. The best
thing about Benaulim is that it is still rather undiscovered by domestic
tourists even though it is a fishing beach. It gets fairly crowded in the
evenings and on weekends, it gets fairly crowded with local visitors who get
off buses about a kilometer away and pour onto the beach. The Church of St
John the Baptist is situated on a hill beyond the village and worth a visit.
On the arrival of the monsoon, Feast of St John the Baptist (Sao Joao) is
celebrated as a thanksgiving. Young men wearing crowns of leaves and fruits
tour the area singing for gifts. To commemorate the movement of St John in
his mother's womb when he was in his mother's womb and visited by Mary, the
mother of Jesus, the young men of this village jump in the wells. The sand
blown beachfront, the gently shelving sands shimmer away almost to the
horizon, litered with photogenic wooden fishing boats that provide welcome
shade if the walk from the palm trees to the sea gets too much. Hawkers,
itinerant masseurs and fruit wallahs appear from time to time, but one can
easily escape them by heading south towards neighbouring Varca, where
tourism has thus far made little impact. This is said to be the place where
the arrow of Lord Parsurama landed when he created the state of Goa.
The
main attractions on this beach are the Dolphin Cruises offered here, which
are reasonably priced and are definitely worth it as the chances of spotting
dolphins prance about are very high. The tranquil and charming village of
Benaulim is also famous for its rosewood furniture and the carvings that one
finds on these pieces are really noteworthy. Situated atop a hill just
beyond the village is the church of St. John the Baptist. This church is a
wonderful example of typical Goan Christian architecture. The Beach at
Benaulim is very quiet and pleasant. The best thing about Benaulim is that
it is still unexplored by the domestic tourists even though it is a fishing
beach. The evenings are pretty crowded on weekends. It gets fairly crowded
with Indian visitors. A walk on the beaches is full of delights. Shimmering
silver carpets of bangdde (mackerels) lie drying on the golden sands.
Fishermen's motor trawlers lie anchored in a line offshore. Tourists in
colorful dresses throng about and several of them can be seen sunbathing in
the glorious sun. Trinket stalls and drink stands on the golden sands make a
moonlit evening on the Colva Beach utterly romantic. The Beach Bonanza fair
that is held on successive Sundays from mid-April onwards on the Benaulim
beach is a must not miss! Frenzied visitors dance in merriment and other
entertainment. There are plenty of resorts and low-budget hotels in and
around Colva. Benaulim too has a few hotels. Besides it is possible to rent
houses for a longer stay.
¤ Major Tourist Attractions
of Benaulim BeachNossa Senhora de Merces (Our Lady of
Mercy) Church - The church is famous for its annual religious event—Fama
of Menino Jesuse (Child Jesus)—since the 17th century. The
predominantly Catholic community celebrates it on the third Monday of
October every year. It is one of Goa’s most popular feasts and a big
fair is held on the occasion.
On the Beach -
While taking a stroll on the Colva Beach, silver carpets of bangdde
(mackerels) can be viewed shimmering on the golden sands for drying.
Fishermen’s motor trawlers can be seen anchored in a line offshore.
Tourists—Indian and foreigners, as well as locals—can be seen in
colorful dresses, coming either for a walk or ‘for a change of air’.
Many tourists can be seen having a sunbath on the golden sands. The trinket
stalls and the drink stands on the golden sands under the moonlight make the
evening on the Colva Beach utterly romantic.
The
Bull Fight - From early October to late May, from 4 pm onwards, one
can see the bull fights at Benaulim. On the beat of taped Konkani music, the
bullfights are usually held in an old rice field with no fences or
barricades just outside a village.
¤ AccommodationBenaulim's
accommodation consists largely of small budget guesthouses, scattered around
the lanes 1-km or so back from the beach. During peak season, the village's
few mid range hotels tend to be fully booked, so reserve in advance if one
wants to stay in one of these.
Benaulim
Beach
