Things to see and do

Things to see and do

At Calangute, its heavens. Just let your hair down and experience the magic spell drown you in the calm serene solitudes. Its another world. While some laze around, others can get adventurous with water sports. And once here you will catch glimpses of the old seaside village vadoos.

At the beach

You can do what most people do, let the Calangute embrace you. Tan yourself spreading on beach or go swimming. Calangute is a reasonably safe place to swim though one should keep at least three hundred meters away from the mouth of the river. Children can be seen here making castles out of sand. Watch the sun go down as you laze on the beach. Take a fifteen minute walk from the main beach front area and you will come in a hawker free zone. Sights of rows of wooden boats and teams of village fishermen hauling nets in a high tide can be seen here. Together the sun, sand and sea set the mood for that perfect holiday. And while at beach you will not miss hundreds of stalls of sea food. Gorge on the prawns or the lobsters. Sea food is available in abundance. There are options for vegetarians also. The shops on the beach will remind you of a city's market place. There is a Cafe Coffee Day, Malini Ramani's boutique and an Oxford bookstore to name a few.

Nightlife of Calangute is in contrast to that of Anjuna. The bars close around ten pm, though few hippie joints still remain open. There is hardly any night life here, so if you are one of those party animals, Calangute is not the place for you.

Water sports

This is for that not-so-laid-back crowd. Calangute is one of the few beaches where water sports are available. There are more than a dozen of water sport operators along the beach. You can go for para sailing, water surfing, water skiing or banana and bump rides depending upon which you find more thrilling. There are some boat operators offering dolphin and crocodile spotting trips, island trips and fishing expeditions.

Shopping

A bazaar is held here every Saturday near post office and promises good bargains. Fish, meat, grocery, textiles, pottery and other provisions are all available in the market. There is also a Tibetan market and Kashmiri merchants also frequent Goa with carpet, embroidery works etc.

Some Sightseeing

Church of St. Alex celebrated its fourth centenary in 1996. This parish church is a must see in Calangute. It has a two towers and a magnificent white dome and ornate altars. Another local attraction is the Kerkar Art gallery. It displays works of art and craft of local artists. The gallery once in a week also hosts a night of Indian music.