Kalacha Beach, a hidden gem in North Goa, offers an ideal escape for nomadic travelers seeking uninterrupted serenity and absolute privacy away from the bustling crowds. The presence of a charming sweet water lagoon, encircled by numerous palm trees and set against a backdrop of evergreen hills, contributes to the creation of a distinct ambiance. Due to minimal commercialization and limited awareness among tourists, this heavenly place still remains less explored and unspoiled, making it a perfect paradise for peace-loving backpackers.
On my hunt for offbeat beaches in Goa, when I uncovered the beautiful Kalacha beach, I just fell in love at first sight! After enjoying an unforgettable day trip packed with unlimited activities, we returned with endless sweet memories of Kalacha Beach!
Let’s delve into a comprehensive overview and a concise travel guide provided below.
Related Article: Amazing Cola Beach (South Goa)
Where is Kalacha Beach in Goa?
Kalacha Beach is a part of the extended North Goan beaches, nestled next to Arambol, approximately 35 km away from Panaji (the capital of Goa). Locally, it is also recognized as Paliyem Beach.
Magnificent Kalacha Beach is separated from the well-known Arambol Beach by a barrier of rocky landscapes and verdant hills. A long walk towards the north from Arambol Beach center brings you near Kalacha Beach; unfortunately, most tourists opt to avoid this extended stroll. Thus Kalacha Beach remains unexplored to the majority of tourists. Consequently, the tranquility of Kalacha remains preserved up to this day.
Another virgin beach nearby: Querim and Keri Beach near Arambol
Planning a Perfect Day Trip to Kalacha Beach
You must be wondering, how can you enjoy a full day at Kalacha Beach. Yes, the place is full of serenity and excitement; on one side you are getting a fantastic sea beach, while the backdrop of the beach features a sweet water lagoon, surrounded by green hills and hundreds of palm trees. Aside, you have the option to enjoy delicious seafood served by nearby beach restaurants. So literally, you have a lot of things to do in Kalacha Beach that are more than sufficient for a fantastic day trip.
Let’s explore.
Explore the Hidden Path Over Rocklands
For adventure enthusiasts, a hidden path over rocky landscapes serves as a unique experience to reach Kalacha Beach directly from Arambol. Some tourists also prefer trekking over the green hills, although this option is seasonal and requires proper guidance to navigate safely.
If you’re staying in an away destination like Mandrem, Morjim, or even Calangute, just rent a bike/scooter and head towards Kalacha Beach early in the morning.
How to reach Kalacha Beach by road?
A related article of your interest: Pondicherry – Explore Paradise Beach to Auroville
Relax on the Beach
In south Goa, you’ll find several beaches presenting freshwater lagoons or backwaters, such as Cola Beach, Palolem Beach, and Kakolem Beach. However, in north Goa, Kalacha is the only beach with a cool lagoon at the backdrop.
The prime attraction of the beach (the lagoon) resides at a 4-5 minutes walking distance from the rocky entrance. Palm-covered shady lagoon side is the best place to have some gossip while enjoying the sea view and a can of chilled beer. Indeed, the lagoon water offers endless entertainment to the little ones, as happened with our children.
The beachfront of Kalacha is settled with rows of temporary sunbeds that remain mostly occupied by foreign tourists. These are available for hourly rent from nearby restaurants.
Enjoy Exciting Sea Bath at Kalacha Beach
After spending quality time under the lagoon side palm trees, it’s time to play with the waves. Kalacha Beach is much flatter, hence the waves thud sequentially on the shore with optimum force, offering a perfect bathing ambiance. You can enjoy your sea bath for long hours, but don’t go far inside the sea. The deeper side is rocky and sloppy as mentioned by the coast guard.
Experience a refreshing Lagoon Bath
In Kalacha Beach, your bathing option is not restricted to the sea bath only. After enjoying an exciting sea bath when your body is over-saturated with salty particles, you have the option to wash it in the freshwater lagoon. It’s even more interesting as well as refreshing. It’s a low-depth lagoon with stony sculptures here and there; I swam across the lagoon from one side to another, and never find a sinking depth in between (actually I walked mostly). You just need to be a little careful about broken shells and sharp-aged stones under the water.
Eating & drinking options in Kalacha Beach
When you plan to visit Kalacha Beach, it’s a matter of a full day, from morning to afternoon. I guess you don’t like to eat cold & packed foods throughout the day. Then what’s the option?
At the rocky end of the beach, there are 2-3 restaurants that offer delicious readily-cooked food and drinks. When you enter the beach they will come to you to know your requirements, including food, drinks, snacks, or sunbeds. Once you order them, they will serve everything to your spot.
Among seafood, you must try black pomfret fry/ tandoor, kingfish fry, or tuna. Delicious crab and lobster fries are also available there!
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How to reach Kalacha Beach?
Kalacha Beach is situated in north Goa, very close to Arambol Beach. Starting from Arambol Beach, you can reach there by walking across the shoreline. Nevertheless, you can easily access Kalacha Beach from any destination in north Goa.
For your note, the exact route to reach Kalacha Beach is a bit complicated; even, GoogleMap fails to navigate the actual route, because there is no actual path at the end that GoogleMap can navigate; it’s not his fault, he is confused too! However, local people can help you swiftly.
Also, the last 0.5 km walking path passes through such a congested area, that it is difficult to expect the presence of such a beautiful beach nearby.
Anyway, you can check the suggested navigation below:
Follow road MDR17, then Arambol Beach Road, then take right to Harmal-Arambol Beach Road, take left from Hotspot mini market, next turn right and park your bike. Next, you have to stroll through a seachside local market until natural rock sculptures are visible on the seashore.
Thereafter, a stroll through the seaside local market leads you to natural rock sculptures visible on the seashore. Next, you have to go through that rocky landscape, which is not less than a short hiking trip. This is interesting but somehow troublesome if you have children on your team (we had). However, the magnificent wide-angle view of Kalacha Beach encourages you to cross the rocky barrier as quickly as possible.
For note:
- Nearest Airport: Dabolim (71 km)
- Nearest Railway station: Pernem (about 16 km)
Other popular railway stations are a bit away from Kalacha Beach: Thivim (30 km), Madgaon (69 km), Vasco Da Gama (62 km).
Where to stay near Kalacha Beach in Goa
Arambol, Mandrem, and Ashvem are the three most popular spots near Kalacha Beach. In Arambol, you’ll find hundreds of budget beach huts and homestays. Mandrem and Ashvem are a bit expensive. If you are looking for comfortable and aristocratic beach resorts, you should preferably stay at Ashvem or Mandrem. Apart from these, Morjim offers many affordable beach resorts. Though Morjim is a bit away from Kalacha Beach (9 km), you can easily reach there in 25 minutes by riding a bike.
Also, there is a stay option at Kalacha Beach, namely Sweet Valley Cottages. This is the only accommodation here. If you prefer to stay in nature’s paradise leaving the aristocracy of star hotels, you can definitely opt to stay at eco-friendly cottages. You can check the above link for more details about Sweet Valley Cottages (check the first link – Best Hotels in Arambol ).
Conclusive Remarks
North Goa is always a prime attraction to the foreign delegates and nomadic travelers in India, whereas Arambol, Mandrem, Ashven, Morjim, and Vagator are some of the most visited beaches around. Unlike other Goa beaches, the common Indian crowd is absent in Kalacha; mostly foreign visitors, tasteful Indians, and nature lovers visit this beach for day trip.
There are reasons behind; the presence of heavenly Kalacha beach (Paliyem beach) is unknown to most people; also, the lack of sufficient stay options and lesser commercialisations kept this place unexplored and an ultimate escape for peaceful beach vacation.
If you love to spend a decent beach holiday privately in a tranquil ambiance, then must visit Kalacha Beach in Goa, this place will fulfill all your expectations generously.
Do you have anything else to know about Kalacha Beach in Goa? Don’t hesitate if you have any further queries, just post your question in the comment box below, I’ll be more than happy to help you in planning the best trip to Kalacha Beach.
Have a nice trip!
Dr. Suvankar Das is a scientific advisor by profession, associated with a CRO organization. He pursued his doctoral degree in Chemistry in 2015. Later, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher & scientist in a couple of institutes/companies.
Besides his scientific journey, Dr. Das is also a passionate traveler and travel blogger. He loves to share all his travel experiences with other travelers so that everyone can enjoy hassle-free holidays with their own tour plans.
He believes, the most beautiful thing in this world is the WORLD itself. so there is no way to live like a clock; rather live it like a compass!
