Anjuna Beach, GoaWith its fluorescent painted palm trees and full moon parties, Anjuna Beach, 8-km west of Mapusa, is one of the most popular beaches of Goa. Most people's reasons for coming to Anjuna are the same as they were in the 1970s: dancing and lying on the beach slurping tropical fruit. While browsing in the area have a day trip to the famous flea market of Anjuna, a major shopping hangout, beside the beach.
Anjuna attracts a variety of tourists touring Goa, and the crowd includes from the happy go lucky kinds to overlanders, monks, defiant ex-hippies, gentle lunatics, artists, artisans, seers, searchers etc. Even those particular kinds of tourists who prefer to travel within the limit of their tour itinerary, cannot resist visiting this charming beach site.
» Tropical Sights Of Anjuna Beach
Bathing is generally safer at Anjuna than at most of the nearby resorts, especially at the more peaceful southern end of the beach, where a rocky headland keeps the sea calm and the undertow to a minimum. Taking long walks under the moon on the silver sands of this beach is something that any visitor would love to do at Anjuna, beside the favourite pastime of watching the sun going down.
At the north of the Anjuna Flea market ground, the beach area broadens, running in an uninterrupted kilometre long stretch of steeply shelving sand to a low red cliff. The village bus park lies on top of this high ground, where small cafes, bars and Kashmiri handicraft stalls are lined, making a perfect hangout zone near the beach site. Every lunch hour, tour parties from Panjim also pull-up in here for a beer, before heading home again, leaving the localities and tired tourists to watch the sunset peacefully and relax a bit.
» Visiting Time
The tourist season in Anjuna starts in early November, when most of the long staying regulars show up. During the Christmas and New Year rush, the village and beach site is busy with a mixed crowd of round the world backpackers and tourists from all over India, attracted by the promise of the big beach parties.
In off-season however, Anjuna has a surprisingly simple unhurried atmosphere. Visitors can also opt to stay at the large package tour hotels and beach resorts that have appeared over the past couple of years near the Anjuna beach site.
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