North Goa or South Goa? How To Decide!

When we planned our India trip, we knew we wanted to spend time in Goa towards the end of the adventure, but we had no idea whether we should go to North or South Goa.

The two parts of Goa have striking contrasts, and people often forget that Goa is a state so just saying you’re going to ‘Goa’ is a bit vague!

Luckily, Goa is small enough to travel between North and South easily, even if you only have a few days there.

Having started our India trip in Kochi before spending a week in Kerala, where we cruised on the famous Kerala backwaters and stayed in a heavenly resort called Xandari Pearl, we were ready for some chilled-out beach time in Goa before we ended our trip with a bang: 24 hours in Mumbai.

We decided to wing it and spent some time in both North and South Goa. The two both boast the great beaches that make Goa famous, but North Goa is very different to the South.

Don’t have much time in Goa while travelling around some of the best destination in South India and want to make sure you go to the area that will best suit your travel style? Here, I’ll explain the differences between Goa’s north and south.

I’ve put everything I learned during my time in Goa into this post, including information about the differences in beaches, crowds, food and nightlife scene in each area. Read on for help deciding which part of Goa is right for you.

North Goa vs South Goa

Having spent time in both the North and South of Goa, we felt like we achieved a good balance of partying and beach days. However, if you’re only going to be in Goa for a short time, you might not want to waste valuable hours travelling from place to place.

Consider your travel style and what you want out of your Goa holiday before you try to decide whether to stay in North or South Goa!

Is North Goa best?

If you like hustle and bustle, North Goa is for you. This is the best part of Goa for partying. North Goa is a lot more chaotic than the South and there’s more to see and do as it’s more developed and ready for tourists.

I’d be inclined to describe North Goa as like an Indian Benidorm but that’s not really fair – partly because there are some great places to eat in Benidorm and you can make any holiday your own. Despite the crowds, the beaches in North Goa are still nice – just not as nice as they are Down South!

Best area to stay in North Goa

We went to North Goa first. North Goa comprises the Anjuna/Vagator area, which we didn’t bother with as we had read it was very crowded. Instead, we stayed in the southern part of North Goa: Calangute.

We felt that Calangute is the best location to stay in North Goa because this part of the beach is cleaner. We could walk along the beach to either rowdy Baga if we wanted to absorb the local nightlife, or head in the other direction towards quieter Candolim for a romantic sunset walk. We enjoyed having the best of both worlds.

During our time in the North we stayed at Hotel Goan Heritage which was a handy base. It had a pool but we didn’t bother with it because the beach was so gorgeous.

If you’d like to see city life in Goa, you can spend a day in the state’s capital, Panaji. There are more historical and cultural attractions in the North, and plenty of Portuguese architecture. You won’t find this so much in the South.

If you decide to stay in North Goa, you can check out accommodation prices and availability for Candolim, Calungate, Old Goa, Vagator etc on Booking.com.

Beaches in North Goa

The beach running along Candolim, Calangute and Baga is the largest in North Goa and because you can walk easily between the different towns that share it, it doesn’t matter too much which area you stay in.

One of the best beaches in North Goa, it’s lined by crude beach shacks, which are bigger than I expected them to be. You can use the shack’s sun loungers for free and just buy your drinks etc from the shack.

Most of the beach shacks in North Goa are run by men and at many of them, a woman runs the beach area, offering massage and manicures on the side. Some sell sarees too!

You would have to stray from the beaten path and go far north to find any deserted beaches in North Goa.

Is North Goa safe for female travellers?

We found that North Goa attracts busloads of young Indian men who come for the promise of crazy nightlife and foreign women. The huge groups of men could be a little intimidating, so I was glad I was travelling with my partner.

If you’re a woman travelling solo in Goa, I wouldn’t recommend North Goa simply because the hassle can get annoying. Even when Tom went for a swim, I was approached by men asking for selfies with me as I lay on the sand.

I’m also pretty sure I had some dodgy alcohol in North Goa one night as I only had three drinks and felt sick and dizzy the next day. It didn’t feel like a normal hangover. I’d stick to beer in North Goa, just in case. That advice is for men too, obviously!

Where to eat, drink and party in North Goa

The food served in the shacks is hit and miss but there are a lot of excellent restaurants in North Goa. There’s a busy main road beyond the beach in Calangute with shops and more restaurants. We had a lovely meal at Taste of India. On the beachfront, Xavier’s is the place to go for sundowners.

It’s expensive by Indian standards, but if you’re celebrating something special I can’t recommend a restaurant called A Reverie enough. The restaurant itself is bougie AF, and the food was incredible. The cocktails are just as good!

If you’re heading to Goa for the nightlife, North Goa is for you. We were told that Tito’s Lane in Baga is a must-visit. Join the throngs of Indian revellers for a drink on this busy street, but my advice is to skip the lane’s namesake club.

We had read that the unlimited food and drink you get for the Titos entry fee (single ladies enter free, couples entry is 2000 or ‘stags’ pay 1700) is a con so we decided to skip it. Instead, we took an upstairs seat in a hookah bar to watch from above. 

We saw a young woman being carried out of Titos, very drunk. I wouldn’t even have gone in with Tom, just because the crowd was very male-heavy.

We were a bit disappointed to find that the whole hippy scene that Goa became known for in the ’90s has pretty much died. Apparently you can still find whispers of it further north, in Vagator and Anjuna for example.

How long to spend in North Goa

We were in North Goa for three nights. When it was time to leave I was a little reluctant because we were having such a chilled time, but happily South Goa turned out to be even better!

If you’re short on time, I’d recommend skipping North Goa and focusing your time in the South. However, if you do have the luxury of time, North Goa is still worth visiting – but go there first, so you can chill out properly in the South afterwards!

Best tours and activities in North Goa

Is South Goa better than North Goa?

South Goa offers a more relaxed desert island experience. There are laws against development in the area so things are very informal and more primitive and rustic. Nightlife in South Goa is limited to silent discos, so this is the place to go to chill out.

Sleepy South Goa is more popular with international, independent travellers than North Goa. Plus, the weather in South Goa is a little less humid than in the North, where it was a bit oppressive even in November.

Best area to stay in South Goa

After a lot of research and various fellow travel bloggers telling me I HAD to go to Palolem, that’s where we went. It was paradise on earth. I definitely recommend staying in Palolem when you visit South Goa.

If you’re planning to travel around, some of the other best areas to stay in South Goa are Cola, Patnem and Agonda. If you click the links, you’ll be directed to booking.com where you can check prices and availability of accommodation in each area.

Accommodation in Palolem is predominantly beach huts which range in price and facilities. Not all of them have air conditioning obviously, so we went for one that did. O3 Beach Resort was a lovely little hideaway.

Many travellers like to hire a scooter to explore South Goa. I was too scared!

Beaches in South Goa

South Goa is famous for its pristine beaches and Palolem Beach did not disappoint. It was picture-perfect and I was gobsmacked the first time we strode out from between the palm trees onto this stunning landscape.

Lined with colourful beach huts backing onto a lush curtain of palm trees, Palolem Beach is one of the best beaches in South Goa. It’s popular with independent travellers but never felt crowded – unlike the beaches we went to in North Goa.

There are plenty of watersports on offer in South Goa, and at a much cheaper price than you would expect to pay elsewhere.

If you’re travelling around South Goa, Agonda Beach, Colva Beach and Butterfly Beach are all gorgeous.

The beach shacks in Palolem are a little more refined and sturdy than the ones in North Goa.

Is South Goa safe for female travellers?

I wouldn’t have walked around alone after dark (wouldn’t do that in many places), but I felt much more at ease in South Goa than in the North. No hives of rowdy men!

One thing that is worth noting is that much of the accommodation option in South Goa are flimsy beach huts which would be easy to break in to. Take a padlock, carry an anti-theft backpack and hide your valuables to keep things safe.

Where to eat, drink and party in South Goa

Good luck finding anywhere to party in South Goa! On the flip side, there are some fantastic cheap places to eat. We didn’t have one bad meal in any of the beach bars while we were in the South.

We ate at Titanic a few times because it was right in front of O3 Beach Resort. The guy there looked after us, sorting out taxis etc. One night, we splashed out on a lobster dinner there and it was so delicious. We’ll talk about that meal for the rest of our lives!

There’s a bit of a backpacker scene at El Diablo, which is two minutes’ walk inland. It’s a steakhouse with beer pong, a cinema and cocktail bar. Quite a lot of facilities for a roadside bar!

How long to spend in South Goa

If I’m being honest, I wanted to stay in South Goa forever. It definitely won the North versus South Goa battle for me personally! I do think it could get a bit too quiet though, so if you get antsy when things are too chilled, you might want to only stay in South Goa for a few nights.

There isn’t a lot to do in South Goa if you don’t like the beach!

Best tours and activities in South Goa

Getting to Goa

We flew into Dabolim Airport, also known as Goa International Airport, from Kerala. You can check prices and availability of flights from your nearest airport to Goa.

When you land, head to the prepaid taxi desk and order a taxi to your hotel from there for a fixed price. Be warned that you pay extra at night!

Alternatively, you can book a private transfer for ease of mind.

You might prefer to get to Goa by ground transportation. If that’s the case, take a look at your options via Bookaway.

Getting from North Goa to South Goa

From Calangute in North Goa, our taxi to South Goa, more specifically Palolem, cost 3000. The journey time from North to South Goa in a taxi is around three hours.

You should always agree on a price for a long journey like this one before you get in the car. The roads in Goa are a bit sketchy so one good tip is to pick an older driver, who is likely to drive more cautiously than a younger guy.

Best trips from Goa

So, should you head to North Goa or South Goa on your India trip? I think that if you’re into partying and prefer to be places with a bit of buzz about them, North Goa is for you. But if you’re going to India in search of picture-perfect beaches, yoga and downtime, I recommend you head straight down south.

If you want to see updates from my time in Goa, you can check out my India Story highlights on Instagram.

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