By Thankam Suresh

Palolem is a beautiful beach situated at South Goa. It is located around 25 kms from Margao(the main city in South Goa) and is just 30 kms from the town of Karwar in Karnataka.

Palolem beach is unknown to many and hence it is one of the cleanest and unspoiled beaches you can ever find in Goa.

It is a lovely beach which is crescent- shaped and both ends of the beach consist of rocks jutting out into the sea.
The depth of the sea is shallow in the beginning and increases gradually, making it comparatively safer for the swimmers. The beach is inhabited by local fishermen and foreign tourists who lives in shacks along the shore or the main village.

The best time to visit Palolem is during February to May. From June to November the monsoon will be in full swing and you will not be able to enjoy the place completely.
During summer season you can take a boat ride to see the dolphins and also visit the two beautiful islands called butterfly Island and Honeymoon Island which are just a few miles away from the beach.

For accommodation at Palolem either you can rent a shack on the sea shore for Rs.300/- or you can get rooms at the resorts out there for an affordable price as low as Rs.800/- for a night.
There are also many bars on the beach where you can eat and drink for a very reasonable price. For those who love Indian food, you can go to “Spicy Bella, a typical Punjabi restaurant which provides yummy Indian food and for those who would like to have English/ American food you can go to The Palolem beach Resort restaurant and Smuggler’s Inn for an amazing foodie experience. There are also many other small restaurants providing mouth- watering delicacies including the famous sea foods which are famous in Goa.

Palolem is indeed another paradise on earth. It is very peaceful and not so crowded with tourists. If you are looking for a place to relax and rejuvenate yourself, Palolem is definitely the place you are looking for.

Some Facts about Palolem

• Some scenes from Matt Damon’s major motion picture "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) were shot here
  
  
• At the north end of the beach on the island dubbed ‘Monkey Island’ there is a sculpture by famous artist Jacek Tylicki called ‘Give if you can, Take if you have to’. 
  
  
• Goa is India’s smallest state and Palolem is one of its southernmost beaches

How to reach Palolem

• The nearest Airport is Dabolim airport which is 67 km away from Palolem.From there you can hire a taxi which will cost you around Rs.1200/-

• The next option if you are arriving by train is to hire a taxi from Madgaon station to Palolem which will cost around Rs.700/-

• The next option from Madgaon station is to hire an auto-rickshaw from station to Kadamba Bus Stand paying Rs40. There are plenty of buses running towards South Goa from there which will drop you at Canacona Bus Stand. Canacona is the nearest city and is just 3 kms away from Palolem. U can take another Auto-Rickshaw from there which will cost you around Rs.40/-

• Buses ply regularly from Madgaon to Palolem and that would drop you at the Canacona village. Moreover there are also plenty of buses from Madgaon to Karwar at regular intervals.