COLVA BEACH
Everything You Need to Know About Colva Beach.
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| Colva Beach |
Colva Beach is the oldest, largest and most spectacular beaches of South Goa. At a distance of 33 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 8 km from Margao Railway Station and 25 km from Vasco Railway Station, Colva Beach is located in South Goa. It is one of the prime Places to visit in Goa state and among the best beaches in Goa.
Common Info
Distance (From Panjim (Goa)): 33 Kms
Visited From: Panjim (Goa)
Trip Duration (Including Travel): 2-3 Hours
Place Location: South Goa
Transportation Options: Bus / Cab / Rental Bike
Travel Tips: Following places can be visited from Colva Beach:
Betalbatim Beach (4.6 kms), Sernabatim Beach (4.2 kms), Benaulim Beach (4.4 kms), Majorda Beach (6.4 kms), Our Lady of Merces Church (1.6 kms), Varca Beach (10 kms), Utorda Beach (7 kms), Arossim Beach (9.7 kms), Cansaulim Beach (10 kms), Mobor Beach (17.5 kms), Velsao Beach (11.6 kms)The beach consists of about 25 km of the fine powdered white sand and is bounded along its coast by coconut palms that stretch from Bogmalo in the north to Cabo de Rama in the south along south Goa's coastline. Colva is one of the top beaches in Goa.
In the colonial days it used to be the retreat for Margao's high society. Today the area that is reminiscent of the luxurious lifestyle of the aristocratic class has the beautiful houses and villas that dot the village.
The main beach area can get quite crowded especially on weekends. This is less packed than Anjuna and Calanguate Beach. Colva is South Goa's most happening beach especially for shopping and nightlife. The beach is full of shacks and restaurants. This beach is constantly monitored by lifeguards and the swimming areas are flagged for warnings. Water sports on Colva Beach comprises mainly of jet skiing and speed boat rides.
Apart from the beach itself the other main attraction for the tourists are the 'Menino Jesus' statue at the church of Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Piedade (Our Lady of Mercy) founded in 1630. The church lies in the village square.
Although the Colva Beach has never been a hilarious destination for rave parties, Colva's nightlife is livelier and vibrant.
History
At a distance of 33 km from Panjim Kadamba Bus Stand, 8 km from Margao Railway Station and 25 km from Vasco Railway Station, Colva Beach is located in South Goa. It is one of the prime Places to visit in Goa state and among the best beaches in Goa.Colvá was a vast barren uninhabited land with a scenic Arabian Sea beach that had beach plants such as scaevola sericea until a few Harim (Fisherfolk community) settled there as migrants, primarily in the neighbouring village of Benaulim. The mughals, the people of Adil Shahi dynasty preferred the north and hilly regions of Goa, where they built forts and defences, rather than the coastal belt, and hence had not settled the barren land of Colvá. It was the Portuguese conquest which established the western regions of South Goa as a full-fledged human settlement.
Colvá was under Portuguese administration, as the Province of Portuguese-Goa, from 1510 until 1961 (and was still under dispute and represented in the Parliament of Portugal till 1974/75). It was the village of the Portuguese Roiz family, the descendants of D. Diogo Rodrigues, and its villagers. The village had belonged since 1550 to D. Diogo Rodrigues, who was the Lord of Colvá (Landlord of Colvá). He built the first Portuguese architecture residential house in 1551 facing away from the sea and at a distance from the shore to avoid any enemy attacks from the Arabian Sea. The entire beach called Praia da Colvá belonged to him.
In the 18th century, one of Diogo's descendants, Sebastião José Roiz, ordered the village people to plant coconut trees along the entire coastline, which the villagers thought was a waste of time as the soil was white and thus infertile and unable to sustain their growth. However today the shore line is fringed by those plantations of coconut trees. The entire Colvá shore and beach property as far as Betalbatim was inherited by various descendants of the Roiz family until the late 20th century, after which parts were handed over to the Government of Goa under the post-1974 Indian administration following the 1961 annexation of Goa by India. The rest of the land was sold.
Colvá was under Portuguese administration, as the Province of Portuguese-Goa, from 1510 until 1961 (and was still under dispute and represented in the Parliament of Portugal till 1974/75). It was the village of the Portuguese Roiz family, the descendants of D. Diogo Rodrigues, and its villagers. The village had belonged since 1550 to D. Diogo Rodrigues, who was the Lord of Colvá (Landlord of Colvá). He built the first Portuguese architecture residential house in 1551 facing away from the sea and at a distance from the shore to avoid any enemy attacks from the Arabian Sea. The entire beach called Praia da Colvá belonged to him.
In the 18th century, one of Diogo's descendants, Sebastião José Roiz, ordered the village people to plant coconut trees along the entire coastline, which the villagers thought was a waste of time as the soil was white and thus infertile and unable to sustain their growth. However today the shore line is fringed by those plantations of coconut trees. The entire Colvá shore and beach property as far as Betalbatim was inherited by various descendants of the Roiz family until the late 20th century, after which parts were handed over to the Government of Goa under the post-1974 Indian administration following the 1961 annexation of Goa by India. The rest of the land was sold.
