Spending Leisure Vacation At Agonda Beach

Goa is now one of my preferred vacation spots, especially because of the tranquil atmosphere; a perfect way to refresh the mind from the regular humdrum and stresses. The beaches in South Goa are a special attraction for me, the calmness acts as a balm to a tired soul. I love applying the balm within me, resurrecting the energy to move forward. One of the reasons that motivates me to visit the place. My first visit was to Palolem Beach and then exploring North Goa, Agoda Fort, Big Foot, Panaji, Fountain Has, and North Goa beaches. This time the visit was solely for a leisure vacation at Agonda Beach in South Goa.

Planning for the Trip

Well, good or bad I don’t know, I could never travel in advance for any of my trips. And as usual, my leisure vacation at Agonda Beach was also not planned properly. It was a sudden decision, booking the flights in haste and then connecting with the resorts for discounts, etc. It was a family trip with my son and hubby. We finally settled down for Oxygen, a beachfront resort.

Reaching Agonda Beach

My journey started by boarding the Indigo flight from Kolkata and descending at the new Manohar International Airport at Mopa in North Goa. The time was 9:30 PM and we were a bit skeptical whether we would be able to manage a cab to reach the resort. By the way, we had not anticipated the trouble before and tried to keep ourselves calm as much as possible. The private cabs started asking for 6000 Rupees and some even more to travel a distance of about 2 hours. And then luck did shower on us. We booked a cab via Goa Miles, which was not completely smooth though initially. First two cab drivers refused and finally, there was one savior. So off we were in the cab, starting our 2-hour journey to Oxygen Resort. The cab driver explained the reason for the denial by others, saying we need to pass a forest area and people need to stay overnight inside the car at South Goa before they can come back. That was a big lesson learned for us, not to book a flight late at night if you have to travel to South Goa.

The drive was adventurous indeed, with meandering roads, precarious turns, and indeed forest areas. But the cab driver was superb, manoeuvering the vehicle with ease; indeed an expert. He was chatting with us too and showing us the prominent spots along the route. With absolutely no hassles, we reached our destination Oxygen Resort, waiting to be courteously greeted by the resort staff even though it was night at 12:30 AM. That is the spirit of Goa.

Night Fun at Love Bites

We were escorted to our room, a spacious one, neatly maintained with all modern amenities. It was at. the ground floor with two sun beds and directly facing the sea beach. I was delighted, the moment the sound of the waves treated my ears. The tiredness of travel vanished like a jiffy and we decided to spend some time at the adjacent restaurant. While entering the resort, we had already noticed the lively atmosphere of the restaurant. We enquired that it stays open till 3:00 AM midnight, and so we were at the restaurant with some food and drinks coupled with some soothing music. A good start to my leisure vacation at Agonda Beach.

Next-Day Breakfast

The next day morning was bliss. The seawater and the beach greeted us galore. The breeze was so soothing, it seemed to tranquilize the mind. I felt like drifting with it and being lost in its core. We walked past the resort and entered another restaurant adjacent to it for breakfast. Loved the tea and food over there and we decided to be back again the next day for breakfast. I especially appreciated the idea of the chairs placed directly over the sands for that beach feeling. The service also was prompt and the boys were extremely well-mannered.

The Agonda Beach during the day

I fail to summarize my words while describing the surreal beauty of Agonda Beach. The waves looming above in a rhythm and crashing across the shores spreading the white foams is a sight to gap on for hours. The best part for me was it was not crowded at all. I loved the silence, it was magical in all ways. A good convincing reason to come back here again and be engulfed in its captivating beauty.

I sat and watched the people as they swayed themselves into the waves. My son and hubby joined them after some time and I sat and watched them too. Small kids with their parents carving out some structures with sand, reminded me of my childhood days. Few people were engaged in some beach volleyball and football, and I watched them in delight. Many were performing yoga, and light workouts and were sunbathing too. I saluted their spirit silently. Some were even reading from books or Kindle readers. No one was bothered by what others were engaged in, all engrossed in their own sweet world. This fascinates me about a place and hence my vacation at Agonda Beach will be memorable forever.

Lunch options

There are plenty of options for lunch, as you walk alongside the road beside the resort. Continental cuisine, Goa cuisine, South Indian cuisine, Italian cuisine, and typical Indian cuisine – all are present. You just need to select your preferred one and hop on to it. The only drawback is you need to carry cash as the internet may sometimes not work preventing the use of cards or UPI. We visited two restaurants for lunch on our trip – Zest and La Dolce Vita Pizzeria. Both had lovely decor and served food and drinks with not a single iota of complaint. Overall a splendid experience I must say for our vacation at Agonda Beach.

The beach at night

At about 4:30 PM when the strength of the sun rays was reduced, we ventured into the beach again. It was fun being drenched in the sea waters and again watching the waves. The beach is protected and guarded by lifeguards who keep a constant vigil on the swimmers and do not allow them to venture deep into the sea. I liked that, their responsibility to keep the tourists safe. As dusk approached, an amazing experience was awaiting us. The sunset, a phenomenal view of the golden hue spread across the horizon. I was mesmerized by the beauty and could not shift my eyes as the sun descended to vanish from our vicinity. The beauty of the beach magnified instantly, casting a spell around. We walked along the full stretch of the beach, quite a long walk but was rejuvenating too.

At the fag end of the beach, the view was entirely different. There were no waves, only the backwaters surrounded by greenery. A fisherman was constantly spreading across his fishing net, waiting for his catch. I was spellbound by his patience, trying multiple times with the same spirit and rhythm for his success. There was so much to learn from him, struggling for his livelihood.

Dinner Options

Like lunch, the place has multiple dinner options. Most of them close by 11 PM, so you need to plan accordingly. The entire road stretch transforms into a lively environment with people and music. We also floated ourselves into the vibes, enjoying the drinks and food. Even we watched a football match and cheered along with others for the winning team. It was truly a different fun altogether.

Shopping near the beach

Visiting Goa and without some shopping doesn’t gel quite well. So here I was hopping into the street stores for some clothes, and junk jewelry; a must-shopping spree. You will find plenty of shops along the road, some selling clothes, and jewelry, some selling coconut water, and the spa parlors for foot and body massage. That reminded me, that I had a relaxing foot massage at the resort itself by a professional lady who came in at our room. She was a nice lady, very good in her work, and polite in her behavior.

Return back to Kolkata

My vacation at Agonda Beach was spent the way I exactly wanted it to be. My heart was enlivened, the experience I was craving desperately to beat out the hectic schedules at the office. I promised to come back again to this fascinating place. Our flight was in the afternoon from Dabolim airport which was almost 1 and half hours from the resort. We had arrived on a Saturday night and left the place on a Tuesday. Almost 2 and a half days spent jovially, perfect for a short vacation.

I hope you loved reading my experience at Agonda Beach, do share your vacation experience too.