canacona
Location: Goa
Main Attraction: Pololem, Chaudi, and Agonda
The Far South District Of Canacona: Ceded to the Portuguese by the Raja of Sund in the treaty of 1791, Goa's far south - Canacona district - was among the last parts of the territory to be absorbed into the Novas Conquistas, and has retained a distinctly Hindu feel.
The area also boasts some of the state's most outstanding scenery. Set against a backdrop of the Jungle covered Sahyadri Hills (an extension of the Western Ghat Range), a string of pearl white coves and sweeping beaches scoop its indented coastline. Enfolded by laterite headlands and colossal piles of back boulders.
PRIME ATTRACTION
So far, tourism has made little impression on this beautiful landscape. With the exception of the village of Palolem, whose near perfect beach attracts a steady flow of day trippers and longer staying travelers during high season, the coastal settlements remain rooted in a traditional fishing and Todi-tapping economy.
Chaudi: Chaudi, 33-km south of Margao, is Canacona district's charmless headquarters. Packed around a noisy junction on the main Panjim-Mangalore highway, it is primarily a transport hub, of interest to visitors only because of its proximity to Palolem, 2-km west. Buses to and from Panjim, Margao, and Karwar in Karnataka Taluka trundle in and out of a scruffy square on the main street, from where taxis and auto rickshaws ferry passengers to the villages scattered across the surroundings fields. The area's only pharmacy stand just off the crossroads, handy if one is staying in Palolem.
Agonda: Agonda, 10-km north of Chaudi, can only be reached along the sinuous coast road connecting Cabo De Rama with NH-14 at Chaudi. No signposts mark the turning and few of the tourists that whiz past en route to Palolem pull off here, but the beach, fringed along its entire length by Todi trees, is superb. Its remote location is not the only reason this 3-km spread of white sand has been bypassed by the bulldozers. Villagers here are opposed to any kind of tourist development. At present, there are only two places to stay over here, both situated at the far end of the beach.
HOW TO GET THERE
Rail: For the last year or two, it has been possible to reach Canacona by direct "Superfast" Express trains from Mumbai, Panjim and Mangalore.
Road: The regions main transport artery is the NH-17, which crawls across the Sahyadri and Karmali Ghats towards Karnataka via the district headquarters, Chaudi. Bus services between here and Margao are quite frequent.
NEARBY CITIES
Margao: 33-km Vasco-da-Gama: 63-km Panjim: 64-km
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