Asia

Vagator Beach: Why It’s a Must-Visit Spot in North Goa

Vagator (Goa) is a pretty resort village in the northern part of Goa, near the villages of Anjuna and Chapora. The resort is just 22 km from Goa’s capital, Panaji, and 9 km from Mapu

When hippies flocked to the beaches of Goa in the 1960s and 70s, one of the places where they most liked to gather was Vagor. Round-the-clock “parties” and open-air hangouts, accompanied by loud psychedelic music, spread to nearby villages. Then the authorities forbade turning on loud music after 22:00, but the police still struggled with violations for a long time. Over time, the order was restored, and now it is strictly observed in Vagator.

A tip! Almost all local entertainment venues close at 22: 00. If you want to continue having fun with trance-Goa tunes, you can visit the Hilltop, Disco Valley, Nine Bar clubs. All of them have successfully solved the problem of sound insulation and work even after 22:00.

In 2014, a night market appeared in Vagator. All the time during the tourist season, on Fridays live music is played on the top of the hill, merchants gather with a wide variety of goods. A huge advantage of this market is that you can easily park nearby – there is a lot of space. But, unlike other famous markets in Goa, it is not so crowded and there is no such fascinating colorful atmosphere.

Vagator Beach

Most tourists from Europe and Israel come to Vagator to relax, although there is no large influx of tourists. One of the reasons is that the tourist infrastructure is not very developed, and its level is not as high as in other resorts in Goa. Nevertheless, there is everything you need for a full-fledged holiday: comfortable hotels, budget guesthouses, restaurants, shopping shops, supermarkets and even attractions. But the main thing for which tourists go a Vagator to Goa is the beach. The most comfortable weather for a beach holiday in this resort is from November to March – this is the time of high season.

A tip! For a tourist trip, it is advantageous to apply for an international SIM card for travel Drimsim. For $ 11, you can use the Internet and cellular communication throughout your stay in Goa or any other state of India.

Vagator Beach

Located in the bay, the beach is conventionally divided into 3 sections: The Big Vagator, the Small Vagator, and the Middle Vagator spread out between them.

Large Vagator

Bolshoy Vagator Beach

The northernmost, widest and longest part of the coastal strip of this resort of Goa is Big Vagator. The descent to this beach is located near the bus stop, where buses come not only from Goa, but also from other states of India.

Big Vagator is covered with fairly light sand, but due to the large number of rocks, it is not suitable for swimming. Sunbathing can also be very uncomfortable, as many Hindus gather here who like to gawk at Europeans.

There are no restaurants or shacks on this beach.

A tip! One of the most famous local attractions, a must-see, is located next to the Big Vagator. This is the ancient fort of Chapora, or rather, its picturesque ruins. From the cliff on which the fort stands, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Arabian Sea coast, Morjim, the Chapora River and small villages. For a photo shoot, this place is perfect!

Medium Vagator

Sredny Vagator Beach

This Vagator beach is quite small, surrounded by rocks on all sides. The coast and the top of the hill are connected by a rather steep and narrow staircase, which requires good physical training. Middle Vagator is notable for the fact that the Disco Valley nightclub is located directly above it. This place is well known throughout North Goa since the hippie days, and still hosts trance music parties.

Small Vagator

The most attractive and adapted local beach is Small Vagator, hidden behind a picturesque cliff with numerous palm trees. The attractiveness of Little Vagator Beach in Goa is confirmed by beautiful photos and rave reviews of tourists.

The staircase leading down to the beach starts among the stalls lining the road, and ends with the building of a public toilet (many tourists mistakenly believe that this is a local landmark). Then a rocky path leads to the sea, winding among numerous palm trees. It should be noted that in addition to pedestrians, cows use this path, and their “tortillas” are everywhere.

Maly Vagator Beach

The coastal strip on Small Vagator is covered with dark sand, among which there are many stones. There are rocks under the water, and the water itself is often muddy due to sand rising from the bottom. The descent to the sea is quite steep, the shallow water ends quickly. There are often small waves at sea: they do not interfere with swimming, but they are pleasant to ride on small foam boards.

The beach infrastructure on the Small Vagator provides tourists with everything they need, but still it is less developed here than in the popular hangout areas of North Goa. Along the coast there are colorful restaurants and shacks, where visitors can enjoy not only tables with chairs, but also sun beds, sun beds and umbrellas. In the evenings, most restaurants offer promotions: 2 cocktails for the price of one.

Sometimes Small Vagator Beach offers yoga classes. But much more often here you can see lovers of sunbathing topless-and this is despite the fact that in Goa nudism is prohibited by law.

A tip! If you go to the southernmost point of this beach, you will see a completely unusual landmark of Goa-the sculpture “Shiva’s Face”, carved directly into the rock. This statue, although it resembles a natural wonder, is still man-made: in the 1970s, it was created by the Italian Antonio Carolli.

Accommodation in Vagator

Vagator Beach Hotel

On the company’s website Booking.com there are more than 120 hotels in Vagator. During the high season, finding accommodation can be difficult, so you need to book it in advance.

There are 4* and 5* hotels in Vagator, but the vast majority are 3* hotels and gasthouses. The resort village is located on a hill, which means that it is impossible to find a hotel or guest house directly on the beach. The most convenient areas for the settlement, from where the closest access to Small Vagator beach is along the road that leads from the final stop of intercity buses to the Sea View Point observation deck, or near the Moonlight restaurant.

In high season, a double room in a 3* hotel can be rented for $ 25 and above, most often prices are in the range of $70-100. In 4* hotels, a room for two people per night will cost from $ 50 and above. Prices for a guest house room start at $15.

A tip! In Vator, however, as in all of Goa and India, there are petty thieves who can take everything that “lies badly” not only on the beach, but also indoors. It will be too late to take any measures after the theft, and contacting the police will most likely not bring any results. The easiest way to save your belongings is to rent a safe in a reputable hotel. The cost of such a service will be different in each specific case, especially if you have to negotiate with the hotel employees without being its guests. You need to focus on $ 20 in 10 days, bidding is always appropriate.

Food in Vagator

Vagator Beach Restaurant

In Vagator, there is a fairly wide selection of establishments that offer delicious food at quite reasonable prices. Many shacks and colorful restaurants are located along the road near the beaches of Sredny and Maly Vagator.

Among the most popular restaurants are Tibet O-live (pizza and traditional Tibetan dishes are prepared), Le Bluebird (good European food, vegetarian dishes, a large selection of seafood, a variety of wines), China Town (Chinese cuisine). Young people like to visit the Robert’s cafe – it is open around the clock, and at the same time serves as a chillout zone and something like a flea market.

  • Breakfast for one person in the restaurant will cost from$3,
  • European cuisine-from$1.8,
  • indian food-from $ 1.7.
  • the price of the cheapest pizza “Margarita” – 2.5$,
  • chicken schnitzel according to the Jewish recipe – $ 3.5.

You can eat even cheaper in shacks, but the choice of dishes is usually not too large.

  • “Tomato badji” – boiled potatoes with tomatoes and spices in a spicy sauce are offered for$0.2.
  • Hot sauce “chana masala” (made from chickpeas) and “bins baji” (made from beans), served with a slice of bread or fried in butter flatbread “puri”, will start at $ 0.7.
  • Samosa pies with a spicy potato or mushroom filling are priced at$ 0.15. A glass of tea with milk will cost $ 0.15 – $ 0.25.
  • For 0.55-0.For$ 7, you can buy a glass of milk and fruit cocktail or fresh juice with ice and sugar.

High-quality, fresh, natural juices can be purchased at Jai Ganesh Fruit Juice Center – this is one of the best juice centers in Goa.

A tip! With the heat prevailing in India, microbes spread very quickly, so eating disorders are a significant danger for tourists. If there are signs of poisoning, you should contact a doctor who works for the insurance company that issued insurance for the trip abroad. If there is no insurance or the doctor is far away, you can call an ambulance (phone number 108) and go to the state hospital.

How to get to Vagator

To get to Vagator in India, citizens of the CIS countries need to fly to Dabolim Airport – the closest to this village and the only one in Goa.

Taxi

The most convenient way to get from Dabolim to Vagator is by taxi. To order a taxi, you need to contact the service staff who are standing at special counters near the exit from the airport building. Near the counters there are stands that indicate the cost of a trip – the taxi service is state-owned, and prices are fixed. A trip by car without air conditioning will cost $ 17, with air conditioning- $ 19.

Taxi service in India

Public transport

Traveling by public transport is cheaper, but you will have to make several transfers and spend more time on the road.

If you take a bus, you must first get to the bus station in Vasco da Gama or Panaji, and from there-to Mapusa.

The nearest train station to Vagator is located in Tivima (Chivima), so you need to go there from Vasco da Gama railway station. The longest route from Tivim to Mapusa is by bus.

From Mapusa, you can take a bus to Badema, and then walk from there for almost a kilometer, or immediately take a taxi to Vagator (Goa) for about$6.

author avatar
Konstantin
Konstantin is a travel writer passionate about uncovering unique destinations and sharing practical tips for unforgettable adventures. A regular contributor to waypoinwonder.com, he specializes in bringing iconic landmarks and hidden gems to life through authentic storytelling. From exploring Maldives' best resorts to diving into Croatia’s natural wonders, his writing inspires readers to travel deeper and smarter.

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