seclusion - calangute or somewhere else?

i was interested in travelling to goa in the coming weeks. ive heard from other travelers that the crowds are still pretty thick despite the lack of tourism elsewhere. somebody suggested calangute as a good spot if you dont want crowds, but she said you might want to check as she had not been there in about two years. i hear much about it now and was wondering if anybody here as visited recently. are the ravers and such still crowding anjuna? any input about other cities nearby without crowds and tourists would be greatly appreciated.

Ive just came back from Calangute and although it was busy (xmas) a lot of the crowds were made up of Indian tourists down for the holiday. Candolim is a much better spot to base your self in, the beach is nicer there and theres not so much traffic. As for the ravers at Anjuna well I'm not really into that scene so I didnt check it out the only time we went there was for the market, but I did hear that the police were clamping down on the parties at the moment. Mapsa and Panjim are the only large towns in the area and I wouldnt really recomend staying at either, by all means visit them, Panjim has some really nice restaurants ( Goachin is very nice although a bit pricey and the restaurant in the Hotel Mandovi is very good) and a few church's and temples that are worth seeing. Ive never actually been down to the south of Goa but have heard its a lot quieter down there but for me Candolim wins out. Where ever you decide to go I am sure you will have a great time.

nonPlus, you'd be better considering a holiday in Australia if seclusion is important to you - that word and Goa don't belong together. However, the business of Christmas is behind us and things are less frantic until more Indian holidaymkers start flooding in at the start of March.
Chapora is somewhere to consider in the north for a bit of peace. It has mostly long-stay visitors there, and a nice beach. Or go way north to Arambol - a bit rustic, but very quiet.

Julie's hint that the south of Goa is quieter is also a historical footnote. Palolem often gets mentioned in this regard, but it has become a beach bummers' slum, even if the beach remains attractive. For my money, I would base myself in somewhere like Majorda (plenty of accomodation in the village, it's north of Colva) and then bicycle to semi-secluded strips of beach. The beach here is long enough that you can find your own private bit most times if you have transport. You'll need to travel a bit if you don't want to pay the often outrageous prices in the beach shacks for food.
Good luck!

The northern coast of Goa (Arambol, for most people) was once a bastion of quiet and relative seclusion, and it certainly is quieter than Calangute/Baga/Anjuna/Vagator/Chapora though you'll still find lots of people. However you tend to find people staying for longer periods of time, and if you walk for a bit or stay outside of the main tourist areas you really can find some peace and quiet.

However, if you really want seclusion why not stay somewhere that's not even listed in the Lonely Planet guide? I stayed on Mandrem Beach, about a 30 minute walk along the beach south of Arambol. So quiet, peaceful, as the sun was setting I'd often only see five or six people on the whole beach on my long walks. If you take the ferry from Siolim you can get a bus to Mandrem on the other side and enjoy the beauty without all the people.

Calangute, by the way, would be my very last choice for quiet seclusion. I haven't been in the south of Goa at all but I've talked to those who have... I suppose it depends on how sanitized an experience you really want. Everyone says Palolem is so beautiful but it sounds like it's still a big resort town, not my thing at all... Goa overall was pretty quiet over Christmas this year, I mean it certainly could have been worse...

do yourself a favour and stay well clear of calangute.its dirty,smoggy.chaotic,horrible, i went along with wife to candolim which was much more peacefull and cleaner.we paid for a taxi to take us on a 2 hour ride to palolem and wife and i loved it.stayes in house on stilts on the beach for about3 english pounds between us,it was unreal,would definately go back.enjoy!!!!!!!!

I came back from Calangute this march and I really liked the place. The beach is clean and fresh and so is the water.
I know that the beaches in the south of Goa are considered more beatutiful but since I donīt fancy hanging out on the beach all day long anyway it didnīt matter to me.
Calangutes location is also very good, since itīs situated between Candolim (more quiet there) and Baga / Anjuna where you find more people, parties etc. Itīs a walkingdistance to both places.
Have a wonderful trip!

This thread is slightly unreal. We're talking about Goa in July/Aug. ain't we? The respondents haven't paid attention to the question as originally posed. There are no foreign tourists around this time of year. Seclusion is not a problem. Quite the opposite. No parties, no raves, no nothing. I spent a couple of weeks in Baga two summers ago. Stayed at the Ronan. Only thing going on was an All India Allahabad Bank Officers convention.

This thread was originally posted back in January and has been sort of bumped back up. But Goa now, in the summer, there would be plenty of seclusion, even in Calangute.

Cheer
Mike

I guess I'm the one who hasn't paid sufficient attention! Got faked out by the date of the previous post.

South goa does still offer some seclusion, sure palolem has fallen by the way side in this respect. However Agonda is still pretty relaxed and there are a whole string of deserted beaches both north and south of palolem.Hire a push bike or scooter and explore, you will find all the solitude you require!