Location : 8-km West Of Mapusa, North Goa
Main Attraction : Anjuna Flea Market, Chapora Fort
Best Time To Visit: November To March

With its fluorescent painted palm trees and infamous full moon parties, Anjuna, 8-km west of Mapusa, is Goa at its most "alternative". Designer leather and lycra may have superseded cotton Kaftans, but most people's reasons for coming are the same as they were in the 1970s: dancing and lying on the beach slurping tropical fruit. While browsing in the area have a day trip to the famous flea market.

Anjuna is a small village in north Goa and is popularly called the freak capital in the world. Its significant tourist spots are the magnificent Albuquerque Mansion built in 1920 (flanked by octagonal towers and an attractive Mangalore tile-roof), the Mascarenhas Mansion, and the Chapora Fort. Anjuna is the least likely place to find peace and quiet.

One of the main sources of Anjuna's enduring popularity as a hippy hang out is its superb beach. Fringed by groves of swaying coconut palms, the curve of soft white sand conforms more closely to the archetypal vision of paradise than any other beach on the north coast. Bathing is generally safer than at most of the nearby resorts, too, especially at the more peaceful southern end, where a rocky headland keeps the sea calm and the undertow to a minimum.

The Visiting Season
The season in Anjuna starts in early November, when most of the long staying regulars show up, and peters out in late March, when they drift off again. During the Christmas and New Year rush, the village is inundated with a mixed crowd of round the world backpackers, refugees from the British club scene and revellers from all over India, lured by the promise of the big beach parties.

Outside peak season, however, Anjuna has a surprisingly simple unhurried atmosphere- due, in no small part, to the shortage of places to stay. Most visitors who come here on market day or for the raves travel in from other resorts. That said, a couple of large package tour hotels have appeared over the past couple of years, and this is bound to radically alter the mix of visitors here.

Tourist Attractions of Anjuna
Flea Market
The Wednesday Flea Market of Anjana os famous for its bric-a-brac and the eclectic items that are on sale. Any and everything under the sky can be found here, and lines of vehicles full of tourists start virtually raising clouds of dust. Form used paperbacks to haircuts, everyone can shop to their hearts content here. The flea market is a heaven for shopping addicts and good bargainers, to bid on wonderful blends of Tibetan, Kashmiri and Gujarati trinkets and handicrafts, European snacks, cassettes of a noisy brand of music called 'Goa Trance', artificial ornaments carvings and T-shirts. Elephant rides, photographs with fake sadhus or fake snake charmers can also be found here.

Full Moon Parties
Anjuna is also known for the full-moon (acid house) parties that are held here for young tourists. Famous all over the world, they are a major source of tourist attraction around the world. Campfires burn bright all through the night and the music and merriment carries on till the wee hours of the morning. Facilities for bungee jumping are also available here due to the initiative of a private tour operator.

Special Attractions of Anjuna
Nightlife
Thanks to the kill-joy attitude reputation, Anjuna is a rave-venue for big parties that take place over here from time to time, especially around the Christmas-New Year full moon period. Smaller events may also happen whenever some occasion or celebration comes up.

Musical Amusements
When it eventually gets it act together, The Alcove, over looking Ozran Vagator Beach, will be another worthwhile nightspot. More mainstream musical entertainment is on offer at Temptations, in the Red Cab Inn just below Starco's crossroads, where Indian classical recitals and guitar based cover bands feature with fire dancers.

At other times, nightlife centres on the Shore Bar, in the middle of the beach, which has a pounding sound system. The biggest crowds show up accompanied by the latest ambient trance mixes from London. The music gains pace as the evening wears on winding up around 11.00 pm, when there's an exodus over to the Guru Bar, further up the beach, or to the Primrose Café in Vagator, both of which stay open until after midnight.

Eating Out
Both the beachfront and village at Anjuna are awash with good places to eat and drink. Most are simple semi open air, thatched palm leaf affairs, specializing in fish and western food. All serve cold beer, invariably with thumping techno music in the background. On the beach, one'll also be approached every ten minutes by women selling fresh fruit, including watermelons, pineapples and locally grown coconuts.

Places to Stay
Most of Anjuna's very limited accommodation consists of small-unfurnished houses. Some of the resorts and guesthouse can be found at the main Starco's crossroads area. But the best choice for accommodation is available in Calangute, Baga or nearby Vagator or Chapora.

How to Reach
By Air: The nearest airport is at Dabolim, which is 29 km away from Panaji and 47 km from Anjuna.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is at Karmali 11 km away from Panaji and 29 km from Anjuna.
By Road: We would provide you all india tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.

Anjuna Beach Resorts
Anjuna Beach Resort
Don Jóao Resort

...Other Goa Beach Resorts