Secret Beaches of Goa: A Drive In An Audi A6

Goa is getting more popular by the day, and many would even say that the small lovely state has already been taken over by developers. However, since I am a regular visitor to Goa I do know a few places that are still untouched and tucked away from the massive hordes of tourists. There’s no secret that the most popular area of Goa is in the northern part of the state and stretches from Calangute all the way up to Vagator and Morjim, but there are a few places up north where you can still find a slice of serene paradise. However, the most secluded and untouched beaches of Goa are still found in the southern part of the state.

Since I was supposed to be in Goa for work, and since it’s a lovely drive down from Mumbai, I decided to take the Audi A6 and hit the open road. There are many routes you can take to get to Goa from Mumbai, but the best and quickest route is via Pune Bangalore Expressway. It’s a beautiful smooth highway without any traffic, and you can easily cover long distance within no time. The reason I chose to take the Audi A6 was because it’s extremely comfortable and quick. Also, I was taking my girlfriend along with me, so I needed to make sure that she wouldn’t complain about the 10-hour drive, and the Audi A6 had me covered. The A6 is an incredibly comfortable car. What I had was the diesel variant. The 2.0-litre TDI with its combination of direct injection and turbo charging is a beauty to drive on any road. It’s an incredibly refined unit with a lot of torque, and that makes it perfect for highway driving.

We left Mumbai around midnight and made our way towards Kohlapur. Just ahead of the city, we made a right turn towards Amboli in the Western Ghats. The Ghats section has some beautiful backcountry roads that are narrow and twisty, and even here the Audi A6 was not only comfortable but also very fun to drive. You have an option to adjust between different driving modes depending on your driving mood.

We reached Goa late in the afternoon and headed towards Canacona all the way in the south of Goa. Although close to Palolem beach, even this southern beach has become a haven for developers and resorts, and although quieter than the north, it’s no longer an empty beach. To find your own personal slice of heaven in Goa you need to explore.

We were staying in the Lalit Hotel that has its own personal beach, which actually is quite nice and secluded from everything else. Although, if you want an entire beach all to yourself, you need to head out of Canacona and head north towards Cabo de Rama. This old fort city is on a high cliff, and there is only one small resort next to it called The Cape. It has only 4 villas that are right on the cliff. It also has its own private beach. This is the smallest but the most secluded beach in the area, and the turquoise coloured water is spectacular. Just a few hundred metres even north of this resort is another completely isolated beach and it’s called Cabo de Rama beach. There is no road that takes you here, instead you need to walk down the cliff until you reach a beautiful lagoon, and then you walk out of the palm trees and you are in your own personal paradise. If you want to get away from the noise and crowd of the city, then Cabo de Rama beach is perfect. There is always a life guard on duty, but you will never see more than 2 or 3 people on this beautiful stretch of clean sand. There are no shacks, and there is absolutely no development anywhere in sight. It’s wonderful. Make sure to bring your own food and water though.

Just below Cabo De Rama is Agonda Beach. This is another spectacular beach that is popular with people who want a stress free and clean beach. It’s nestled between the cliffs to the north and the south, and it’s got beautiful calm waters. It also has a few shacks in case you are hungry but the beach is never crowded. You might find an occasional nude beach goer, for people, locals or otherwise, on the beach always keep to themselves.

There are a lot more beaches to be discovered in Goa such as Benaulim and Butterfly beach. All you have to do is get out of the popular areas and you will surely find them. Although Goa does seem to be under threat from overdevelopment, there are still plenty of places to go to escape the madness.

After spending a wonderful few days exploring the southern parts of Goa, we drove back to Mumbai. Once again the Audi A6 made our trip back home enjoyable and extremely comfortable.