Discover the Magic of Monsoons in Goa
From a tourism perspective, monsoon is definitely not a peak season in Goa. However, if you want to see Goa in all its pristine beauty, at its greenest, you need to be here in the monsoons. Monsoon in Goa starts around the first week of June and goes all the way up to mid-October. So, it gives an ample window to enjoy the monsoon. Imagine sitting in the shell lined Goan windows with a cup of coffee or Chai in your hands and letting the rains play music for you. Rains in Goa do not fall in drops; they fall in sheets, blocking every other noise around. There are music and rhythm that will stay with you forever.
Goa is best known for its beaches. However, most beaches are either inaccessible or not so happening during monsoons. Even the famous beach shacks shut down during the monsoon season. This is your opportunity to see Goa beyond beaches. Discover the hinterlands of Goa, quaint villages as and when the rains take a breather. Walk on the narrow roads with fields full of water on both sides. This
is the time when the earth beneath recharge itself. The greenery that you see around carries the light green colour of freshly sprouted leaves. Getting soaked in the rains here is a heavenly experience.
Excessive rains mean the water rushes down from hilltops to reach a river, which in turn gushes towards the ocean. Monsoons in Goa creates many big and small waterfalls in its hills and ghats. Walk around Chorla ghats in North Goa and you are literally walking with the waterfalls. Admire the falls like Surla falls from a viewing gallery across the valley and you see the mighty waterfall in all its glory as the clouds play hide and seek with it. Couple of resorts like Wildernest and Swapangandha offer a vantage point to see some big waterfalls. In the South Goa, visit the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. It is lovely in monsoons, but its best-kept secret is its Kuskem waterfall. You need to trek a bit to reach it, but it is a delight to see the waterfall from a great height. Amboli waterfalls, a drive of just about an hour or two from Goa, are best visited on a morning after heavy rains. There is nothing like eating a piping hot Sabudana Wada or hot Maggie standing in front of Dab Daba – as the waterfall is locally called, and listening to the roar it makes. Dudhsagar waterfall is incidentally closed during monsoons. You can try taking a train to see the falls in monsoons. Best time to visit Dudhsagar is just after monsoons.
The only time when you can do white water rafting in Goa is during the monsoon season. You need to drive to remote Valpoi village where the rafting is done on river Mhadei. The grades are easy, but what stuns you is the scenery that you see as you go with the flow of the river. Unlike other popular places where River Rafting is big business, here you have is just a couple of rafts, and the sheer nature all around. Only about two rounds of rafting are done here. It is advisable to do it through Goa Tourism.
Goa Tourism and some private groups organize treks during monsoons. These range from easy to tough. Check out the local newspapers to see the treks being organized and be lost in the wilderness that not many get to explore in Goa. Most of these treks are done on Sundays.
During monsoons, water dominates the landscapes – in rivers, lakes, fields, on hills and just about everywhere. The best place to feel the monsoon magic of Goa is at Salaulim Dam in South Goa. This is a unique circular dam built in local laterite stone. The water falls from a height in a circle with such force that it creates a mist all around. You can walk on the road next to the dam and get soaked in this mist. Surrounded by hills on all sides, the valley presents you with million shades of green. The dam also has well maintained botanical gardens around it. Just hope that rains allow you ample time to enjoy this unique sight in Goa, which you can enjoy only during monsoons.
Festivals during Monsoons Goa has some unique festivals that take place throughout the year. At the beginning of the Monsoons, Goan celebrates Sao Joao, a unique festival that celebrates the onset of monsoons – a harbinger of prosperity. People make koppels of fruits and flowers and wear them on their heads. Young men jump in the wells where some gifts are hidden for them. In the village of Siolim, a boat festival takes place in the evening. In July, the village of Marcel celebrates Chikkal Kalo in the grounds of Devaki Krishna temple. This is literally the mud festival of Goa where all the boys in the village play in the mud. The climax is Dahi Handi that is broken by forming a human pyramid. Toxchaem or Cucumber festival in Talaulim village celebrates the monsoons by offering cucumbers at the local church. Bonderam is celebrated in the island of Divar in August with a colourful flag parade.
Off Season Benefits Being a relatively low season, the best of properties are available at a reasonable rate. So, it is the best time to pamper yourself with some luxury in Goa.
You can visit the heritage places like Old Goa and temples of Ponda or even spice gardens without jostling through the crowds. The nightlife of Goa goes on as always, albeit with limited crowds. From a tourism perspective, monsoon is definitely not a peak season in Goa. However, if you want to see Goa in all its pristine beauty, at its greenest, you need to be here in the monsoons. Monsoon in Goa starts around the first week of June and goes all the way up to mid-October. So, it gives an ample window to enjoy the monsoon. Imagine sitting in the shell lined Goan windows with a cup of coffee or Chai in your hands and letting the rains play music for you.
Optional Links: Dudhsagar Waterfalls - https://goa-tourism.com/waterfall_tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqhBJgA9mak
or
Goa Rafting - https://www.goarafting.com/ Salaulim Dam - https://www.inditales.com/duckbill-spillway-salaulim-damgardens/ Sao Joao - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sao_Joao_Festival_in_Goa