Until recently, Goa's southernmost sandy stretch—nicknamed Paradise Beach—really was like a dream. The visitors who made their way to Palolem, in the Canacona district, were nature lovers, privacy seekers and the odd backpackers. It’s no longer quiet or under the radar, and every year the number of shacks, hotels, and restaurants go up, although it continues to have a negligible club scene. Also increasingly popular with Indian tourists, Palolem is not the quiet haven of years past, but this mile-long, crescent-shape stretch of white sand remains one of the most beautiful beaches in India. Compared to Goa’s other beach strips, accommodation options are thin on the ground, and tend more toward beach shack–style low-budget accommodations that pop up in season and pack up for the monsoon, but visitors will spot lots of construction works underway, and in another couple of seasons, Palolem will likely be rife with resorts and high-end properties.
For visitors not keen on lower-budget living, at present your best bet might be at the Lalit Goa, a few kilometers south, at Raj Baga.
