Places Near Goa

Goa, the tropical paradise of India is loved by vacationers for its bountiful of natural beauty, magnificent churches, ancient Portuguese mansions, and colorful fairs and festivals but also because Goa is hemmed by several beautiful places which are still hidden in the lap of Mother Nature.
Most of these nearby excursion places are located just few hours drive from Goa and offers a good option to spend some solitary moments as these places are less explored. Some of the finest tourist places around Goa are as follows.

If you are in quest of solitude and wants to spend some solitary moments away from the hustle and bustle of crowded Goa, then you must visit Daman and Diu. This is the smallest Union territory of India and is located on the west coast of Gujarat. Daman and Diu are two separate areas and are blessed with some serene and clean beaches. Daman is separated by Damanganga river into two parts and has two forts namely Moti Daman and Nani Daman. Even it has two beautiful beaches known as Devka Beach and Nani Daman Beach which are bedecked with amusement parks. Another awesome beach of Daman is Jampore beach which provides quite retreat on the sea shore. Diu is also famous for its shoe-shaped Nagoa Beach.

Gokarna which literally means cow's ear is a pilgrimage town, located along the Konkani coastline of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state. This beautiful town is hemmed by vast Arabian sea and situated at the ear shaped confluence of Gangavali and Aghanashini river. Gokarna is highly revered among the Hindus because of its Mahabaleshwar temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is often called as 'Kashi of South' as Hindus come here to perform the death rites for departed ancestors. Apart from its religious significance, Gokarna is an alluring tourist place adorn with five beaches namely Gokarna beach, Kudle beach, Om beach, Half moon beach and Paradise beach and lush hills. Gokarna is just 1 hour 23 minute drive from Goa.

Karwar is another nearby excursion place to Goa and is just 1 hour 36 minute. It is located 15 km south of Goa-Karnataka border in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It is a sea-side town, sandwich between Arabian sea and Western Ghats. Karwar is an ancient site for sea trade and visited by Arabs, Dutch, Portuguese, French and later the British traders. This place is rich in bio-diversity and serve as a home to large number of flora and fauna. Some of the famous tourist places of this coastal town are Oyster Rock Lighthouse, Karwar Beach, Devbagh Beach, Kurumgad Island, Sadashivgad Fort and many more.

Vengrula is another alluring tourist place around Goa, which is located on the Konkan coast in Sindhudurg district of Maharastra. This town is surrounded by hills of Dabholi, Tulas, and Mochemad which respectively lies in the north, east, and south direction while the Arabian Sea is located on its west. Vengrula offers variety of options for tourism. It is bedeck with various temples namely Shri Sateri, Shri Rameshwar, Shri Navadurga at Kanyale Redi, Shri Mauli at Redi and Shiroda, Shri Vetoba at Aaravali, Shri Ganesh at Redi and Shri Ravalnath. Apart from this Vengrula is also famous for its, Vayangani Beach, Mochemad Beach, Fruit Research Centre and verdant plantations of cashew-nuts, mango, coconut and a variety of berry trees.

For a change, vacationers can also explore Amboli, a nearby hill resort , nestled in the southern range of Sahyadri hills in the state of Maharashtra. This unspoilt hill station is a favourite destination for honeymoon vacation as it offers the require seclusion and the romantic ambiance to newly wedded couples. Amboli has an exciting array of alluring spots of tourism significance such as Hiranyakeshi temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Nagatta Falls, ruins of MahadevGad Fort, Narayan Gad, Shirgaonkar, historic Botanical gardens and Bauxite Mines. View Points of the town like Purvicha Vas, Sea-view Point and Mahadevgad Point offers panoramic vistas of Konkan coast. So, whenever you are in a trip to Goa, don't forget to visit Amboli as it is just 2hr away.