A Whole Coast or a Single Cliff
Goa is bigger than it looks on a map. Driving from the far north to the far south can take three hours, so your base shapes the whole trip. North Goa has the famous party beaches but also inland villages such as Assagao and Siolim, now full of design-forward villas and ambitious restaurants. South Goa is slower, with long curved beaches such as Agonda and Palolem, small cottage resorts and fishing villages where the evening entertainment is the sunset.
Varkala is compact and easy. The North Cliff is the lively center, with a dense strip of cafes and guesthouses, while the South Cliff near the temple is quieter. Every terrace has a view. You can spend whole evenings moving from one cafe to the next as the sun drops into the sea. For more peace, Odayam and Edava to the north and Kappil to the south have coconut groves and emptier sand.
Goa rewards exploring. Varkala rewards staying put.
Beaches and Swimming
Goa has more and better swimming beaches. In South Goa, Agonda and Palolem are long and gently curved. Benaulim and the strip from Majorda to Cavelossim have wide sand in front of the bigger resorts. In the north, avoid the busiest stretches of Baga and Calangute if you want quiet, since they stay crowded and loud late into the night in peak season.
Varkala's beach is narrower but more dramatic, sitting at the foot of the cliffs. Papanasam Beach is also a sacred bathing place for Hindu pilgrims. Swim in the morning, when the sea is usually calmest. Stay inside the area lifeguards mark as safe.
Rip currents are strong on both coasts. In either place, swim only near lifeguards, follow the flags and never swim at night or after drinking. On Varkala's cliff path, there are no railings in places and it gets very dark at night, so carry a flashlight and stay back from the edge.
Where You Will Stay
Goa has a far wider hotel range. In South Goa, big resorts include Taj Exotica Resort & Spa in Benaulim, Alila Diwa Goa in Majorda and The Leela Goa near the mouth of the Sal River. Agonda and Palolem have smaller boutique places under the palms. In North Goa, W Goa sits on the cliffs above Vagator. Ahilya by the Sea, a nine-room boutique hotel at Nerul across the bay from Panjim, has two pools and treehouse rooms around a banyan tree, from about $250 a night. It is a long-standing favorite for couples.
Varkala is not a luxury resort destination. Expect boutique hotels, guesthouses and Ayurveda resorts, with guesthouses often around $30 to $100 a night and boutique and Ayurveda resorts roughly $120 to $350. On the North Cliff, choose rooms set back from the path or on upper floors to escape evening music. The South Cliff has some larger resorts with gardens and pools. All prices are approximate and climb over Christmas and New Year.
Food and Drink
Goan cooking is one of India's great regional cuisines and a strong reason to choose Goa. Try a fish curry rice plate with kingfish in coconut gravy, the original pork vindaloo sharp with vinegar and garlic and chicken xacuti with roasted coconut. Bebinca is a dense layered coconut cake for dessert. Feni, Goa's cashew or coconut spirit, works better in a cocktail than neat. Gunpowder in Assagao serves southern Indian dishes in a garden. Viva Panjim in Fontainhas is homey and classic. Alcohol is cheap and easy to find.
Varkala's highlight is seafood. In the evening, cliff restaurants lay out the day's catch on ice. You choose a fish, prawns or crab and how to cook it, from tandoori to Kerala-style with coconut. Ask the price per weight first. Try fish moilee and appam with stew. Kerala's alcohol rules are tight, so beer and wine are served only in some licensed places. Ask your hotel where you can get a drink.
Things to Do Together
Goa has more to fill your days off the sand. Spend a morning in Old Goa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral. Then walk the lanes of Fontainhas in Panjim, Goa's Latin Quarter, with its colorful Portuguese-era houses. Watch sunset from Chapora Fort above Vagator. Take a dawn boat trip to look for dolphins, kayak through mangroves on the Sal or Chapora rivers or tour a spice plantation near Ponda with a banana-leaf lunch. Take the ferry to Divar Island on a free afternoon.
Varkala's activities are about wellbeing. Book an abhyanga, the classic full-body oil massage, for two, or consult an Ayurvedic doctor about a short treatment program. Join a sunrise yoga class on the beach. Rent kayaks at Kappil, where a backwater lake meets the sea, or take a boat to the tiny temple island of Ponnumthuruthu. In the evening, watch a kathakali dance performance.
Seasons and Getting There
The seasons match. November to February is best in Goa, with dry days in the high 80s Fahrenheit and calm seas. Varkala's best window runs November to March. Christmas and New Year are the most crowded and expensive weeks in both. Rates in Goa can double. April and May are hotter and humid in both, with lower prices. The southwest monsoon arrives around late May or early June and lasts into September. Seas turn rough, swimming becomes unsafe and many beach businesses close. Ayurveda practitioners see the monsoon as the best time for treatments, so some Varkala resorts stay open. Mosquitoes are common at dusk in both, so use repellent; if you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices.
Goa has two airports: Manohar International (GOX) at Mopa for the north and Dabolim (GOI) for the south, with frequent flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Varkala is one to one and a half hours from Trivandrum International (TRV) by car.
Fitting Each Into Your Trip
The deciding factor is often the rest of your itinerary. Goa is the natural beach finale for couples doing Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra or Mumbai, with frequent direct flights from those cities. Konkan Railway trains also run along the coast from Mumbai. Plan four or five nights. If you have more, split the stay: start in the north for food and culture, then finish in the south to relax.
Varkala belongs to a Kerala trip. A classic route runs Fort Kochi, two nights in Munnar's tea hills, a houseboat night and resort stay on the backwaters, then four or five nights in Varkala, about three hours south of the backwaters. Fly home from Trivandrum.
Combining Goa and Varkala on one honeymoon is possible with a domestic flight, but two beach stops is rarely the best use of time in India. Choose Goa for a polished, varied beach week. Choose Varkala for a smaller, more spiritual stop that rounds off Kerala. Cover up away from the beach in both, especially at temples and churches.
