Anjuna: where Goa's party reputation began

Plan the week around a Wednesday if you can, because that is market day.

Begin with breakfast. Baba Au Rhum, a French bakery-cafe in the fields near Anjuna, is known for its croissants and breads; come early, before the pastries sell out. Artjuna, a garden cafe in an old Portuguese house running since 2009, is the brunch alternative: an Israeli-Mediterranean menu, a shop and a library under mango trees.

Then the Anjuna Flea Market above the south end of the beach: several hundred stalls of cotton clothing, silver, spices, hammocks and crafts from all over India, from about 10:00 until the light goes, in season only; check locally that it is on that week. Bring small notes and bargain without hurry; ask before photographing a trader close up.

Walk down to Anjuna Beach for the afternoon. Swim in the dry season only, between the flags where they are posted. Towards sunset head for the red cliffs at the northern end, where the beach clubs fill as the light goes.

Vagator is the next beach north: smaller, steeper, with the fort and the clubs most people name. Baga and Calangute to the south are bigger and more commercial: water sports, Indian family holidays, the loudest bars. Anjuna sits between them in mood, with more history than Baga and more beach than Vagator, and the yoga schools inland give its mornings a quieter crowd. For a calm base within reach, the far-north villages such as Mandrem are a scooter ride away. Hostels such as The Hosteller and Roadhouse are in Anjuna; see where to stay in Goa.

The market and the party season both run roughly late October to April; November to February is the peak. From June to September the market disappears, the sea is closed under the red-flag advisory and the shacks shut.

Plan the ride back before the evening starts. Uber and Ola do not work in Goa; GoaMiles and the state Goa Taxi app cover only part of the fleet, so a car may not be close late at night. Buses stop around 21:00, and the yellow-plate motorbike taxis, the "pilots", have no meter, so agree the fare first. There is a police checkpost at Anjuna: ride a scooter only with an international permit (category A) and a helmet, or expect a fine of about ₹500–1,000. Drinking alcohol on Goa's beaches is fined too. UK travel advice says to avoid isolated places, beaches included, when alone at any time of day. More in safety in Goa and Goa nightlife.