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Writer's pictureApril Zilg

Outdoors in Goa

Updated: Jul 6, 2021

My outdoor activities in Goa:


SUP: There is an abundance of flat open ocean to paddle. Beautiful rock formations cradling secluded sandy beaches. The waves are small and fun on a SUP.


Sweetwater lake

In Arambol you can play in the “sweet” water lake which fills from an underground spring. You could also paddle up the rivers. Visit the wider ones for the view, and the smaller for a “backwater” feel.


Surf: Small, but fun to play in. If you are good, you can shred on anything anyway. If you are beginner, Goa is a grand location.


Hiking: From Arambol you can take the trail around clifside and end up at the sweetwater lake. Just past the lake there are trails up the hillside. The views from the top are epic. If you take the trail deeper into the jungle, you come to the sacred banyan tree.

Although it is an attraction for tourists, it’s really kind of a small banyan and there are just a few hippies living under it smoking pot and playing chess. If you pass the hippies and continue further up the hill, you’ll reach another sacred tree and a temple.

Maybe it is a sacred tree because it is the only one up there, amidst a field of golden grasses with rocks and cows.


Holy Bath: On your way to the hippie, er, I mean holy tree, stop off in the creek adjacent to the trail and slather your body with the clay. It is said by some to be holy and cleanses the body as well as the soul. Once it is on, relax on the banks of the creek in the jungle shade and let it dry. When dry and crackly, wash it off. 


Paragliding: After hiking to the top of a hill and watching the graceful paragliders float through the air… and then crash into the rocks on the side of the opposing hill, I decided to sit this activity out.


Scooter tour: Corey and I snatched up a scooter and did a beach hopping tour. Arambol to Mandrem, then Ashwem to Morjim. Vagator and Baga. No maps, no GPS. We just drove. We ended up eating at the nicest restaraunts in all of Goa. And I bought a drum from the back of the scooter when Corey wasn’t paying attention. I wrote all about it in this blog HERE.

If I go back, I’ll be staying in Mandrem or Ashwem. These were by far the most laid back, clean, quaint, quiet little nooks and definitely the least touristy. They are also close enough to the touristy spots in case you need to do some souvenir shopping!

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