This Goa leg wasn’t planned as a standalone trip.

We were in Karwar to attend a wedding. And once you’re that close to Goa, not going there almost feels like a crime. So instead of heading straight back after the wedding, we decided to extend the trip and spend a couple of days in Goa.

We chose South Goa, and more specifically Agonda Beach — a place I had heard consistently good things about. Quiet, clean, family-friendly, and far removed from the usual Goa chaos.

Our stay was booked at Mariposa Beach Grove.

Arrival at Agonda: Just in Time for the Sunset

We drove from Karwar to Agonda, and by the time we reached, it was already early evening. Perfect timing.

We checked in, quickly settled into our room, and headed straight to the beach. What followed was one of those sunsets that stay with you.

The sky turned deep purple, pink, and orange — unreal colours, almost dramatic. The photos we took (posted here) have no filters, no colour correction. That’s exactly how it looked. One of those rare moments where nature completely outperforms your expectations.

The Stay: Glass Walls & the Sea at Your Feet

Mariposa Beach Grove is a small, intimate property — just 5–6 cottages, all beach-facing. The front wall of each cottage is almost entirely glass.

From the bed, you can see the beach, the changing sky, the sunset, if you’re lucky with timing.

It’s hard to beat that.

The beach here is clean, wide, and extremely well maintained. Given that it was mid-December, I was honestly expecting far more crowd. But Agonda was surprisingly calm.

This only reinforced a trend we keep hearing about — many people now prefer travelling abroad (Thailand, Malaysia, etc.) instead of Goa. Judging by the crowd levels, that seems fairly accurate.

For us, it worked perfectly.

First Evening: Food, Silence & Sand

We had an early dinner at Mariposa itself. The food was genuinely good — fresh, well-prepared, and reasonably priced (by Goa standards).

What stood out more, though, was the silence.
No loud music.
No drunken shouting.
No madness.

Just the sound of waves.

Morning Walks & a Different Side of Goa

The next morning, I woke up early and went for a long walk along the beach. At one end of Agonda Beach, there’s a small river that meets the sea — a beautiful, quieter stretch where you can just stand and watch the water change character.

Most people here were families, newly married couples, people with kids

Very few bachelor groups. And that changes everything. Agonda feels calmer, gentler, and far more relaxed than what most people associate with Goa.

All the resorts here are right on the beach. Behind them runs a narrow lane with small shops, local eateries, souvenir stalls.
If you are going to Goa to party, this is definately not the place for you. This is a place to relax.

A Day of Doing Nothing (Perfectly)

That day, we didn’t venture out much.

We spent time going into the water, coming back to lie under the trees, dozing off to the sound of waves and then repeating the cycle!

It was exactly the kind of day a beach vacation should have.

Dinner Experiments

In the evening, I felt like trying a different place for food. Based on TripAdvisor reviews, we headed to Sea Breeze.

The verdict?

  • Food: decent, nothing extraordinary
  • Setting: absolutely lovely

They had tables and chairs right on the beach, softly lit, with very few people around. Sitting there, eating dinner on a calm, semi-lit beach was a beautiful experience — even if the food itself didn’t blow us away.

On the way back, we did some small roadside shopping, then returned to Mariposa.

Breakfast Outside & Final Verdict on Food

The next morning, we decided to try breakfast elsewhere and went to Forget Me Not Resort.

  • Food quality: good
  • Price: a bit higher

After trying 3–4 places, our takeaway was clear:
Mariposa’s food was consistently good and fairly priced.

Yes, food in Agonda (and South Goa in general) is on the costlier side, but considering the calmness, cleanliness, and overall experience, it felt worth it.

Forget me not resort
Mariposa
Sea Breeze

The Journey Back: Roads, Reality & Trains

We were returning to Bangalore by train from Madgaon. There’s currently only one direct train from Goa to Bangalore — hopefully more get added in the future.

To be safe, we started early — around 8 pm. The train was at 11:30pm.

While Goa roads are good in quality, they are narrow, and during peak season, people tend to drive rashly. Add alcohol to the mix, and things can get messy. On our way, we actually saw a couple of bad accidents and some traffic congestion because of them.

Thankfully, we reached Madgaon comfortably, boarded the train on time, and reached Bangalore the next day around 12–12:30 pm — right on schedule.

Final Thoughts

Agonda Beach — and Mariposa Beach Grove in particular — offered us:

  • two days of complete tranquility
  • a clean, family-friendly beach
  • stunning sunsets
  • slow mornings
  • and the luxury of doing nothing

It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t loud.
And that’s exactly why it was memorable.