So you’re planning to go to Goa? Whatever you want out of the place – golden beaches, swaying palms, sumptuous curries, colonial or ancient history, cocktails on the beach, cheap living – you will be able to find it in the unique Indian state of Goa. But not all of Goa is created equal; the different areas offer different things to different people. So read on to see which part of Goa will suit you…

Goa is quite unlike the rest of India due to its colonial history. The Portuguese made inroads into Goa centuries ago and brought their religion with them, spreading Christianity far and wide throughout the state. As a result, you will find a more liberal attitude in Goa than the Hindu/Muslim dominated bulk of India, from the broad acceptance (and lack of severe tax) on alcohol to the wide prevalence of meat and potatoes in your curries (fish in the Goan curry, and potatoes in the vindaloo, which originated here).

If you’re a backpacker or independent traveller and are interested in the bedraggled beach backpacker scene then the little settlement of Anjuna in the north is a great first port of call, featuring the odd beach party, and plenty of beachside restaurants and bars where you can chill back in easychairs and drink a cocktail or three whilst listening to Bob Marley, if that’s your thing. Be aware though that the beach at Anjuna is hardly the white sand you might dream of; it’s quite dirty and shale-like.

As you head southwards (the rickety bus network is great and super cheap to get around, if you can work it out!), things start to ramp up rapidly in the commercial stakes, and the backpackers start being outnumbered by the package tourists for the first time. The triplet of Baga, Calangute and Candolim Beaches offer glitz and glamour on a plate, and the uglier sight of groups of men and women staggering around from club to club in a drunken state, much like those you would find on Fuertaventura holidays, really. If you came to India to get away from the typical Mediterranean package deal, then perhaps it’s best if you give Calangute especially a wide berth.

Further south is the hidden gem of Goa. Just above the packed Palolem beach, made famous by, er, Matt Damon’s run along it at the beginning of the Bourne Supremacy, you will find a little community with a golden beach, a few tiny places with beach bungalows, a few more established but still small “resorts” and not much else. No glitzy clubs, no bar scene, no male Goan barworkers playing Connect 4 with groups of giggling Brit girls… just a quiet, tranquil beach to get away from it all, set in a lovely little community that still has heart and soul.

So Goa can be all things to all people… you just have to work out what kind of person you are, and what you want from Goa.