Agonda Villas
Canacona, South Goa & Gokarna, India Book from Book from £52 per night
“Barefoot luxury just steps from the sea in 11 huge cottages with tropical bathrooms - perfect for beach lovers”
With just 11 cottages, it’s intimate yet private. The beach itself is an important turtle-nesting site and protected by rigid environmental laws, making it one of Goa's most pristine stretches. Framed by palm trees and covered in golden sand that squeaks underfoot there’s plenty to keep you occupied - from yoga to kitesurfing, paddle-boarding to dolphin watching. There's a wide choice of Indian and Continental dishes available at nearby restaurants, but ‘Catch of the Day’ is what you really want to be ordering.
Highs
- Unbeatable location in the chilled-out beach town of Agonda
- Hearing the sound of the ocean as you drift off to sleep; it’s but a few steps away
- The spacious cottages are great value
- We loved the outdoor bathrooms: rainfall showers with pebbled floors and plant life create a luscious tropical feel
- Caffeine addicts will appreciate the coffee – you won’t find a better roast on Agonda Beach
Lows
- No restaurant on site but there are plenty nearby; breakfast can be delivered to your room
- Service can be a little slow whilst some requests are lost in translation
- A fairly strict payment and cancellation policy
- The village is rustic with frequent power shortages, but there's a new generator being installed to power the cottages 24/7
Best time to go
Our top tips
- Boutique Guesthouse
- 11 cottages
- Breakfast served daily; restaurant next door
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Plunge Pool
- Spa Treatments
- WiFi
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Beach Nearby
- Off-street Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Honesty bar
- Laundry service
Rooms
Cottages are categorised into Luxury and Grand. All are enormous, bigger than most one-bedroom apartments, with exceptionally comfy beds that continue the larger-than-life theme. Filled with lights and plenty of space, they include Balinese-style doors that fold back to create an indoor-outdoor living space, leading out onto a private veranda with sun loungers and nothing but unspoilt views of the Indian Ocean. Grand Cottages also have private jacuzzis for a romantic evening soak.
The décor is simple, with bright pops of colour, and save for a couple of pieces of kitsch artwork they’re very stylish. Gorgeous open-air bathrooms use natural materials to create a rustic feel. Stone slabs provide stepping-stones between loose pebbled flooring, whilst rainfall showers and lots of foliage create a tropical feel. A wooden grid above protects guests from falling coconuts but still allows a sky view.
Features include:
- Beach towels
- Coffee / tea making
- Fan
- Minibar/fridge
- Mosquito net
- Phone
- Plunge pool
- Safe box
- Sun loungers
- Terrace
- Toiletries
- WiFi
Eating
Start the day off right with breakfast delivered right to your door. There's no restaurant on site but Agonda provides a delicious spread of fresh juices, your choice of homemade muesli, Eggs Royale, Full English or caramelized French Toast, accompanied by a pot of excellent coffee.
For lunch and dinner, wander along the beach to one of Agonda's many relaxed, beachside restaurants (with service to match!). Most serve a wide selection of South and North Indian, as well as Continental dishes. European dishes tend to be a little bland, but the Indian options are delicious. Being by the sea, fish features heavily on most menus with Catch of the Day a firm favourite. We particularly enjoyed the traditional Xacuti (Goan curry with complex spicing, including white poppy seeds, sliced coconut and red chilies) at Fatima’s Corner.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Coffee / tea making
- Minibar/fridge
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Water-based activities such as kayaking, dolphin-watching trips, kitesurfing and paddle-boarding can be booked through the hotel
- Nearby Sampoorna Yoga is renowned for its traditional Hatha style and attracts yogis from around the world. Drop-in yoga classes are available as well as month-long teacher-training courses
- Many of the local bars have live music so ask around to find out what's on; Leopard Valley is a popular watering hole
- Explore impressive Fort Cabo de Rama, the largest and one of the oldest forts in Goa, just a 15-minute walk over the headland from Agonda
- Take a 25-minute drive to the almost deserted Galgibaga Beach; apart from a few shacks - and the best crab masala made by a fisherman called Santosh - there’s nothing there and it's total bliss
- Visit Tanshikar Spice Farm (1-hour drive), a family-run organic spice plantation, for a tour of the plantation followed by a delicious lunch
- Adventurous types can climb, jump and abseil their way through the jungle and down waterfalls on a canyoning day trip with Goa Jungle Adventures
- Take a walk through Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary (40-minute drive) and you could spot snakes, deer, giant squirrels and leopard - or at least peacocks, tropical birds and butterflies!
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Ayurvedic treatments
- Boat trips
- Cooking classes
- Historical sites
- Shopping / markets
- Snorkelling
- Traditional cultures
- Well being
- Wildlife
- Yoga
Kids
Whilst there are no facilities in particular for children, Agonda is generally a great place to come with kids. From miles of beach to play along, and activities such as paddle-boarding, surfing, dolphin-watching and the chance to see nesting turtles, there’s plenty to keep them entertained
Best for:
All ages
Family friendly accommodation:
No family suites or interconnecting rooms but up to 2 extra beds are available per Luxury Cottage (for ages 2-11) and up to 3 extra beds are available per Grand Cottage - though this will be quite a squeeze. For children aged 12 or older you will need an extra cottage; be aware there are no twin beds.
Baby equipment:
Baby cot, high chair
Remember baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking
Kids Activities on site:
- Plunge pool in each Grand Cottage
Kids Activities nearby:
- Beaches
- Paddle-boarding, body-boarding and surfing
- Dolphin-watching
- Nesting turtles
- Canyoning
- Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
Families Should Know:
The cottages are raised off the ground and have stairs to the bathroom, so young children will need to be supervised. The sea at Agonda can be rough at times
Distances:
- Airport: 1hr 45minutes (Goa)
- Doctor/Hospital: 15 minutes (Chaudi) / 50 minutes (Margao)
- Shop: 5 minutes
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Agonda Villas are on a quiet stretch of beach in the village of Agonda in southern Goa.
By Air:
Dabolim International (57km away) is Goa's main airport, with flights from other Indian cities, Europe and beyond - click on the links below for a list of airlines.
From the Airport
Agonda Villas can arrange a transfer from the airport (around 1 hour 45 minutes).
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Goa and getting around
Airports:
- Goa International Airport (Dabolim) 57.0 km GOI
Other:
- Beach 0.1 km
- Shops 0.5 km
- Restaurant 0.2 km