Majorda and Betalbatim

Overview

At about 14 km by road from Dabolim airport, Majorda is one of the closest beach villages to a flight, and neighbouring Betalbatim is a little farther, near 19 km. Both are in Salcete taluka, South Goa district, on the coast between Bogmalo and Colva. They suit travellers who want a beach stay with an easy airport transfer, either on arrival or the night before a flight home, and the main season runs from October to March.

Majorda has some character beyond its beach. The parish church is Mãe de Deus, the Mother of God, and the village has its own railway station. Local tradition holds that Goans first learned to bake European-style bread here, and bakers from the village still have a name across the state. The Bollywood music composer Anthony Gonsalves (1927 to 2012) came from Majorda. The village had 2,813 residents at the 2011 census. The beach lies roughly 5 km north of Colva and has many hotels and resorts, with religious buildings in the Indo-Portuguese style close by.

Betalbatim lies south of Majorda and directly north of Colva, and travellers know its beach as Sunset Beach. It is quieter than the beaches of North Goa, and dolphin-spotting trips are offered from its shore. That is much of the story: Betalbatim is a place to settle into rather than to cover with sights, and the nearest places to add are Colva, whose beach runs about 2.4 km and whose Church of Our Lady of Mercy is the best-known in the area, and the larger town of Margao.

Dabolim airport is about 24 to 30 minutes away by car. Margao, the main town and railway junction of the taluka, lies south-east of Majorda, and Madgaon Junction there is the principal station for the area. Because Majorda has its own railway station as well, check with the railways which services stop there before relying on it. Allow two days if the stay is mainly a beach break and an extra half day if you plan to visit Colva as well.

Known for

A beach about 5 km north of Colva, with many hotels