#Ashvem #Beach located in #North #Goa#India

Ashvem located in North Goa on a virgin strip overlooking the tranquil Arabian Sea, is a feast for the eyes and taste-buds.Ashwem Beach, hidden away in 2 acres of lush palm grove, sheltered by the sand dunes and facing directly west. The beach is a long sandy crescent around the sapphire-blue sea, almost like a picture postcard come to life. Milky surf foaming along golden sands, graceful palm-trees swaying in the breeze. Ashvem is home to the trendiest clubs, hippest shacks and a buzzing nightlife with a fair share of nature’s bounty of dolphins and turtles. Ashvem is an easy drive from the Airport. 

Ashwem Beach is one of the most peaceful and least developed beaches in Goa and the sea is so warm you can walk straight in. From morning to late evening there are some excellent restaurants and cafés right nearby, including the truly excellent La Plage, which is 5 minutes walk from our beach gate. Here you can unwind in comfort and watch the local fishermen bring home their catch against a backdrop of beautiful sunsets.

MANDREM & SURROUNDS

Ashwem is part of the Mandrem area, comprised of several bustling, friendly, little villages. We have drivers available at all times to take guests wherever they wish to go; Anjuna, famed for its market, is 20 minutes away, and the thriving city of Mapusa is half an hour’s drive. Bike hire is also recommended and gives you the chance totrundle round the back lanes of Mandrem, see the incredible banyan tree, take in the temples and vivid colours and pause for fresh coconut water by the side of the paddy fields.

A 40-minute walk along the beach (or a 5 minute drive) will bring you to the backpacker and 60s hippy enclave of Arambol. Here you can enjoy shopping for all kinds of trinkets and gifts, clothing and jewellery. Arambol has a large selection of restaurants and bars including Fellini’s – for cheap but excellent pizza – and Double Dutch, which serves great homemade cakes. Arambol also plays host to many market stalls (great for souvenirs) as well as barbers shops and beauty salons, tattooists and healers of every kind.

How To Get There

The beach is located in the Pernem sub district of North Goa. Nearby beaches are Kerim, Arambol and Morjim, the area around Ashwem offers many beautiful landscapes, beaches and sights.

To get to Ashwem, follow the road to Pernem, turn left about 500 mts after the Chopdem Village Panchayat. Follow this road for about 2 kms and take another left, follow this road and it should lead you straight to the beach.

The Restaurants

Ashwem has quite a few restaurants along the roads that lead up to the beach. These range from Italian to Continental and everything in between. It isn’t just known for its posh food but also the food available in shacks. Shacks in Ashvem prepare some of the tastiest meals you’ve ever eaten, it cannot however be compared to a restaurant as they are two completely different experiences.

The Scenery

Ashvem has a beautiful scenery known for its rocks all around it carved by the shellfish. The view that the beach provides is one of the most beautiful sights ever seen. Ashwem isn’t very crowded which only adds to it beauty that would’ve been ruined amidst a large audience.

The Beach

The beach was known for having large groups of turtles coming up to the shores to lay their eggs. Tourists and foreigners would travel many miles to witness this sight. However this is currently on a decline due to pollution and other environmental hazards that are detrimental to their well being.

Things to do at Ashvem 

Take a bus or a taxi to the town Mapusa to see a real Indian market with food, clothes, spices etc. Walk along the beach for about 1-1½ hours up to Arambol Beach to watch the busy old hippie town and walk around the rocks to the little secluded beach. Try out the more upmarket restaurants La Plage and Gaia for some nice Indian and European meals.

For a completely different Goan experience, consider going into the forest for birdwatching with Backwoods. Backwoods is located close to the border with the neighbouring state Karnataka about a 2 hours drive from the city of Margaon. The friendly guys at Backwoods will arrange to pick you up right on the beach where you stay and take you by car to their beautiful camp in the forest. You should however have a minimum interest in bird watching to benefit from the 3 or 4 nights stay that they offer.

Hotels in Ashwem

It may be difficult to find a place to stay during the tourist season since there are a few hotels in Ashwem, you can rent out guest rooms from local residences.There are a number of places to stay on the quiet part of the beach referred to as ”Palm Grove” including Rococco, Meem's, Yab Yum, Babu Huts, and Yogagypsys. Rococco is an upmarket place that does not look like it's worth the money but then again I didn't see it from the inside. Meem's is a nice place with good food and friendly staff and standard bamboo huts including bathroom. The place I would recommend would definitely be Yogagypsys which has spacious huts, tippees and houses built into the rocks. It has excellent yoga classes morning and afternoon and serves a healthy and yummy breakfast. It does not have it's own restaurant but you can order from the Pagan Café next door. There are other hotels there too like Bens Inn Guest House, Aquatica, Casa Ashvem, Yoga Gypsys, Bed Rock Beach Huts and many others.

Restaurants in Ashwem

There are a few restaurants in Ashwen since the area isn’t that well known. A restaurant you should definitely visit in Ashwem would be the La Plage. There is also the hotel club at Ashvem, Bardo if you are looking for a mix of luxury, ease, revelry and traditional Goa magic.

Cafes and Beach Shacks in Ashwem

Ashwem has some of the best food and hangout spots Goa has to offer. The food here can be eaten in shacks on the beach or under umbrellas made of coconut leaves. Since Ashwem is a remote and isolated beach, the sea shore has few beach shacks.

Clubs and Bars in Ashwem

There aren’t many clubs in Ashvem but there are obviously a few, one would be Club Bardo, located exactly at Ashvem, this place has everything. A restaurant and a separate clubbing area. The best months to visit Goa would be December to February.