LOCATION

 

If you drive in from the southern state of Karnataka and want to discover the nearest, famous Goan beach, the chances are that you'd be directed to Palolem. Palolem is a beach of white sand facing a blue bay between two headlands. The little wooded islands on the northern headland look interesting and can be explored by taking one of many local fishermen's boats.

 

Palolem is also a fishing village and boat trips are very common to ferry tourists and locals to exciting dolphin watching trips and excursions to beautiful isolated beaches like Honeymoon Beach. Tourists discovered Palolem many years ago, and it very quickly reached one of the 10 best beaches in the world. The beach is largely unspoiled and is inhabited by both local fishermen and foreign tourists who live in shacks along the shore. It is about one mile (2km) long and is crescent-shaped - one can view the whole beach from either end. Both ends of the beach consist of rocks jutting out into the sea.

 

The beach is featured as the Indian residence of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in the film The Bourne Supremacy (2004). The initial footage in the movie gives a good idea of the natural beauty of the beach - the distinctive tree covered rocks at one end (known locally as Monkey Island) and beach shacks.