Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations. Every year, thousands of tourists visit this small Indian state. Not just Indians, but people from all over the world visit Goa – you will find tourists from England, Russia, and many other countries. But what is the best time to visit Goa? What are the weather conditions in the different seasons? When will you be the most comfortable? At what time of the year will you be able to enjoy most of the activities and attractions of Goa?
The Seasons
Goa has three seasons like most other places in India – summer, monsoon, and winter.
• Summer – March, April, May
• Monsoon – June, July, August
• Winter – November, December, January
Summer in Goa
The summer is hot and humid with the daytime temperature sometimes reaching up to 38°C. The days are long and hot. Avoid exposure to sunlight between 11 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. Goa’s 100-kilometer-long coastline has 35 beaches but it is best to stay away from them between 11 and 4 because of the excessive heat and humidity. The evening is much cooler with a gentle breeze from the sea.
Summer is also Goa’s lean season, so there are very few tourists. Everything will be cheaper, including the hotels, flight tickets, water sports, and bike/car rentals. However, most of the beach shacks will be closed.
If you are visiting Goa in the summer, you can plan to visit many places in the evening. What to do during the daytime? Stay indoors and relax. You can spend time in your hotel’s swimming pool. You can go to a casino as you will stay indoors. There are many overwater and land-based casinos in Goa like Casino Royale, Carnival Casino, Casino Pride, MV Caravela, Dunes Casino, Maharajah Casino, and others. You can also play online casinos.
There are many places like Goa that allow casinos. Of course, you can play online from anywhere. Is an online casino legal in India? There is no law to disallow casino gaming in India. There is also no instance of an Indian player being prosecuted for online betting. Most Indian casinos operate though with licenses from Curacao or Malta.
Monsoon in Goa
The monsoon months are wet with rainfall almost daily. On some days, it will rain throughout the day, providing a respite from the summer heat. The sky will also remain overcast for long hours. July has the maximum rainfall with 39 inches of rain and the number of days seeing rainfall is 27. There is a 72% chance of overcast conditions.
There are no water sports activities as the sea will be choppy with high waves. However, you can enjoy white water rafting as the rivers are all full. This is also the best time of the year to visit the Dudhsagar Waterfalls. It will be at its wildest best.
Monsoon is the most romantic time to visit Goa. Enjoy long walks on the beach, hand-in-hand. You can also visit many attractions, without having to worry about the summer heat. Goa has many festivals in this season too, like the Sao Joao Feast of St. John the Baptist, the Feast of Saint Peter and Paul, the Touxeachem Fest, the Bonderam Festival, the Beach Side Party, and others.
Winter in Goa
Winter, between November and February, is the most popular time to visit Goa as the weather is milder with very little humidity. You can safely plan to spend an entire day outside visiting many places because of the low heat and lack of rainfall. There is rain very rarely. It is just a passing shower even if you see some rainfall occasionally. You can also plan to spend many hours on a beach, relaxing in a shack, swimming, or visiting the islands. The beach shacks are all open. In the summer and monsoon months, only the shacks around Calangute, Candolim, and Baga will be open.
The nightclubs are also very busy with many people partying late into the night. You will also get the full range of water sports activities, including dolphin sighting tours, snorkeling, and scuba diving.
Like the monsoon season, in the winter too there are many festivals, like Christmas, New Year, Sunburn, Supersonic Festival, Winter Carnival, and more. There are big celebrations during the Christmas and New Year time as most people in Goa are Christians.
However, everything will be costlier in the winter, especially in December and January, as this is the peak tourist season. There are a lot more tourists in the winter, which means, you may have crowds on the most popular beaches, and there will be a waiting time in the bars, cafes, and restaurants.
What Is the Best Season to Visit Goa?
• Winter is certainly the best time to visit Goa.
The weather is much nicer and pleasant. You can visit the forts, Old Goa, the Latin Quarter, the islands, and the beaches. You can enjoy any activity you like. There will be very little rainfall, if any. The nightclubs, beach shacks, markets, and everything will be open.
• Monsoon is romantic.
You can visit during the monsoon months if you do not like crowds. This is the best time to see the Dudhsagar Waterfalls and for whitewater rafting. The spice plantations will also be at their greenest.
• The summer is hot and humid.
The summer is hot but the early morning and late evening will still be pleasant. There will be no crowds. Everything will also be the cheapest. So, visit during the summer if you want to save money.
