Candolim

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Candolim is a village in North Goa, Goa, India, at the southern end of the Baga-Sinquerim stretch of beach. It is one of the best beaches in Goa and great for tourism. It offers seclusion and privacy due to its quiet location. The picturesque fishing village of Candolim is 15 km. from the capital of Goa, Panjim. Today you can enjoy the benefit of all its amenities, including an excellent selection of fine restaurants, bars, shops, supermarkets and beaches.

Candolim lies on the road from Calangute to Sinquerim. It is a quaint fishing village which lies in some of the most un-spoilt coastline on the Arabian Sea Coast. Its beautiful sandy beach leads on to a charming stretch littered with a generous number of fine eateries, pubs and shops.

Candolim is just the place where you can soak in the water and bask in the sun after hectic travelling. There is lots of activity in the season that gets announced in the local newspapers.

Candolim has a Tinto (market place), where fresh fish, vegetables and other groceries are sold. During the period of Portuguese rule there were about 10 shops at Tinto and these were well kept and maintained. After the Portuguese left, the shops were not taken care of. Paint started falling off, the timber and woodwork on the buildings of the shop broke down or rotted and eventually one after another the shops closed down. To date about 4 or 5 of those shops are still functioning. One reason some of those shops closed down was because their trade opportunities lessened, as most of the goods they sold were to the Portuguese soldiers, who came on an outing or shopping spree from Aguada (being the last point) on this same road towards Sinquerim.

During the 1950s, there was also a school in Candolim: St. Theresa's High School, some 150 metres away from the market place. This school was founded by Father Romano de Souza from Candolim, who was also the principal of this school. The school used the premises of a very large private Portuguese house. The residents of this house used to be abroad (most probably in Africa). In front of this house, across, was the Asilo - Asilo de Candolim - an old-age home. In this Asilo was a chapel where Mass was said every morning. The Fathers from the Candolim parish church or some other priests from around Candolim used to be there, tending to the different spiritual needs of this Asilo. Once in a while, a priest used to also be a patient of this Asilo. At that time Doctor Gustavo Monteiro used to look after the sick and disbaled in this Asilo.

Right near the Tinto (market place), besides the road on the shore side of it, is a football field. There used to be regular matches on the weekend between the football teams of Candolim village, as also between teams from the surrounding villages. Once a year, a running tournament took place between the different groups of the Candolim football teams themselves.Orda is one of the best teams currently in candolim.

Also near the Tinto, on the road curve - Calangute/Candolim/Sinquerim/Orda - is a small chapel with a bell on the top. Once a year the feast of this chapel is celebrated and occasionally people from the Candolim village itself or the surrounding ones come in groups and have a Ters (Terco = Portuguese) - a rosary, during and after which devotional songs are sung. After the Ters, sweets and small eatables and drinks are served to the there gathered, as a gift. These Ters(es) [Tercos = Portuguese] are held in almost all villages in Goa, on special occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries or as a thanksgiving for any favour received from Heaven.

Behind St. Theresa's School (which was an English-medium school) was the Shala (Marathi school) and the Government (Portuguese) school, where only Portuguese was taught until the Portuguese had to leave from Goa.

Mango Groove stands out to be one of the best restaurants in candolim u want a good meal tossed wit a large glass of beer this is the place to be