Candolim Beach runs for several kilometres of soft sand, broader and quieter than Calangute to the north. The water is generally calm and the slope gentle, which makes it a good swimming beach for much of the year, although the monsoon swell from June to September can be vicious.
The beach is lined with shacks renting loungers and serving cold beer and fresh seafood. Walking south, the shacks thin out and the cliffs of Fort Aguada rise from the sand. The northern end blends into Calangute without any obvious dividing line — locals will tell you the boundary is somewhere near Taj Holiday Village, but no one really agrees.