Goa first came on the tourist map in the 60's as a hippie haven, probably the golden era of tourism in this tiny state. The tourists were more sensitive towards local culture and the environment. They consumed less and were happy living the life of the locals.
When the benefits of liberalisation started to trickle down and when a new and ambitious middle class started travelling, Goa witnessed mass tourism in the 90's and 2000's. There was a sudden surge of investments, construction and development, the era of unplanned tourism growth. Everyone wanted to be in Goa and everyone wanted to invest here.
The result of this era is what we experience in Goa of today, the relaxed vibe gave way to environmental degradation, overcrowding and cultural commodification, everything that this sunny seaside state was not known for.
Yet there is only 1 Goa in India and tourists still come here in hordes to experience the beaches, architecture, cuisine and the Goan vibe.
When we got the opportunity to plan a day in Goa for a group of runners we suggested an itinerary that we have pivoted into just recently. With the beaches being crowded there is no place where we can sit in peace and enjoy it to ourselves yet the guests want to experience Goa for all it's hype. The solution, stay in Goa and explore the beaches far away from the crowds in coastal Maharashtra or Karnataka.
We travelled for a couple of hours from Goa to a secluded beach which is clean, has pristine white sands with not a soul around. A short trek, a homely breakfast, hot roadside Vada Pao's. a ferry ride back to Goa and Lunch at a restaurant tucked away in one of the beaches. A curated trail of a day for a group of enthusiastic runners.
We got the privilege to meet the Coach and learned about his accomplishments. There is joy and an energy that rubs on you when you travel with runners, we had this good fortune.
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