Gokarna
Goa in the 90s — pristine sea cliffs, zero resorts, ancient temples
About This Place
Gokarna is the anti-Goa. While Goa has surrendered to resorts and rave parties, Gokarna is still a functioning pilgrimage town where local Brahmin families walk to the Mahabaleshwara Temple at 6am, and the beach is left mostly to the sea.
The peninsula has five beaches, each wilder than the last as you trek south: Town Beach, Kudle, Om, Half Moon, and Paradise. Only Om Beach has a scattering of beach shacks. Half Moon and Paradise require 30-minute cliffside walks that most visitors don't attempt — which means they're often empty even in season.
Om Beach, seen from the cliffs above, is shaped exactly like the OM symbol. The Mahabaleshwara Temple houses one of India's Aatmalinga shivalingas brought by Ravana from Kailash in the Ramayana. The town is sleepy, the chai is strong, and the sunsets from the headlands are extraordinary.
Why Go Here
Why It\'s Still Hidden
"The town deliberately resists the resort economy. Locals keep it that way."
Gallery
How to Reach
Train to Gokarna Road station (Konkan Railway — from Mumbai or Goa). 9km auto ride to town. Or drive from Goa (120km, 2.5 hrs).
At a Glance
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Gokarna is in Karnataka. Browse all destinations in this region.
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