As a sea eagle circled above me carrying a sea snake in its talons, I breathed in the fresh sea air. I am hiking along the top of the sea cliff with amazing views all around. I feel like I am on a deserted island. However, this is not some island out in the wilds of the sea. I am sea breeze hiking in Goa with Adventure Breaks between two of Goa’s most northern beaches, and I’m heading towards Karma jungle. A place I have heard about from many a traveller.
The afternoon of sea breeze hiking in Goa started on Keri Beach, Goa’s most northern beach. Before heading up onto the cliff tops, along with my guide, we explored some sea caves at the far end of the beach. The sound of the crashing waves whistled through these naturally carved out caves.
Up on the cliff side with amazing views of the Arabian Sea, I saw many types of wildlife. The most interesting was the circling eagle with the sea snake being mocked by crows. I spent some time watching it as the warm salty sea air blew my hair as we hiked along the pass.
Soon we got to Kalacha Beach. As there s no direct road to the beach, it wasn’t packed with tourists like many other beaches in Goa. Not far from the crashing waves was a lovely lagoon called Sweet Lake. We swam in the tranquil waters surrounded by the hillside, listening to the crashing waves, safe in the knowledge that we were in the calm waters of the lake.
Next we entered Karma Jungle, a place that reminded me of the film ‘The Beach’ but the forest version.
Close to the entrance of Karma Jungle are many small pools where you can have a clay bath next to the stream. A few people were there giving themselves body masks as the clear water trickled past. The peace and tranquillity made this the perfect place to spend some time relaxing whilst listening to the birds singing in the trees.
Check out my Kayaking trip in Goa HERE
Further along the well worn path surrounded by twisted vines, we came across a group of travellers who had set up camp. Oblivious to our presence they danced like fairies in the sun which filtered through the leaves. A steady stream of travellers high on life passed us as they walked towards the banyan tree where there is a resident baba.
After a climb up out of Karma Jungle, we arrived at Paliem plateau, a deserted grassland where you can get access to the road. Here Adventure Breaks can arrange a pick up, however we decided to trek back through the forest, across the beach and along the cliff top to our starting point for this sea breeze hiking in Goa.
On the way back I saw a beautiful sunset over the ocean which soothed my soul. With my spirits lifted, I sat with my guide on Keri beach enjoying an ice cold beer and breathing in the sea air.
This is not the typical Goan experience, but one of magic and mystery.
Do you like hiking? Have you ever tried sea breeze hiking in Goa? Please comment below. Don’t forget to subscribe (It’s free!) to my blog for more posts like this and interesting travel tips.
Tips for Sea Breeze Hiking in Goa:
1/ I took this sea breeze hiking in Goa with Adventure Breaks. They can arrange for you to walk just one way or a return journey.
2/ You are best taking this tour in the morning when the weather is cooler.
3/ Make sure you take suntan lotion, sunglasses, your camera and something to swim in and a towel if you want to take a dip. I would recommend you wear longer trousers to avoid being scratched by thorns however I did manage to do it in shorts with little injury. Good walking shoes are a must.
4/ Check out other trips arranged by Adventure Breaks HERE.
Amazing photos! I love these kind of hikes and adventure trips! Aaww, my last hike is already so long ago! Reading this really makes me want to book my next nature trip!!
I would love to swim in and have a mud mask in one of the small pools near Karma Jungle. What an interesting sight it must’ve been when you came upon the group of travelers dancing around their campsite. It looks like such a tranquil place to set up camp. Looks like a very magical day, and of course all magical days should end with a cold beer on the beach. (:
Even though I have been to Goa multiple times, I have never done hiking there. It is always a mix of beaches and crazy parties. So this experience sounds really offbeat and I would definitely love to try this next time I am in Goa.
Great photos, and really gives an impression of how beautiful that spot was. Did the graffiti on the rocks feel like vandalism, or was it part of the trail directions?
It was vandalism or art. Which ever you would like to view it :-/ I think the rock by itself is art without the graffiti. It would be different if it was a man made brick wall with graffiti on it 🙂
Nice! I definitely love walking tours and this one is so different! Plus I know of Goa as only a beach and party place so it’s lovely to see stuff like this. Karma Jungle….what a lovely name
Beautiful descriptions, sounds alluring to all the senses. Mud baths remind me of a mud onsen I visited in Japan. Did you join the nature worshippers!?
It’s so funny that I don’t think of beaches when I think of India! Goes to show what most people post about when visiting there! That’s one of the reasons I love following you so much – you show more than what most others do, so I always feel as if I’m getting a very authentic, inside glimpse of life there. Thank you for that 🙂
What an epic shot of the snake and the eagle! Sadly, I did not visit Goa when I went to India but it’s on my list for next time. The Karma jungle also looks cool to explore or just chill.