Incredible India
7 Things to Do in Anjuna, Goa
North Goa's original hippie-trail village has grown into a mix of flea market, cliffside cafes and long-running beach shacks, without losing all of the loose, unhurried character that first drew travellers here.
Sep 27, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Anjuna, a village on North Goa's coast, was among the first stops on the overland hippie trail of the 1960s and 70s, and it has kept a looser, more improvised character than some of the more built-up beaches further south, even as flea markets and beach clubs have professionalised parts of it. Here are seven ways to spend time there.
1. Browse the Wednesday flea market
Anjuna's weekly flea market, running since the 1960s, is one of Goa's longest-established, a sprawl of stalls selling clothing, jewellery, spices and souvenirs that draws both visitors and Goans, and remains a Wednesday fixture through the winter tourist season.
2. Watch the sunset from the cliffside cafes
Anjuna's laterite cliffs above the beach hold a run of small cafes and guesthouses with a clear line to the sunset over the Arabian Sea, a quieter counterpart to the beach itself in the evenings.
3. Have a drink at Curlies
Curlies, one of Anjuna's longest-running beach shacks, has been a fixture of the beach for decades and remains a well-known meeting point for the area's nightlife, from afternoon drinks through to late sets from visiting DJs in season.
4. Visit the Anjuna church and old village lanes
Away from the beach, Anjuna's older village lanes, centred on St Michael's Church, retain the whitewashed Goan-Portuguese architecture common across the state, a contrast to the beach's more transient scene.
5. Take a day trip to Chapora Fort
A short drive north, the ruined Portuguese-era Chapora Fort overlooks the Chapora river mouth and the coastline toward Vagator, and is a popular short excursion for the view alone rather than the fort's own remains, which are largely reduced to laterite walls.
6. Rent a scooter and explore North Goa's back roads
Anjuna is a common base for scooter rental, and the quieter roads inland and toward neighbouring Vagator and Assagao make for an easy way to see North Goa's paddy fields and Portuguese-era houses away from the coast.
7. Shop for vintage and boho fashion
Beyond the Wednesday market, Anjuna has a cluster of smaller boutiques and vintage clothing stalls open through the week, part of the area's long association with alternative fashion since its hippie-era days.
Traveller tips
- The Anjuna flea market runs on Wednesdays through the main tourist season, roughly November to March; it is much quieter or closed off-season.
- Goa's peak season and beach shack operating hours run through the dry winter months; many shacks close during the monsoon (June to September).
- Scooter rental is common but requires a valid licence; local traffic rules and helmet requirements are enforced with variable strictness.
- Anjuna's beach can have strong currents at points in the season; check locally for safe swimming areas.
Where this is
Anjuna, Goa