Gokarna Town Beach, Gokarna

The Gokarn(a) Town Beach is like any other popular beach in India – crowded, trashy and noisy. It is also a very big one, something in excess of 5km. It had been seven months since I had last been in a beach and was desperate to embrace it and take a splash. Within a few moments we were in the salty waters splashing at each other like nine-year-olds. Once the initial childish excitement subsided, we took a walk along the beach like grown-ups with the waves hitting our feet. We also caught a fishing boat which returned with a decent catch. Apart from the single point entry of the beach, the rest of it is pretty much deserted, with the odd European taking his midday or evening stroll, depending on the time of the day. For some unfathomable reason all Indian tourists who came to the beach, walked in and around the half km stretch near the entrance and then walked/drove back to wherever they came from. None thought it wise to take a walk or see the remaining parts of the beach. But thanks to that, it was much quieter in the other parts of the beach.

But we were not so lucky either. Over the course of the next two days we saw activities in the beach that disgusted us. Its really a shame that some people do not have the minimum decency to refrain from doing such uncivilized acts. I was never more filled with rage than now at seeing people trashing a truly beautiful place. And in true Indian administration style, there is nobody to stop and prevent such activities.

One more thing that one would notice about Gokarn is that its infested with foreign tourists. Their accent suggested that most of them are from Europe and other eastern European nations. From the looks of it, the Uttara Kannada Coastal Belt is the new Goa. Considering that Goa is a mere 2 hr drive from Gokarn, this comes as no surprise. One would also many Bohemian stores selling all things hippy. All in all, not a great place to linger around for long!

Getting-there: Its a less than 2 km walk from the Gokarna Bus Stand.
Must-Do: Shop for some beachwear and some bohemian stuff. Have food at the beachside cafes.
Must-Dont: Contribute to the trash.

My Rating: 5/10. (The low-rating for a beach speaks volumes of its trashiness)