Winter: November to March is considered the best time to visit Goa. It is the peak season for tourism. Beaches of Goa are full of tourism from other parts of India and around the world. You’ll have to secure your bookings in advance to get better deals.
This time of the year is a time of cultural festivity as well. Goa’s biggest festival the Goa Carnival tops off this season with an all-out Carnival (held in late Feb or March). The carnival is the biggest of its kind in India and features dance parades, costume parades, revelry, and merrymaking.
Goa’s festival of color, the Shigmo Festival, which features flamboyant costumes parades portraying local mythologies is also held in the Feb/March. This festival of color is fusion of traditional Hindu Holi (festival of colors) with the Portuguese carnival tradition.
In December the St Francis Xavier Feast is celebrated, which is one of the main religious festivals in Goa. The Basilica of Bom Jesus is the center of this event.
Goa’s most famous modern music and dance festival, Goa Sunburn Festival is held every year in December, as is the Goa Food and Cultural Festivals.
With so much festivity on other, it is not hard to see why this time of the year is the busiest in Goa.
Summer: April to May are the summer months, which are characterized by rising temperatures. However, it is a good time to go snorkeling, jet skiing, and scuba diving.
It is the low season for tourism, and therefore, a chance to catch great deals on resorts and hotels.
Monsoon: Things do get a little dicey in the monsoon, as the Arabian Sea lashes rain on the southwestern coastline of India. Expect a lot rain, thunderstorms, and drizzles.
Some festivals are held during this period. Sao Joao Festival which honors St John the Baptist is held in June. On August 15, the Patolleanchem Feast is celebrated, where the Patollea dish (made out of jaggery, rice, and coconut) is prepared for everyone to feast on.
