The best beaches in India, and how to choose between them

India's coastline runs for thousands of kilometres and the beach experience changes completely depending on where you go. Goa alone has a busy, commercial north and a calmer south; Kerala's beaches are shaped by laterite cliffs and backwater mouths rather than long open sand; and the Andaman Islands, out in the Bay of Bengal, offer the clearest water in the country but need a flight and a ferry to reach. This guide compares the main options rather than naming a single 'best'.

• Want nightlife, shacks and an easy first trip: North Goa.
• Want Goa's beach culture without the crowds: South Goa.
• Want something visually different from a standard beach, with a laid-back cafe scene: Varkala.
• Want the clearest water in India for diving or snorkelling, and have extra travel days to spare: the Andaman Islands.
• Travelling with young children or wanting calm water: Kovalam or South Goa are generally gentler than the open-surf beaches further north.

Nearly all of India's beach regions share a similar pattern: a dry, comfortable season roughly from October or November through to March, and a monsoon that brings heavy rain and rough seas from around June to September. Goa and Kerala both fall into this pattern; the Andaman Islands see their own version of it, with the calmer window running November to April. Swimming outside the dry season is possible but the sea is rougher and some beach shacks and water-sports operators close for the monsoon entirely.

Not every beach in India is lifeguard-patrolled, and currents vary a great deal by location and season. We brief you on which stretches near your stay are safer for swimming and which are better for walking or watching the sunset, rather than assuming every beach is equally safe to swim at.