Your January blueprint for food, beaches, markets and slow moments on the coast.

Goa in January carries a rhythm of its own. Warm days, cool evenings, golden sunsets and a coastline that feels made for music and movement. If you are travelling down for Goa Sunsplash 2026, here is a curated guide to help you make the most of your time outside the festival.

Whether this is your first time in Goa or you have been coming for years, the experiences below capture the essentials, the culture and the quiet corners that define the coast.

Explore Goa’s Food Culture

Fresh seafood, coastal spices, global flavours and hidden cafés make Goa one of India’s most interesting food destinations. From Anjuna to Arambol, you will find everything from local Goan thalis to international kitchens and slow-living cafés.

A few things to try:
• Goan fish thali with sol kadi
• Grill nights on the beach
• Indo-fusion cafés in Assagao
• Fresh homemade delicacies at local family-run joints
• Bakeries for good coffee and world-class desserts
• Beach shacks for simple but decadent meals by the sea

Try Movement Practices like Breathwork and Ecstatic Dance

Goa has always been a home for movement and expression.
Sunset drum circles, ecstatic dance sessions and open community gatherings create spaces where anyone can connect and participate.

You will find:
• Drum circles on Mandrem beach at sunset
• Ecstatic dance sessions in Assagao and Arambol
• Breathwork and healing spaces across Mandrem, Arambol and Siolim
• Open mic sessions in community spaces
• Live gatherings during the evenings

If you have never tried these, Goa is one of the most welcoming places to explore them without pressure.

Discover North and South Goa

North and South Goa each carry their own personality, and both are worth exploring if you have the time.

North Goa

Markets, cafés, live venues, cliff walks, boutique shopping, community spaces and sunset viewpoints.

Areas to wander:
• Chapora Fort
• Vagator
• Assagao
• Siolim
• Arambol
• Mandrem

South Goa

Long empty beaches, quiet cafés, turquoise water and wide open spaces that feel slower and more peaceful.

South Goa to explore:
• Agonda
• Palolem
• Colva
• Betalbatim

If your schedule allows, explore both sides. One brings energy and culture. The other brings calm and rest.

Market Hopping and Boutique Browsing

Goa’s markets are a world of their own. They are colourful, relaxed and full of craft, textiles, art and handmade treasures.

Explore:
• Anjuna Flea Market 
• Arambol Street Market 
• Assagao boutique lane
• Pop ups and seasonal markets across the coast
• Vintage corners at legacy spots

If you enjoy finding unique pieces, Goa is the perfect place to spend a few hours wandering from stall to stall.

Sunsets, Salt Air and Slow Moments

Some of the best parts of Goa are the simplest.
Take time to breathe the coastline in.

• A morning swim in low tide
• A long walk on a quiet beach
• Watching the sky change colour hour by hour
• Letting the evening breeze ease you into the night

Goa gives you room to slow down before the festival begins. Make time for that.

Make Goa Sunsplash Part of the Journey

Music by night and Goa by day.
Let the festival be the anchor around which you rest, explore and reconnect. The coastline, food, community and rhythm of Goa all feed into the Sunsplash experience.

In January, it all comes together. 

Get your tickets here