Set back behind the whitewashed church, this convivial place has beautifully kept rooms and cottages fronting onto the beach. A rare piece of quiet in the otherwise throbbing world of Baga.

The thing that makes the Arabian Retreat recommendation worthy is the fact that finding a big room with two balconies two minutes away from the beach in an untouristy place in a touristy town in this price range is no easy feat.

A commendable project of a Goan and his German wife, Bhakti Kutir is ecologically sensitive and atmospherically sublime. Yoga and Ayurveda are integral parts of a stay here, as is a midday nap in a hammock on your curtained off cushion-laden verandah.

Set back from the Calangute-Baga road, this place is well-run and popular among a diverse range of travellers. There's a restaurant and TV area in an enclosed courtyard, and easy beach access from the back.

These stand out options on the beach are an imaginative stretch of the traditional coco hut concept. Bamboo walls on concrete bases with artistic stretches and embellishments make the Cafe del's architecturally peculiar and traveller magnetic.

In a prime location on the main road to the beach, this friendly and professionally run hotel with comfortable rooms arranged around a pool (also open to non-guests for a fee) is a good choice for those that can afford it. There's also a decent 24hr cafe next to the pool.

One of the most charming places to stay in Panaji, this beautiful mansion from the 1800s has a large 1st-floor veranda and the fragile elegance of a Chinese pavilion. The spacious rooms, some with four-poster beds feature colonial furniture and are brimming with individual...

In an old area of Panjim was an old Hindu house. In the Hindu house was a courtyard. In the courtyard was an art gallery. In the art gallery was a spiral staircase. Up the spiral staircase was a room. In the room was one lucky bastard.

This painter's paradise is an afterthought of the Kerkar Art Complex to which it is attached. The creativity of the complex infiltrates to these five rooms, which share a kitchen on each floor and a rooftop terrace. An Ayurvedic masseur is at hand too.

Stylish cottages set up around a pool in a coconut grove, with laid back but attentively choreographed ambience permeating every detail of every room. The self-contained experience of Coconut Creek, nestled comfortably in a coconut grove, is one that may be a highlight of your...

A crisp, fresh and classy hotel in a sometimes untidy, stale and tacky town, Vista de Colva stands out amongst the competition. Rooms are pleasant and staggered casually around the pool. There's nothing oppressively opulent about Vista de Colva, it's just a very well-tended...

From the people who brought the Panjim Inn to the Old Quarter comes Panjim People's, the most decadent of them all. With the same intention of old-world revival, the People's is a step up in elegance from the other options in the area.

The rooms and pool have been built to exclude the outside world. High laterite stone walls and ayurvedic vibes keep the fumes and fury of Calangute far, far away.

A worthy offering from those experts in opulence, the Taj Group. This is a five-star option without the customary confined feel that comes with many multi-star establishments. Rather than piling rooms on top of each other in the usual way of hoteliers, this accommodation is...

Some 3km (1.9mi) from the town centre at Miramar is Panaji's luxury choice, a relaxed hotel with spacious, soothingly decorated rooms. The swimming pool overlooking the Mandovi River is a delight as is the trendy new Waterfront Terrace & Bar, the excellent health club, and the...

Simple and stylish rooms which open onto a dedicated chill-out area and one of Goa's mellowest beaches. There's also a Euro-style restaurant where the food is class, the company is casual, and the coffee is real.

It's a big statement to make, but it's fair to say that this is the grandest place to stay in all of Goa. There is nothing wanting here, except perhaps more time. The Leela is, quite simply, 152 rooms on 75 acres of pure luxury.

A recently renovated family run guest-house in the beautiful old quarter of Fountainhas, with an ambience demonstrative of the no-fuss refurbished colonial elegance that the area is famous for.

Bean Me Up is a feast of modern Goa on a surprisingly affordable plate. You can sleep in a comfortable room with touches of Indian luxury, enjoy gourmet vegetarian food in the courtyard restaurant, and have an ayurvedic oil massage, all in the self-contained world of Bean Me Up.

It's the little things that make the bigger picture entirely elegant, like Balinese four-poster beds and elegant mosquito nets. The sunken restaurant is also an asset, as is the rooftop lounge bar. It's hard to find a vibrant but spacious place in Baga, but you've found it in...

Two spacious, private and characterful self-contained units in one of the few remaining pieces of Calangute where your neighbours are more likely to be Goan than foreign.

A stand-out gem among a blur of options in Baga. This is an ideal base for someone who wants to dip into the crowded culture of Baga but be able to retreat somewhere that has maintained its dignity in a fast-changing world.

Spotless, secure and pleasant rooms set around a courtyard and overseen by the charismatic Walter and Marina, a helpful Goan-Swiss couple who have kept their finger on the pulse and their heart in the preservation of Coco Banana's authenticity.

A distinctive place in a great location at the far north end of Palolem beach. The owners create a very friendly atmosphere and the huts - some with private bathroom and all with bold character - are more original than most.

Forget Me Not espouses the laid-back Goan susegaard ('no worries') philosophy with a side-order of serious beach appreciation. Amid the coco huts and mud-brick rooms are chillout areas, hanging chairs and a manager who makes a concerted effort to ensure that guests respect his...

Situated at the northernmost point of Goa, Fort Tiracol is breathtaking. The rooftop restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy fine food and a serene panoramic view of the meeting place of the Tiracol River with the Arabian Sea; one of the most divine sea views in the state.

A pleasant heritage-style building which is more than 200 years old, with a lovely restaurant on the verandah. It shares a garden with the Yoga Centre next door but the old style charm has been maintained exactly as the owner's Granpa intended when he built it.

South Calangute has kept its head about it, while Candolim and Calangute on either side get more and more congested. Jay's Place is a spacious and minimalist place to stay which upholds the laid-back feel that makes this area a respite from others.

Everything a budget place should be, with simple good-value rooms, a no-nonsense manager, a low-key but sociable restaurant, an Internet cafe, a money exchange and a gaggle of travellers practicing fire-twirling or hanging around on hired scooters in designer hippy wear.

An old-style place where new-style people set up for weeks to write and dream about never leaving. Marbella is a beautifully restored Portuguese villa hidden down a quiet lane. This is the Portuguese dream that Goan fantasy was built on.