Goa has two airports, and which one your flight lands at decides the first hour of the trip. Dabolim, the older airport, is in the south of the state near Vasco da Gama. Manohar International Airport at Mopa, the newer one, is in the north near the Maharashtra border. Candolim is on the North Goa coast between them, closer to Mopa by road but reached from either by the same means. How to reach Candolim from each is a short question with a short answer: a taxi or an app cab, and the distance.
goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim is about a kilometre from Candolim beach, with a 24/7 front desk and dorm beds from around Rs 400 a night. By road, Manohar airport at Mopa is about 33 km from the property and Dabolim about 38 km. Thivim is the nearest railway station, for anyone arriving by train. The property’s location is on Google Maps.
Key takeaways
- Manohar International Airport at Mopa is about 33 km by road from goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim, and Dabolim airport about 38 km.
- Both airports are reached by taxi or app cab, and the front desk at the property is staffed 24 hours for whatever time the flight lands.
- Thivim is the nearest railway station to Candolim, with the rest of the journey by road.
- The property is about a kilometre from Candolim beach, with a lot of pubs within easy reach and dorm beds from around Rs 400 a night.
How to reach Candolim from Mopa airport
Manohar International Airport at Mopa is the nearer of the two, about 33 km from goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim by road. The route runs south from the airport through the North Goa countryside and into the coastal belt. It is a taxi or app cab ride from the terminal to the property’s gate.
Taxis are available at the airport, and app cabs can be booked from the terminal. For a group of four with bags, one cab covers it. For a solo traveller, the choice is between a taxi at the airport and an app cab, and the price difference on the day decides it. The front desk is staffed 24 hours, so a late landing at Mopa still has someone at the desk at the other end.
Good to know: check which airport your flight uses before you book the fare. Flights into Goa land at both, and the two are at opposite ends of the state, so the airport on the ticket sets the taxi ride at the end of it.
How to reach Candolim from Dabolim airport
Dabolim airport is about 38 km from goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim by road, which makes it the longer of the two transfers by a few kilometres. The route runs north from the airport, crosses the Zuari and Mandovi rivers on the bridges past Panaji, and comes up the coast to Candolim.
As at Mopa, the transfer is a taxi or an app cab. Taxis are available at the airport, and app cabs can be booked from the terminal. The drive passes Panaji, where goSTOPS has a property too, for anyone who plans to break the journey rather than go straight to the coast.
Tip: the two distances are close enough, 33 km against 38 km, that the choice between airports should be made on the fare and the flight time rather than the transfer. Book the flight first, then plan the ride from whichever airport it lands at.
How to reach Candolim by train
Thivim is the nearest railway station to Candolim, on the Konkan Railway line that runs down the coast from Mumbai. From Thivim the rest of the journey is by road, by taxi or app cab, into the coastal belt and down to Candolim. Madgaon, the larger station in the south, is a longer road transfer and is the one to use only if the train does not stop at Thivim.
For a traveller arriving by bus, the drops at Panaji and Mapusa are both road transfers to Candolim.
Why goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim: about 33 km from Mopa airport and 38 km from Dabolim by road, about a kilometre from Candolim beach with a lot of pubs within easy reach, a 24/7 front desk for any arrival time, and dorm beds from around Rs 400 a night with private rooms for two.
What is at the end of the ride?
goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim is about a kilometre from Candolim beach. The dorms are 6 and 8-bed mixed AC rooms with balconies and ensuite bathrooms, plus a 6-bed female-only dorm. Every bunk has a privacy curtain, a plug point and an individual fan. Private rooms sleep two. The pool is open 8 am to 8 pm and the front desk is staffed 24 hours. There are a lot of pubs within easy reach of the property for the first evening.
Check-in is at 1 pm and check-out at 10 am. A landing that brings you to the gate before 1 pm is met at the desk, and the common areas are there until check-in.
Who is this for?
This is for anyone landing in Goa with Candolim as the base, at Mopa or Dabolim. It is also for anyone arriving by train at Thivim or by bus at Mapusa. The transfer is the same taxi or app cab from each, with only the distance changing, and the property at the end of it is the same.
The ride to the coast
How to reach Candolim from either airport comes down to a taxi or an app cab, about 33 km from Mopa and 38 km from Dabolim by road. Thivim is the station for a train arrival. goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim is about a kilometre from the beach, with a lot of pubs within easy reach. It has a 24/7 front desk and dorm beds from around Rs 400 a night.
Rooms, dorms and dates are at goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim. For the other North Goa bases, start with goSTOPS Goa.
FAQ
How do you get to Candolim from Goa airport?
By taxi or app cab from either airport. Manohar International Airport at Mopa is about 33 km from goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim by road, and Dabolim airport about 38 km. Taxis are available at both, and the front desk at the property is staffed 24 hours.
Which Goa airport is closer to Candolim?
Mopa, by a few kilometres. Manohar International Airport at Mopa is about 33 km from goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim by road, and Dabolim is about 38 km. Both are a taxi or app cab ride.
How far is Candolim from Dabolim airport?
About 38 km by road from goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim. The route runs north from the airport, past Panaji and up the coast, by taxi or app cab. Taxis are available at the airport and app cabs can be booked from the terminal.
How far is Candolim from Mopa airport?
About 33 km by road from goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim. The route runs south from Manohar International Airport into the North Goa coastal belt, by taxi or app cab, and it is the shorter of the two transfers.
Which railway station is nearest to Candolim?
Thivim, on the Konkan Railway line from Mumbai. From Thivim the rest of the journey is by road. Madgaon is the larger station in the south, with a longer road transfer to Candolim.
Can I check in late at goSTOPS Plus Goa Candolim after a late flight?
Yes. The front desk is staffed 24 hours, so a late landing at either airport is met at the desk. Standard check-in is at 1 pm and check-out at 10 am, and a government photo ID is needed at check-in.
