RIVER CASTLE in Goa - Hotel Review with Photos

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Updated: January 18, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Unique position between Mobor beach and the river.
• Hotel website: rivercastlegoa.com
• Hotel phone: +91 98221 84369
• Check prices for River Castle

Review of River Castle Hotel in Goa, India.

The budget River Castle guesthouse in Mobor is located between an empty beach and the river.

River Castle – Quaint, quiet, and budget-priced guest house in a village setting alongside the river.

This grandly-named but simple guest house is beautifully set among a cluster of local homes and is only a quick bus trip from first-class facilities. Positioned on a peninsula, it’s between a Crusoe-esque beach, three minutes away on foot, and the Sal River. The handful of rooms feature a mishmash of colorful linen, walls, and curtains, as well as balconies. (Two offer river views and one has a distant view of the sea.) The furnishings and facilities are modest but guests have air-con and cable TV, and can use a fully-equipped communal kitchen. It feels isolated, but in a good way, because only a few minutes by frequent buses are terrific places to eat, drink, and shop, as well as moneychangers and agencies for boat trips.

River Castle – The Location

Address: Mobor, near the main tourist region of Cavelossim, midway along South Goa. (Most places in Goa don’t have an address.) Signposted (also with ‘Shanti Residences’) from the main road. The guest house is another 150m down the lane. Rooms are on the second floor, while the family owners live at ground level.
Area: The guest house is among a cluster of family homes along the river. With excellent bus services (see below), it’s not as isolated as it seems: about 2 km south of Cavelossim, a delightful and compact enclave of shops, restaurants, and hotels. Less than 500m from the beach.
How to Get There: From the airport (35 km, 60-minute drive), there is little choice except overpriced pre-paid taxis. The nearest major train station is at Margao (Madgaon), 15 km away (30-minute drive).
Handy to: Facilities and beaches at Cavelossim and Mobor.

River Castle – The Basics

Guests: Budget-minded independent travelers. Some return year after year.
Views: A couple of rooms offer river views (although obstructed) at the back. One provides some distant (and also obstructed) sea views. The others face homes in the village 50m away.
Kitchen: Guests can use the large and well-equipped communal kitchen, which includes a washing machine and clothes dryer.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Certainly not expected (or provided) at this sort of low-key guest house.
Parking: No proper spaces, but should be safe enough outside the guest house.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +91 98221 84369
Email: rivercastle17@gmail.com
Website: rivercastlegoa.com

River Castle – Amenities

Pool, Spa, & Fitness Center: Certainly not expected (or provided).
Other Facilities: Book exchange. Tours can be arranged.

River Castle – Food and Drink

Restaurant & Bar: Nothing on-site, which is expected at this sort of place. Guests can order meals which can be delivered, use the kitchen to cook food, or take advantage of the great facilities at Cavelossim via a short bus trip.
Breakfast: Not provided. Guests are expected to make their own using the kitchen.
Room Service: Not expected or provided.

River Castle – Rooms

Room Types: All the rooms are the same inside.
Smoking Rooms: No smoking in the rooms, but permitted on the balconies.
Best Room: Those facing the river offer the finest possible views.
For Families: An extra single bed can be added to each room, but this would be a tight squeeze. With such low rates, booking 2 rooms is affordable.

River Castle – Local Transport

Walking & Cycling: Less than 500m from the beach (see below). Avoid walking (2 km) to the facilities at Cavelossim because the road has no shade or sidewalks, and buses are frequent. Ask around Cavelossim about renting bicycles as it’s a great area for cycling, especially south of the guest house.
Public Transport: One advantage of staying at the guest house is its accessibility to local facilities and onward connections by bus. From where the lane to the hotel meets the main road, flag down a bus. These pass by every 10 minutes towards The Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant (1 km) in the south and Cavelossim in the north (2 km), before going further on to Margao (Madgaon), a major regional town with frequent connections across Goa. No metro or any local trains of use to tourists.
Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: No auto-rickshaws or metered taxis. Uber/Ola don’t operate anywhere in Goa, but app-based rides can be arranged through Goa Miles, though really, the only option for longer trips are unmetered private ‘taxis’ arranged through the resort. Rates are overpriced but negotiable.
Cars & Motorbikes: Goa is the only place in India where renting a car or motorbike is feasible. No internationally-recognized agencies are present, so renting at a local shop presents obvious risks. Best to organize this at the resort. Rides on the back of a motorbike (called a ‘pilot’) are possible; ask around.

River Castle – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Betty’s Place +91 (0)832 287 1456 – Breezy and reasonably classy setting and fabulous seafood. Boat trips available, too. About 800m south (i.e. away from Cavelossim) and just past the Holiday Inn.
The Fisherman’s Wharf – Attractive position along the river and opposite the bustling harbor. Elegant setting, attentive service, and pleasing prices. Look for the signs just past Betty’s.

Otherwise, take a bus north to Cavelossim (1.5 km) and get off at the Novotel Dona Sylvia Resort. These places are within 500m of that resort:

Robin’s Ark – Spacious and tasteful roadside setting. Very popular for hearty western meals. Directly opposite the Novotel.
Mike’s Place – Long-established hangout down a side street that starts almost opposite the Novotel. Lovely setting in a converted mansion. Also, beach parties and live music.
Hungry Shark – Casual and charming riverside position for seafood and live music. Down a side street just up the road from the Novotel. (300m).
Beach Cafés – Down the lane marked ‘James’s Beach Hut Café’, just south of the Novotel. At the end of the lane (200m) are numerous cafés on the sand. The best is Q-Ba. (300m).

Nearby Shops

A couple of minimarts and souvenir shops near the gates to the Holiday Inn, 800m south of the guest house. Plenty more and other useful facilities (e.g. moneychangers and agencies offering boat trips) at Cavelossim.

Nearby Beach

From the guest house, walk to the main road (150m). Directly across the road is an unsigned path to the beach (about 300m). The wide, clean, and white sands are amazingly undeveloped, so there are no sunbeds, drink stalls, or umbrellas – or any natural shade. In front of the Holiday Inn resort about 800m south via the beach or road are some beach cafés and a modest selection of water-sports. Always swim between the flags. Lifeguards are on duty from about 10 am to sunset, but only in front of the Holiday Inn and at Cavelossim.

River Castle – The Hotel

The brightly painted guest house offers a few rooms in a large family home.

The River Castle guest house offers a handful of rooms in a large family home that is brightly painted like most buildings in South Goa.

The guest house is located within a compound near the river.

The guest house is almost within a compound of village homes alongside the river, and the rooms are very quiet.

The family occupies the ground floor while the 2nd floor rooms are rented out.

Rooms are on the 2nd floor, while the family owners live at ground level.

Colors don’t always match, but the rooms are as spacious as many offered by resorts.

The views are interesting, especially if facing the river.

All rooms offer interesting views, especially the ones facing the river.

Each room features a sizable balcony.

The communal kitchen has a washing machine and clothes dryer.

Guests are welcome to use the communal kitchen, which also includes a washing machine and clothes dryer.

The guest house is located next to the Sai River.

The guest house is within 30m of the Sal River.

The guest house is located in Mobor where the Sai River meets the ocean.

The Sal River empties into the ocean not far from Mobor, where the guest house is located.

The guest house is located away from the main road.

The guest house is about 150m down a lane from the main road. The turn-off is signposted but easy to miss.

The guest house lane is quiet and shady.

The lane to the guest house from the main road is quiet and shady.

A small path leads from the lane to the beach.

Directly opposite where the lane to the hotel meets the main road is another path, which leads to the beach about 300m away.

The beach near the guest house is almost always empty.

The beach, less than 500m from the guest house, is deserted.

The Cavelossim beach 2km away is more popular.

The beach at Cavelossim is more developed, about 2 km north by bus.

The Q-Ba at Cavelossim is one of the best cafés there.

The beach at Cavelossim offers a few cafés on the sand. The best is The Q-Ba.

Betty’s Place serves excellent seafood near the Holiday Inn resort.

Within walking distance (800m), and just past the Holiday Inn resort, Betty’s Place is excellent for seafood.

The Fisherman’s Wharf is a classy riverside restaurant about 1km from the guest house.

About 1 km from the River Castle, a sign leads to The Fisherman’s Wharf, a classy riverside restaurant.

The restaurant offers river views, a tiny playground, and pleasing prices.

With river views and a tiny playground, The Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant is sophisticated, yet pleasingly priced.

Robin’s Ark is located just 5 minutes up the road.

There are plenty of cafés and bars in Cavelossim, about 5 minutes up the road by bus, including Robin’s Ark.

Mike’s Place is a long-time favorite in Cavelossim.

A long-time favorite located down a quiet side street in Cavelossim is Mike’s Place.

Hungry Shark nearby has a terrific riverside setting.

The best in Cavelossim – if only for the riverside setting – is Hungry Shark, just down from the main road.

Buses in Mobor and Cavelossim are recommeded for foreigners as well.

Mobor and Cavelossim are 2 of very few places in India where public buses are a recommended way to travel for foreigners.

Buses connect to Cavelossim every 10 minutes.

Buses travel between the turnoff to the guest house and Cavelossim about every 10 minutes.

Cavelossim beach is very tourist-friendly.

Cavelossim is a compact and developed beach region offering enough facilities for tourists.

There are plenty of dining and drinking options along Cavelossim's side streets.

Side streets from the main road through Cavelossim lead to the river and are lined with quiet places to eat and drink.

The beach has several cafés, sunbeds, and umbrellas.

The beach near the Novotel resort in Cavelossim is lined with sunbeds, umbrellas, and cafés. Check rates and availability: River Castle

River Castle Hotel in Goa, India

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