DONA PAULA BEACH Location : 7 km from Panjim, Goa Famous As : Holiday Beach Destination What To See : Zuari Bridge, National Oceanography Institute, Cabo Raj Bhawan What To Do : Water-skiing, Parasailing, Snorkelling and Harpoon fishing!

Dona Paula Beach - Where Love And Legend Merge With Open Hearts

Statue of Dona Paula at Dona Paula Beach, Goa

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Nature has a habit of tempting and tantalising you, and literally accords wings to your imagination. But Dona Paula, where nature, love and legends share an open-heart intimacy, lets you have your head on the clouds without letting your feet touch the ground. The sylvan seaside gateway is a little islet hillock just south of Miramar, the city beach of Panaji. The vast stretches of chaste white sands in Dona Paula nestling as a part of a jetty, lure you with the promise of a adrenaline flavoured mornings, somnolent afternoons, punctuated with lazy sips of cool coconut water and rocking evenings.

Romantic Legend of Dona Paula

He didn't built Taj Mahal in memory of her love. But yes, you can still smell the eternal aroma of amour floating in the air. The aroma of Dona Paula de Menzes and Gasper Dias. She was the daughter of a Portuguese Governer of Goa who fell in love with Gasper, a handsome boy from a poor Goan fisherman's family. As their love never saw the silver linings amidst dark clouds, they committed to be together in death, if not in life. While her body was soaked in love by the waves at what became Dona Paula, his was found at Miramar, and the area subsequently got his name. Ask the locals and you can hear many interesting stories including the myth that says that you can still see Dona Paula emerging from the moiling waves wearing only a pearl necklace on full-moon nights.

Attractions

Dona Paula is actually composed of three beaches. Walk across to the opposite side of the jetty to reach the Hawaii Beach. Just 200 m long, this stretch of pristine sands flaunts of many mind-blowing sailing activities. To do justice to Hawaii, it is important to get your priorities and planning right. And make sure that you have enough time to enjoy this pleasure paradise. Enjoy a round of water-scooter ride on the ebullient waves of Dona Paula as a starter. After relaxing for a while, go for some out-of-the-world marine experiences - water-skiing, toboggan ski-biscuit, skibob, sports fishing, snorkelling and even harpoon fishing! The jetty at Dona Paula Beach also offers great fishing opportunities and you can find agog anglers waiting for a bite.

Take a leisure walk from the beach amidst the crowded sea-side stalls that sell everything from mouth-watering seafood delicacies to local handicrafts. Get a few packets of aromatic spices and embroidered handkerchiefs, as a memory of visit to Dona Paula Beach. After a few metres, you can see a traditional Portuguese pergola. Put your footmarks on the apex and you can enjoy magnificent vistas of the Mormugao Harbour upto the Zuari Bridge to the east. At the base you will find a sculpture by Baroness Yrsa von Leistner depicting a man facing west (representing the past) and a woman facing east (representing the future). However, this interesting work of art is often mistaken as Dona Paula- Gasper Dias duo. Walk further down and you will reach the National Oceanography Institute. Set up in the 1960s, this marine school encourages not only marine biology, but also almost all the major branches of coastal and marine oceanography. Remember to visit the Marine Biology Museum and Taxonomy Reference Center nestling inside the premises.

Boats at Doan Paula Beach , Goa

Temptations At A Sand's Throw

Towards the north of Dona Paula where the Mandovi River embraces the sea, is the sprawling magic of Miramar Beach. This is Panaji's own beach and a perfect recreational area for vacationers. From here, the beach snakes southwards for over 2 km before it wrathes itself around the National Institute of Watersports, situated at the base of the Cabo Raj Bhawan hillock. Swimming is quite safe, except at the mouth of Mandovi. Lifeguard facilities are also available at this spot.

How To Reach

The pristine beach of Dona Paula is situated at a distance of 7 km from Panjim, in west Tiswadi Taluka. If you are planning to come by Konkan Kanya Express, the best idea would be to get into a Kadamba bus. The nearest airport is at Dabolim (32 km), frequently connected by many bus services and pre-paid taxis. Moreover, state buses operate at 5 minutes interval from Panjim main bus stand.