|
Dona Paula beach is one of the hottest tourist spots in Goa. . The Dona Paula Beach offers an opportunity to the tourists to have a sunbath and also buy seaside goods from local vendors. There is a romantic myth associated with Dona Paula. This beach is named after Dona Paula de Menzes, daughter of a viceroy (in colonial India), who threw herself off the cliff, when refused permission to marry a local fisherman, Gaspar Dias. The myth says that Dona Paula is entombed in the Cabo Chapel of the Raj Bhawan and is supposed to be seen emerging from the moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace. Beauty of Dona Paula Beach The tourists throng the Dona Paula Beach not only in search of the deceased beloved, but also to indulge in water sports on the clear waters. The Dona Paula Sports Club offers water-scooter, cycle, and motorboat rides. Other water sports include windsurfing, parasailing, water-skiing, toboggan ski-biscuit, skibob, sports fishing, snorkeling, harpoon fishing, kayaking, and yachting There are several shops along the beachside, which sell variety of goods ranging from eatables to clothes. Fishermen-turned-local vendors also sell straw hats, lace handkerchiefs, and spices in these shops. Feni and port wine-the two Goan liquor specialties-are a must buy and local liquor is easily available. Indian handicrafts and jewelry are available at the Indian Arts Emporium in Dona Paula. Places Of Interest Dona Paula Beach is nestled on the southern side of the rocky hammer-shaped headlands that divide the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries. It provides a good view of the Mormugao harbor and this beach is fringed by palm trees and casuarinas groves. Some of the place of interest in Dona Paula is the National Oceanography Institute and Caba Raj Niwas. The major attraction of the National Oceanography institute is its Marine Biology Museum and Taxonomy Reference Center. This institute not only delves upon marine biology but incorporates all the major branches of coastal and marine oceanography. The Cabo Raj Niwas is half a kilometer away from the National Oceanography Institute. It houses the tomb of Dona Paula de Menzes in the Cabo Chapel.
|
