GOA DONA PAULA BEACH
People flock to Goa Dona Paula beach not just to enjoy the sun and the sea but also to take part in the water sports available on the beach. The Dona Paula Beach offers an opportunity to the tourists to have a sunbath and buy cheap seaside goods from local vendors.
WATER SPORTS AT DONA PAULA BEACH
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, snorkelling, harpoon fishing, kayaking, and yachting.
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY INSTITUTE
While at Goa's Dona Paula beach, it is a good idea to visit the National Oceanography Institute. The National Oceanography Institute, set up in the 1960s, delves not only upon marine biology but incorporates almost all the major branches of coastal and marine oceanography. The major attraction of the institute is its Marine Biology Museum and Taxonomy Reference Center.
CABO RAJ NIWAS
The Cabo Raj Niwas (the Governor's House) is half a kilometer away from the National Oceanography Institute. It houses the tomb of Dona Paula de Menzes in the Cabo Chapel. The Raj Bhawan offers an excellent view of the nearby coastline and the Aguada Fort.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Other attractions at Dona Paula Beach are Reis Magos Church and the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. Approximately 10 km from the beach is one of the oldest churches built in Goa, the Reis Magos Church. It is dedicated to the three Magi (the wise men of the East)-Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar who, according to a legend, were guided by a star to Bethlehem to greet the newborn Jesus. This church was once the residence of all dignitaries and a mission center of the Franciscan order.
The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is situated on the western tip of the island of Choro, along the Mandovi River, about 9 km from Dona Paula Beach. Spread over 2 sq km, this sanctuary is a mangrove forest. Local and migratory birds are found here all through the year. However, permission of the Chief Wildlife Warden is required for visitors.
REACHING GOA DONA PAULA BEACH
The nearest airport is at Dabolim, which is 29 km away from Panaji and 36 km from Anjuna.
Goa is connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mangalore, and Thiruvananthapuram by train. The nearest railway station is at Karmali, which is 15 km from the beach.
The Dona Paula Beach is well connected by road also. Seven kilometers from the capital city, regular bus and taxi services are easily available. The Kadamba Transport Corporation (Government of Goa Undertaking), and Maharashtra and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporations operate buses from and to Goa.
Bus, taxi, auto-rickshaw, and motorcycle services are also the available means of local conveyance in the area. A bus or motorcycle-taxi from Panajim or the ferry service from Mormugao can be availed of to reach the beach. In fact, buses to Dona Paula leave every fifteen minutes from Panajim's Kadamba stand.
An interesting mode of conveyance in Goa is the motorcycle taxi. Unique to this state, these "taxis" carry only one passenger. However motorcycles can also be hired for personal use, on the basis of financial guarantee.
STAY AT GOA DONA PAULA BEACH
Once you reach Dona Paula beach in this Indian state of Goa, then there are a host of hotels, guesthouses, and beachside huts which are available at the beach that cater to the budgets of different tourists.
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