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Holidays to Dona Paula take you to North Goa's prettiest, most popular beach – which also happens to have top-class watersports as well.
Dona Paula's a former fishing village in South Goa. The name comes from a tragic heroine of legend, which explains why the place is still nicknamed Lovers’ Paradise. Now a town, it’s kept its tranquil vibe along with a movie-star beach that’s a real pull for watersports fans. And conveniently, it’s only seven kilometres from the state capital, Panaji, with its winding streets and wedding-cake like churches.
Dona Paula’s white-sand beaches, fringed with coconut palms, have played a starring role in many a Bollywood movie. That level of fame brings with it plenty of visitors, who also come for the top-class watersports. Food shacks are dotted along the sands, and a stretch of the beach is lined with shops selling drinks, snacks and seashell trinkets.
As lovely as Dona Paula Beach is to lie on, it’s impossible to stay still with such an impressive line-up of watersports. It goes without saying that favourites like kayaking and jet-skiing feature heavily, but it’s the more unusual skibob and water-scooters that really grab your attention.
Dona Paula is where the Zuari and Mandovi rivers meet the Arabian Sea. This makes it a prime spot for river-boat trips. Sail by night and you’ll catch a moonlit view of the Adil Shah Palace, where steps lead up to an ornate basalt gateway – the only remains of the home of former Portuguese governors. You’ll also see the 19th-century Mae de Deus Church of Saligao beautifully illuminated in orange and yellow.
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All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Some of the flights on this website are also financially protected by the ATOL scheme, but ATOL protection does not apply to all flights. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each flight before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk. ATOL protection does not apply to the other holiday and travel services listed on this website.