Dona Paula: A peaceful place, it has a small
palm fringed beach with casuarina groves. Continue straight up on
the Miramar beach road, and after 4 kms, there is
a beach named Dona
Paula-a rocky headland, which separates Mandovi and Zuari estuary.
Dona is Portuguese for “madam”. It is named after a viceroy’s
daughter who reportedly jumped from the hills when refused
permission to marry a fisherman, Gaspar Dias.The twin sculpture of a
man and woman on the Dona Paula jetty is that of Robert Knox, a
well-known philosopher, and his wife. Raj Bhavan, the state
governor’s residence is quite near from here. The low laterite cliff
forms a headland joined to the mainland by a short causeway. A ferry
crosses over to Vasco. A viewing platform gives fantastic views over
the sweep of the coastline across the Mandovi River to Fort Aguada.
