The place is named after Paula Amaral Antonio de Souto Maior, a historical figure in Portuguese India. She was the daughter of the Portuguese Viceroy of Jaffnapatnam, in Sri Lanka. She and her family arrived in Goa in 1644 and she married a Fidalgo from Spain in 1656. Her husband was Dom Antonio Souto Maior. They were an extremely affluent family, and the entire property from the present day Cabo Raj Nivas all the way to Caranzalem belonged to the Souto Maior's. She died on December 21, 1682 .
Dona Paula was a woman of charity and is known to have helped the villagers and worked a lot for their betterment, so after her death, the villagers decided to rename the village as Dona Paula. Initially the village was called Oddavel.
With full of romance in the air, the Dona Paula beach is quite bustling with plenty of activities round the year. Located 7 kms away from the Panaji, this beach has become one of the most happening beaches of the Goa. It is snuggled on the southern part of the rocky headland where the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers meet the Arabian Sea. The beach is very popular as lovers paradise because of a myth attached to this place. As per the legend, Viceroy's daughter Dona Paula de Menezes jumped off the cliff after facing objections from her family due to her love affair with a son of a fisherman. So, the beach is popular by the name of Dona Paula. It's a lover's paradise that offers a splendid view of the Mormugao harbor and fringed by casuarinas woods & palm trees.
Dona Paula Beach – Tourist Attractions
Water Sports The most important attraction of this beach is the water sport facilities available here. The Dona Paula Sports Club offers water-scooter, cycle, and motorboat rides. Other water sports include windsurfing, para-sailing, water-skiing, toboggan ski-biscuit, skibob, sports fishing, snorkeling, harpoon fishing, kayaking, and yachting.
DONA PAULA BEACH – LOCATION AND CLIMATE
Location Seven kilometers west of the Indian state of Goa’s capital Panajim (Panaji), Dona Paula Beach is nestled on the southern side of the rocky hammer-shaped headlands that divide the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries. Providing a good view of the Mormugao harbor, this beach is fringed by palm trees and casuarina groves. The proximity of the beach to the capital city makes it a popular tourist sight.
This beach has also been the location for many Indian movies, the most famous being Ek Duje Ke Liye. Given this dual attraction, Dona Paula Beach has become a popular tourist spot.
also u know singam movie shoot part in this place
