Dona Paula Viewpoint

Headland with views over the Mandovi and Zuari estuaries, and a tomb

Dona Paula is a rocky headland seven kilometres west of central Panaji, where the Mandovi and Zuari rivers both empty into the Arabian Sea. The viewpoint at the tip of the headland offers a long panorama in three directions, particularly fine at sunset; a smaller cove on the south side has been the city's preferred swimming spot for over a century.

Above the viewpoint, a small chapel houses the tomb of Dona Paula de Menezes — a Portuguese noblewoman around whom multiple competing romantic legends have grown up. The site is a standard stop on most Panaji city tours; reach it by autorickshaw or on the local bus route from the city centre.

things to do sight
A story
The site is named after Dona Paula de Menezes, a 17th-century Portuguese noblewoman whose romantic life remains mysterious — depending on which story you believe, she was a saint who died caring for the local poor, a vicereine accidentally drowned, or a love-tragedy heroine who threw herself from the cliff when forbidden to marry her fisherman lover. Her tomb in the small chapel above the viewpoint draws pilgrims of all three persuasions.