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Mumbai Weekend Getaways: Diu

Editorial | Last Updated: May 22, 2013 at 2:49 PM

Tags: Beach, Daman and Diu, Diu, fort, history, india travel, Portugese colony, travel india

Canons made of brass are places at strategic points in the fort to ward off enemies

A former Portugese colony, Diu with its historic fort, churches and colourful people makes for a postcard-perfect holiday

As the plane circles over Diu, among the Portugese colonies in India; that lies off the coast of Gujarat’s Kathiawar peninsula, you’ll see an island of green bordered by the Arabian Sea. The airport is about the size of an old colonial bungalow. There is no baggage claim — luggage is brought from the plane and delivered by hand. Spend three days on a bike travelling on every road within Diu and chances are that you’ll have a lot of petrol left from the Rs 200-worth you filled on day one.

At 40 sq km, Diu is as tiny as its name. It is perfect for a short getaway. Three days are enough to thoroughly explore the territory and get a tan on one of its empty beaches.

Colour me pretty

Like former Portugese colony Goa, Diu is all about colour. The airport building is pink! We barely recovered from that sight when we beheld a brightly-painted rickshaw. A few minutes later after looking at houses, shops, boats and flags on them, we realised Diu’s residents are very partial to bright colours, especially pink.

This colour gives the city a welcoming vibe that stays long after the sun sets. At night, artificial lights (coloured, of course) throw focus on the city’s main areas — the jetty area that beckons tourists to its restaurants, hotels and bars.

The fort is a large and impressive structure on the coast of the Diu island

Then there’s the imposing statue of former governor, Nuno de Cunha, and the former jail, Pani Kotha, that lies in the middle of the sea, and the bridge connecting Diu to Goghla. Cross the bridge and you’ll get a beautiful view of the city — it’s bathed in the glow of artificial light and watched over by silent figures on the spires of Diu’s churches.

The Portuguese influence
Diu has a few houses and structures that stand witness to its past. There’s the imposing Diu fort, a sprawling structure that was built in the 1500s. It’s best viewed when it’s lit up by the early morning or setting sun.

The three whitewashed churches in Diu in stark contrast to the colour in the rest of the city. And given the reducing number of Catholics in Diu, only St Paul’s Cathedral is functional. It has an ornate facade that boasts of being the most intricate in the country. But the interiors are crumbling, the paint is peeling and pigeons have built nests on top.

Visit the church on Sunday to see a glimpse of Diu’s Catholic population — old ladies in dresses, heads covered in veils and carrying fans, mothers admonishing daughters to pay attention and men loitering at the entrance.

The ruins of the walls, gateways, arches, ramps, bastions of the fort provide an impressive view of the extent of military defenses that the fort provided in the past

The St Francis of Assisi Church is now a hospital. St Thomas’ is an archaeological museum; the cloisters are used as guest rooms and an open terrace affords a great view of the sea and the spires of the other churches.

Life’s a beach
The best thing about Diu though is the quiet.  The roads are mostly empty, making travelling by cycles or bikes a breeze. The evenings are laidback; kids play on open grounds while elderly take walks or put out chairs and watch the world go by.

Diu is blessed with a wonderful expanse of beaches, most of which are clean — of dirt and tourists. An evening is spent sitting on sand, in the shade of hoka trees (a Portuguese import, unique to Diu), with a few strays for company, watching the waves retreat.

The Vanakbara beach is the farthest from the city and the emptiest. The currents here are strong and the sand is coarse. There’s a small fishing community nearby and the cargo that’s left out to dry stinks up the air. However, the flags, under-construction boats, and loading and unloading docks make for wonderful pictures.

In the main entry gate, there are five large windows with stone galleries on the main front wall

That’s the beauty of Diu. The entire city — sunset point, the white sands of the Chakratirth beach, the road leading to Fudam village, the market’s inner lanes — makes for postcard pictures, and memories to match.

How to reach: Nagoa is the nearest airport and Veraval nearest railhead. Mumbai Diu road distance is about 237 km.

Best time to visit Diu: October to march is best season to visit Diu. However, Diu can be visited any time of the year if you can brave the humidity and heat.

The article was first published in the English daily DNA.