Diu Island India
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually at anchor off the coast, with a transfer to the jetty, depending on the ship and conditions. The call remains a discreet one: few cruise ships stop here, which explains the absence of dedicated infrastructure.
Because Portuguese rule lasted four centuries, from 1535 to 1961. The old quarter unfolds façades in ochre, yellow and faded blue, a direct legacy of Portuguese town planning kept up with visible care. Today it is a Union Territory of India.
By taxi or autorickshaw, easily from end to end: the island is about twelve kilometres long. The streets are clean and quiet, traffic is sparse, and the short distances leave plenty of time to linger.
One of the most imposing Portugal ever built in Asia, constructed between 1535 and 1541. Its moated walls command the water on three sides, bristling with cannon eaten away by salt. You can climb freely from bastion to bastion up to the lighthouse, passing ruined chapels, cisterns and carved inscriptions.
A stone fort standing alone in the water opposite the channel entrance, reached by boat. It is one of the most singular sights on the entire Indian coast: a fortress by itself in mid-current.
St Paul's Church, completed in 1610, with its carved façade and remarkably fine interior woodwork — mass is still celebrated there. Its neighbour, the former St Thomas Church, holds a museum of sacred art. Between them the lanes invite wandering, past balconied houses, armorial gateways and small squares.
The western entrance to the old walled town, a monumental gate enriched with carvings. It marks the passage from the modern town into the historic quarter.
Yes, two main ones. Nagoa curves its crescent of sand beneath hoka palms, a variety particular to the region; Ghoghla, longer, faces the mainland. The seafront draws evening walkers when low light sets the ramparts glowing and the fishing boats return through the channel.
Former quarries hollowed into arches and shafts of light, forming a golden labyrinth that photographers love. It is one of the island's least expected attractions.
From October to March, when the heat is kinder. Outside that window, exploring the ramparts and lanes is paid for in perspiration, as the island offers little shade beyond the coastal palms.
