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Diu

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DIU, GUJARAT, INDIA - 1997/12/30: Tribal women carry firewood to the markets of diu. (Photo by Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images)

LightRocket via Getty Images

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Overview

A Portuguese colony for 426 years, tiny Diu island, linked by a bridge to Gujarat’s southern coast, is still infused with the history, architecture and, in some places, the cultural remnants of its European colonizers. The streets of the main town are clean, colorful and quiet once you get off the tourist-packed waterfront strip, and there are numerous crumbling Portuguese villas and churches. Although it's often thought of as being part of Gujarat, this is incorrect. With Daman it's actually a separate union territory known as Daman and Diu, and it has its own rules and government.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Portuguese fort in Diu, Gujarat, India. (Photo by: IndiaPictures/UIG via Getty Images)

    Diu Fort

    Diu

    Built in 1535, with additions made in 1541, this massive, well-preserved Portuguese fort with its double moat (one tidal) was one of the most important…

  • St Paul’s Church

    St Paul’s Church

    Diu

    Cavernous St Paul’s is a wedding cake of a church, founded by Jesuits in 1600 and then rebuilt in 1807. Its neoclassical facade is the most elaborate of…

  • Vanakbara

    Vanakbara

    Diu

    At the extreme west of the island, Vanakbara is a fascinating little fishing village and one of the highlights of Diu. It’s great to wander around the…

  • Church of St Francis of Assisi

    Church of St Francis of Assisi

    Diu

    A surprise awaits at this church, founded in 1593, and previously used as a hospital. The whitewashed exterior is all flaking paint and sea-spray decay,…

  • Sunset Point

    Sunset Point

    Diu

    Sunset Point is a small, scenic headland at the southern end of the namesake beach, topped by the INS Khukhri Memorial – a model of the Indian Navy…

  • Sea Shell Museum

    Sea Shell Museum

    Diu

    This eccentric little museum, 6km from town on the Nagoa road, is a labour of love. Captain Devjibhai Vira Fulbaria of the merchant navy collected…

  • Ghoghla Beach

    Ghoghla Beach

    Diu

    Ghoghla Beach, north of Diu town, is the best beach on the island. A long stretch of sand, it has less trash and fewer people than the other nearby…

  • Diu Museum

    Diu Museum

    Diu

    St Thomas’ Church is a lovely, simple building with walls decaying in genteel fashion. It now houses the Diu Museum, with a spooky, evocative collection…

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