BEST OF DIU - GIR IN 3 DAYS

At a distance of 3 km from Diu Bus Station, Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at Fudam village in Diu. Situated on the Arabian Sea coast, it is one of the important places of pilgrimage in Diu and among the must visit places as part of Diu Tour Packages.

Situated amidst serenity and scenic beauty, the Gangeshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the transformer of Hindu trinity. Here the presiding deity is called Gangeshwar, who is considered to be the Lord of River Ganga since it descended to the earth from the tresses of Lord Shiva. The Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple is more than 5000 years old. It is basically a cave temple located in the midst of rocks on the seashore.

The shrine has five Shivalingas of different sizes which are believed to have been installed by the Pandava brothers during their exile period. These Shivlingas are constantly washed by the lapping waves of the Arabian Sea and one has to touch the Lord when the waves are returning. .....

At a distance of 8 km from Diu Bus Station, Nagoa Beach is a stunning sea beach located at Nagoa hamlet of Bucharwada village in Diu. Situated near Diu Airport, it is one of the most popular beaches on the Arabian Sea coast and among the must include places in Diu Packages.

Nagoa Beach is a horseshoe-shaped beach known for its exotic ambiance and scenic beauty. Extends over an area of 2 km, the beach is characterized by an enclosing cove with white sands. It is considered to be the most beautiful as well as the most famous beach in Diu. A walk along the shore is a great way to relax one's body and soul. Also, Nagoa Beach is one among the most unique beaches in India as it is lined with rare Hoka trees which are not found anywhere else in the country. These trees were planted by the Portuguese which they brought from Africa. The trees were sacred to the Ancient Egyptians, evident from the discovery of Hoka seeds in several rulers' tombs.

The palm-fringed beach of Nagoa witnesses .....

At a distance of 2 km from Diu Bus Station, Diu Fort is an ancient fort located in Diu. Situated near Diu Collectorate, it is one of the historical forts in India and among the prominent places to visit in Diu during your Diu Trip.

The Fort of Diu, formally Fortaleza de São Tomé, is an expansive and imposing structure situated in the extreme southeast point of the island. It was built by D. Nuno da Cunha in the year 1535 subsequent to a defense alliance forged by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat and the Portuguese when Humayun, the Mughal Emperor attempted to annex this territory. Later, the fort was rebuilt by D. Joao de Castro in 1546. The Portuguese ruled over this territory for 424 years from 1537 to 1961 even after India's independence from British and were ousted from Diu only when the government of India launched a military action called the 'Operation Vijay'.

Spread over an area of 5.6 hectares, the Diu Fort is protected by the sea on three sides. The outer wall .....

At a distance of 2 km from Diu Bus Station, St. Paul's Church is an ancient church situated in Diu Island, on the west coast of India. It is one of the oldest churches in India and among the most visited places in Diu.

The St. Paul's Church is one of the three churches built by the Portuguese in Diu and is solely dedicated to 'Our Lady of Immaculate Conception'. The construction of the church was started in 1601 and finished in 1610. Named after St. Paul, the Apostle of Jesus also known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, it is said to be the largest and the only functioning church in Diu till date.

Built in the Baroque architectural style, this 400 years old church of St. Paul exhibits strong similarity but with better workmanship and design than the Basilica of Bom Jesus at Goa, which was also built by the Portuguese in 1605 AD. Renowned all over the world for its stunning architecture by Indian craftsmen, the church boasts of rich wood carvings, splendid facade, intriguing volutes, .....

At a distance of 1.5 km from Diu Bus Station, Diu Museum is a prominent museum located in Diu. Situated near St. Paul's Church, it is one of the museums in the Union Territory of Diu - Daman and among the must-visit places in Diu town.

The museum was set up in the St. Thomas Church, hence it is called as St. Thomas Church Museum. The church was built in 1598 by an order of Bishop D. Aleixo Menezes and was the first Parish Church of Diu. Lies on an elevated platform within the Diu Fort, the church was built in the Gothic style of architecture. This edifice came under various functions like an Orphanage, Old Age Home, Police Station and prior to liberation, it housed the Angolan Battalion. Post-liberation, it was abandoned for many years. Later in 1992, the church was converted into a museum. After the conversion of the building to the museum, the church does not organize prayer services anymore, although an annual mass is held on All Saint's Day on 1st November.

St. Thomas .....

At a distance of 3 km from Diu Bus Station, INS Khukri Memorial is the memorial site of an Indian Naval Ship located on a hillock in Diu. Situated near Chakratirth Beach, it is one of the must-visit places while holidaying in Diu.

INS Khukri memorial was set up in 1999 to commemorate the brave martyrs of Indian Navy. INS Khukri, one of the historic Naval Ships of India, fell prey to three torpedoes fired by a Pakistan submarine on 9th December 1971 and sank 40 nautical miles off the coast of Diu. With the ship 18 officers and 176 sailors laid down their lives for the glory of the nation. Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla Mahavir Chakra was the captain of this warship.

The memorial comprises a scaled model of INS Khukri enclosed in a glass case. Names of all officers and sailors of the ship are displayed at the top. There is an open air theater towards the sea with seating arrangement for visitors. From the memorial, one can get a beautiful view of the setting sun over the Arabian .....

At a distance of 1 km from Diu Bus Station, Naida Caves are the beautiful rock formations situated outside Zampa Gate following Vijaypath Road in Diu. These caves are often used in promoting Diu Tourism.

The Naida Caves are a group of interlinked caves below the ground level which keeps a person in awe. It is believed that these caves got their shape when the Portuguese broke down sections of a huge rock formation for construction of the Diu Fort. This is how the caves got shape eventually. However, it is also studied that the caves were formed due to geological irregularities and processes over a significant amount of time. These caves acted as a shelter for the Indian Army during Operation Vijay which was launched against the Portuguese.

The caves feature a big network of tunnels with square hewn steps that remain completely unexplored. The caves also have a natural opening that lets in sunlight, making it photogenic. The orange-brown walls of the caves, maze kind cave tunnels, .....

At a distance of 500 m from Sasan Gir Bus Stand, Jungle Safari is the major attraction and one of the most popular options to spot animal movement and admire beautiful landscape in Gir National Park. Sasan Gir is the most celebrated wildlife sanctuary in India as it is the royal kingdom of Asiatic lions and essentially the only place on earth where these majestic beasts roam freely after Africa.

Only Jeep safari is available at Gir National Park. There is no canter safari or elephant safari unlike to the other national parks of India. There are eight safari routes, although most overlap with each other, with different entry and exit points. These routes have been made within the tourism zone of the Sanctuary with an average length of 35 km each. They are randomly assigned by the computer along with a driver and guide when you present your permit at the Reception Center, Sinh Sadan, Sasan Gir. One can also visit Kamleswar Dam while on a Gir National Park Safari where one can climb .....