Dona Paula Beach, one of the popular tourist destination associated with romance and myth, is situated at a distance of 7kms from Panaji, North Goa. The beach is named after the daughter of a viceroy in colonial India, Dona Paula de Menzes who threw herself off the cliff, when refused permission to marry a local fisherman, Gaspar Dias. The place is also known as 'Lovers Paradise'. This small palm fringed beach with casuarina groves is very peaceful. Dona Paula beach offers a wide range of water sports to the tourists including motorboat rides, water scooter, windsurfing, parasailing, water-skiing, toboggan ski-biscuit, skibob, sports fishing, snorkeling, harpoon fishing, kayaking and yachting. The National Oceanography Institute that provides a world of information on marine biology is situated within the premises of Dona Paula Beach. The major attraction of the institute is its Marine Biology Museum and Taxonomy Reference Center. The official residence of the Governor of Goa, known as Cabo Raj Bhavan is situated on the westernmost tip of Dona Paula