Divar Island

Overview

No bridge reaches Divar Island, so every visit starts on a ferry. The island lies in the Mandovi River in Tiswadi taluka, North Goa district, about 10 km upriver from Panaji, and it is a fit for travellers who want a slow day of villages and viewpoints rather than a list of sights. Ferries run from the Old Goa bank to Piedade, from Ribandar to Navelim and from Narve to Naroa, so the island can be entered at three corners.

Three villages share the land: Piedade, the largest, Malar, also known as Sao Matias, and Naroa. Settlers came here from Old Goa when disease emptied the capital, which ties the island's story closely to the church group across the water. At Piedade, the church of Our Lady of Piety sits on a hilltop with a view over the river towards Old Goa, and the villages hold Portuguese-era houses, the colonial architecture that draws most visitors. At Malar, St Mathias Church is more than 400 years old. Naroa, the northern village, is linked with the history of the Saptakoteshwar temple.

The calendar is anchored by Bonderam, held on the fourth Saturday of August in the middle of the monsoon. It recalls a protest by villagers who pulled down flags that the Portuguese had set up to mark disputed land, and today it brings a parade of floats, costumes, brass bands and mock fights with small bamboo weapons to the central square at Piedade. The dry months from October to March are easier for cycling and walking, and the Bonderam crowds are a reason to arrive early in the day if you go in August.

Allow a day. A bicycle suits the lanes, and a half day is enough for Piedade alone. The island has no railway station of its own, and Carambolim on the Konkan Railway is the closest stop (distance to be supplied), while Dabolim and Mopa are the airports. Chorao island, with its bird sanctuary, is the other Mandovi island that fits into the same trip, and the Old Goa churches sit across the water from the Piedade landing.

Known for

Boats link the island with Old Goa, Ribandar and Narve