Divar Island

Divar Island sits in the Mandovi River opposite Old Goa, reachable only by ferry — there is no bridge — which has helped preserve a rural, slow-paced character quite different from the mainland coast. Its villages retain Portuguese-era houses, old churches and paddy fields, and the island is best explored on foot, by bicycle, or on a scooter carried across on the ferry. It sees very little tourist traffic compared to almost anywhere else in Goa, and the annual Bonderam flag festival in August is a distinctly local celebration unique to the island.