Malvan & Tarkarli

A seaside fishing town at the southern tip of Maharashtra. Take a boat to Sindhudurg Sea Fort, built by Shivaji on an offshore island, go snorkeling and diving in Tarkarli, or see where the river meets the sea at the Devbagh sandbar.

Malvan and Tarkarli lie at the southernmost tip of Maharashtra, in Sindhudurg District, about 500 km north of Mumbai and about 80 km north of Goa. They are among the most popular seaside destinations on the Konkan Coast. Malvan is a traditional fishing town, famous for its Malvani cuisine, including coconut-milk fish curry, fried pomfret, and solkadhi, a drink. Sindhudurg Sea Fort, on an offshore island, was built by the Maratha king Shivaji in the 17th century and is reached by ferry. The surrounding reefs are among Maharashtra's most popular places for snorkeling and diving. South of town, along a sandbar, are Tarkarli Beach, the backwaters of the Karli River, and the Devbagh sandbar where the river meets the sea. Boat trips can show you dolphins, and Tsunami Island offers water sports. Farther south are Nivati Fort, Bhogwe Beach, and Vengurla. To the north, visit the Kunkeshwar Temple and Vijaydurg Fort.

The best season is October to May, and the water is clearest from November to March, which is ideal for diving. June to September is the southwest monsoon, when sea conditions are rough, and ferries, diving, and water sports are all suspended.

Getting there: The nearest airport is Sindhudurg (Chipi), or you can fly to Mopa Airport in Goa and then drive about 1.5 hours. Alternatively, take the Konkan Railway to Kudal station and then a taxi about 30 km. Crowds are large on weekends and Indian public holidays, so visit on a weekday if you can. Plan 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Sindhudurg Fort – Built by Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire, in 1664 on an offshore island, this sea fort is reached by small boat and has become the e…
• Tarkarli Beach – A long beach of fine white sand and crystal-clear water, dubbed the 'Queen of the Konkan Coast', with seaside cottages run by the Maharasht…
• Devbag Beach & Sangam – At the tip of a slender sandbar, the Karli River meets the Arabian Sea. One side is calm backwater and the other is open ocean, and dolphin…
• Snorkeling & Scuba Diving off Sindhudurg – The reefs around Sindhudurg Fort are Maharashtra's most popular spot for snorkelling and introductory scuba diving, with corals, schools of…
• Tsunami Island – A sandbar that surfaced at the Karli River mouth after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and the hub for shallow-water play and watersports.
• Rock Garden Malvan – A seaside park on black rocks at Malvan's shore, where waves crash over the reefs, and the town's favourite spot for watching the sunset.
• Chivla Beach – A crescent-shaped fishing-village beach north of Malvan town, with gentle waves and shallow water, where you can watch traditional wooden b…
• Nivati Fort – A Maratha fort ruin on a headland, overlooking the crescent-shaped Bhogwe Beach and the offshore reefs below; a great spot for photos.
• Bhogwe Beach – A quiet bay ringed by coconut palms, facing the Devbagh sandbar across the river mouth, and considered one of Maharashtra's cleanest beache…
• Vengurla Beach & Lighthouse – A long beach near Vengurla town, plus a lighthouse on the headland overlooking the offshore Burning Islands; the old port has a harbour and…
• Redi Ganpati Temple – A Ganesha temple on Maharashtra's southernmost coast, enshrining a roughly 2-metre-tall, two-armed stone image of the elephant-headed god t…
• Kunkeshwar Temple & Beach – An ancient Shiva temple by the sea near Devgad, known as the 'Varanasi of the Konkan', with a long, clear and quiet beach in front.
• Vijaydurg Fort – A Maratha naval fort surrounded by the sea on three sides, known as the 'Gibraltar of the Konkan'; its triple walls are well preserved, and…
• Dhamapur Lake – An ancient irrigation lake built in the 16th century, ringed by forest, with a Bhagwati goddess temple beside it, where you can go boating…

Where to eat

• Atithi Bamboo Restaurant – Malvan's most popular seafood thali restaurant. Seer fish (surmai) thali with sol kadhi is the standard order.
• Chaitanya Restaurant – Malvan's best-known traditional Malvani seafood restaurant, which has also opened a branch in Mumbai. Its fish thali an…
• Swami Family Restaurant – A family restaurant beside the Malvan theatre. It is clean and spacious, and its pomfret thali and clam tisrya are well…