FANCY A SOJOURN IN SERENE SINDHUDURG?

Back in mid-September, my wife reminded me (actually clenched her teeth and gave me an ultimatum) that she and our 12-year old boy didn't want to spend their Diwali vacation doing nothing at home. After all attempts to change her mind failed, I set myself on a tough mission to find a holiday destination that ticked everyone's boxes, while also not burning a big festive hole in our pocket.

At this juncture I must tell you that my wife and son are both beach people. I, on the other hand, have a soft (a red-hot) spot for old forts, palaces, temples and other ancient & medieval historical monuments.

So I put on my travel-planner hat and consulted Google Maps in my quest for a spot close to Mumbai that offered both sea and history. My approach was to add Mumbai as the starting point and Goa as the destination, and then search for sea forts along the route. This approach threw up several results on the long western coastline, as you will see in the image below. After excluding several spots that we had already visited, including Madh within Mumbai limits, Alibag and Murud-Janjira in the Raigad district, and Goa, I was eventually left with previously uncharted spots in the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

Snapshot of my Google Maps search result
My quest for our Diwali holiday destination finally ended when I recollected that one of Indian history's greatest relics, one of the battle swords wielded by Maratha Warrior King Shivaji, was housed in one of the temples inside Sindhudurg Fort. It ticked the coastal allure for my wife and son and the historical charm that I had been craving for a long time.

Sindhudurg, a coastal district located about 460-500 km away from Mumbai, is steeped in rich Maratha history, and is famed for its sea and hill forts, pristine beaches, Malvani cuisine, and rich biodiversity. The district came into being in 1981, when it was carved out of an erstwhile much bigger Ratnagiri. As of today, Sindhudurg comprises the tahsils of Sawantwadi, Kudal, Vengurla, Malvan, Devgad, Kankavli, Vaibhavwadi, and Dodamarg.

Named after the iconic Sindhudurg Fort built by Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th century, the district literally means “fort in the sea.” With a 122-km-long coastline running along the Arabian Sea on the West and the Sahyadri hills forming its eastern boundary, the district has a lot to offer in terms of scenic beauty and ecological purity. The district forms the southern-most point of the state of Maharashtra, sharing borders with Goa and Karnataka.

Some of the top tourist attractions of Sindhudurg are as under:-

The Sindhudurg Fort

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/
Built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj between 1664-67, this majestic sea fort stands on an island named Kurte just off the coast of Malvan. Accessible by a short boat ride from the Malvan jetty, the fort has 3-4 km long perimeter walls that are about 30-feet high and 12-feet thick, several bastions, temples, storage areas & granaries, and even freshwater wells. In its glory years, the fort also had a palace, large assembly areas, cannons, and other structures. One of the main attractions of the fort complex is a Shivrajeshwar temple built by the Warrior King's son, Chhatrapati Rajaram, in which one of his battle swords is kept on display.

Rajkot Fort and Chhatrapati Shivaji Smarak

Image: https://nativeplanet.com/
The Rajkot fort was originally constructed around the same time as the Sindhudurg fort as a strategic military outpost. As of today, not much of the original structure remains besides a bastion. In late 2023, a 35-foot statue of the Chhatrapati was constructed at the fort, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Modi. Unfortunately, this statue collapsed in August 2024. It was eventually replaced by a new and much taller 91-foot statue in May 2025, which gloriously towers over the Arabian Sea.

The Tarkarli, Malvan and Devbag Beaches

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/
The beaches in the district (especially the Tarkarli beach) are known for their powdery white sands, clear waters and serene atmosphere. These are a popular hotspots for water sports enthusiasts and those who enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, banana boat rides. jet ski rides, parasailing, kayaking, etc. There are certain spots from these beaches where you can spot dolphins as well.


The Devbag Peninsula, the Karli River Backwaters and Tsunami Island

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in
Those who are not keen on water sports can simply take speed boat rides in the Karli backwaters. The backwaters are formed because of a unique peninsular formation at Devbag, which is essentially a thin strip of land bordered by the Karli River on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. This creates a confluence point (or sangam as the locals call it), where the Karli river empties into the Arabian Sea. The boat ride offers a glimpse from a distance of several key points including Vengurla, some hill forts along the coastline and peninsula, Golden Rocks (natural rock formations in the middle of the sea that reflect the sun's rays in a way that makes them appear golden), and the sangam. The boat will also stop for a while at a small sand bar in the middle of the water called Seagull Island which is frequented by these migratory birds, and a so-called Tsunami Island, which is named so because it is an otherwise completely submerged sandbar that appears only during low tide. Besides water sports activities, what I found enchanting about this island was the intricate bubble designs created by the millions of small sand bubbler crabs (also called rangoli crabs) that thrive thereon.

Geoglyphs/Petroglyphs of Konkan

Image: https://travelkonkan.in/
Petroglyphs are carvings into rock surfaces, while geoglyphs are large designs created on the ground by arranging stones or removing earth to reveal contrasting soil. According to articles that I have come across, there are more than 1,500 petroglyphs/geoglyphs spread across more than 70 locations in the Konkan region (including some parts of Goa), all dating back to the Mesolithic era. Initially academically discovered in 2012 (although local tribes & communities simply knew these as signs left behind by their ancestors for years), some estimates peg these art forms at more than 12,000 years old.

The Malvan Marine Sanctuary

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/
The Malvan Marine Sanctuary is a 29.22 square kilometre World Heritage site (designated in 1987) which is a biologically-rich coastal region and home to diverse coastal species, including sea anemones, molluscs, pearl oysters, corals, seaweed, mangroves, crustaceans, and much more. One can spot several fish species and subspecies, animals such as Nilgai, leopards, wild boars, barking deer, sambars, migratory birds, ducks, etc., in this region. The Sindhudurg fort, Padamgad fort, Rajkot fort and other rocky structures fall in the buffer zone of this sanctuary.

Rock Garden & Chivla Beach

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/

Located next to Chivla beach (and a few minutes drive from the Sindhudurg fort jetty) point, Malvan’s Rock Garden is a landscaped garden situated on the rocky shores of the sea. Featuring a children's playground and sea-facing benches, it is visited by many for breathtaking views of waves crashing against the rocks and beautiful multi-hued sunsets.

Temples

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/
There are several temples in the region, including many from medieval times. These include the Kunkeshwar temple (also called as the Kashi of South Konkan) originally built in 1100 CE, the Shri Rameshwar temple (built in the 16th century), the Shri Devi Bhagwati mandir (also built in the 16th century), and the several temples inside fort complexes.


The Sawantwadi Palace (Rajwada)

Image: https://sawantwadipalace.com/
This is a relatively less-visited spot in the region. Built between 1755-1803 by rulers of the Sawant-Bhonsale dynasty (initially allied with the Adilshahi rules of Bijapur and later with the British), the palace combines native workmanship with European arches, stained glass, decor, and other European-style elements. There is a lake right in front of the palace complex. One wing of the palace has been converted into a heritage boutique hotel.

Local Cuisine & Konkani Culture

From spicy Malvani seafood to solkadhi and mango-based desserts, the region’s food is a highlight in itself. Cultural festivals and local handicrafts add flavor to the experience. You can make a visit to local marketplaces to buy Kokam syrups, cashews, and Malvani masalas/spices.

How to Reach

By Train

This is the mode I chose. The closest railway stations to Sindhudurg are at Sindhudurg, Kudal, and Sawantwadi. I must warn you that the train journey can be really long, all exceeding 9-10 hours (including delays caused by excess traffic on certain railway crossing zones). But I personally consider this a less tiring and stressful mode as compared to driving on narrow road sections. All three railway stations are about an hour's drive from Sindhudurg. You could either hire an auto-rickshaw from just outside these railway stations (they don't follow the meter, so negotiate well), or request your hotel to pre-book a vehicle on your behalf.

I was able to do my train bookings through Amazon.








By Road

If you fancy driving, you will need to get onto National Highway 66 (NH-66), that runs roughly north–south along the coast, parallel to the Western Ghats, passing through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

By Air

The district's Chipi Airport was inaugurated in October 2021. There are flights operated by a domestic carrier named Fly91 to Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad and Pune. Goa's Manohar International Airport is about 1-2 hours away. 


Where to Stay

I personally like to mark out all my must-visit spots on Google Maps and add an additional search for hotels close to most of these spots before triangulating on my stay options. Since this is a coastal town, I looked for something that was adjacent to a less-crowded beach.

My search got me to book a room at Hotel Ocean Bliss in Devbag, which fit my budget. While it does not have too many amenities, it has a decent restaurant, good sea-view rooms, and a gate that opens directly onto the beach.

Clicked by me on the beach in front of our hotel
The entrance to our hotel's restaurant
















Besides MakeMyTrip, GoIbibo, Skyscanner and other hotel aggregating websites, check out for deals on Indigo Airline's Hotel bookings portal as well. I was initially unable to find a room in my hotel on other websites, but was able to on Indigo. Not sure why, but maybe this is because airlines tend to have a steady inventory of rooms for their crew, ground staff and passengers at several points.

Hope you enjoyed this somewhat lengthy post. Do share your thoughts and experiences, and feel free to pose questions (if any) in the comments section.

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