Sindhudurg is a district in the state of Maharashtra, which was carved out of the erstwhile Ratnagiri District. The district headquarters are located at Oros. Sindhudurg is famous for its serene and beautiful beaches, temples, historical forts and folk art forms like Dashavtar, Chitrakathi, Pangul, Keertan, Dhangiri dance. This Konkan region of Maharashtra has a picturesque stretch of land on the west coast of India, endowed with the beautiful seashore, picturesque mountains and scenic natural beauty. This district is famous for tropical fruit like Alphonso mangoes, cashews, Jamuns etc.
History: The district is named after the fort of Sindhudurg (which means “fort in the sea”), which lies on a rocky island just off the coast of Malvan. Sindhudurg Fort, built in the 16th century by Chhatrapati Shivaji is the only fort which has Shivaji’s temple inside the fort. Sindhudurg district has 37 forts, the highest number of forts in Maharashtra as well as all types of forts (Jaldurg – Sea), (Bhuikot – Fort on land) and (Giri- fort on a hilltop). Sindhudurg was mostly under the command of the Kolhapur branch of the Maratha Empire till 1765 and was then conquered by the British who renamed it, Port Augustus. It was again handed over to the Marathas and finally, in 1792, it came under British rule as per their treaty with the Marathas.
*(All the information are from Wikipedia, from website of tour guide of India, https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/destination/sindhudurg)
Transport:
Airport: Dabolim Airport in Goa is the nearest airport to Sindhudurg. It is situated at a distance of 130 km.
Rail: Nearest railheads are Kudal and Kankavali which is 32 km from Malvan. It is also well connected by Konkan railway to Mumbai, Thane, Goa and other parts of the country.
Road: The Sindhudurg district is connected to state capital Mumbai by NH-66. This highway also connects the district to neighbouring state Goa and Karnataka. There are regular MSRTC and private luxury buses connecting the adjoining cities like Kolhapur (110 km away from Kankavli City), Belgaum (90 km away from Sawantwadi City), Panaji – Goa (55 km away from Sawantwadi & Vengurla).
Local: Auto rickshaws are available for transportation within the city. Tour operators provide vehicles for hire. The coastal areas also have regular ferry services.
Tourist Interest:
Tarkarli: Tarkarli is a village in Malvan taluka in Sindhudurg district in the state of Maharashtra. It is a tourist destination and a coral beach. This village is famous for its Ramnavmi Utsav. Ram Navami is celebrated every year in Mahapurush Temple of the village. Tarkarli beach has a long coastline and clear waters. Located at the confluence of the Karli River and the Arabian Sea, this place has gained prominence because of its long and narrow stretch of beach with pristine waters.
Read my experience in Tarkarli.
Sindhudurg Fort: Located in the Malvan taluka, Sindhudurg is one of the excellent sea forts in Maharashtra whose construction was started in 1664 and completed in 1667. The structure of the fort continues to remain as strong as ever, maybe because its foundations were laid down in lead. The fort is situated on an island called Kurate which is two kilometres from the Konkan shore. Surrounded by rocks, it provided natural protection from enemy ships and gave the Maratha naval ships a secure base in the western sea. In fact, Shivaji was the only Indian ruler at that time who possessed a strong navy.
Amboli Hill Station: Amboli is a hill station near Sawantwadi. It is quiet but pleasant hill resort. It is 690 meters above sea level. The area is surrounded by dense forest and sea view point offers you a panoramic view of a good part of the konkan coast.
Bharatgad and Bhagwatgarh Fort: It is 17 k.m. from Malvan town. At Maure town, both this fort are located close to each close to each other but separated by an estuary. Bharatgad’s outside wall is in dialogue condition today a prominent feature of this fort is a more than 200 ft. deep well which has a carved door at the bottom. It is believed that the cave beginning from this door leads to Sindhudurg Fort.
Devbaug Beach: It is 12km south of Malvan Town. A confluence of the Karli River flowing into the Arabian Sea. This point marks the southernmost tip of the Malvan taluka. An interesting geographical site, it is far more enchanting to see it atop the bridge built to cross over the river into Vengurla.
Malvan Beach: This is one of the most commercially active beaches in the Konkan. It is buzzing with life at the jetty where most of the fishermen anchor their boats of various dimensions and colours.
Kolamb Beach: This is a pristine isolated beach which ends up in a creek from one side called the Kolamb creek.
The other attractions are Kunkeshwar Temple, Dhamapur Lake, Dashavatar Folk Art, Mochemad Beach, Vengurla and more.
Tour Planner:
This tour planner is made on the basis of the location of the destinations. One can make changes as per their interest, convenience and accessibility and duration of the trip. Generally, the trip to the various attraction within Sindhudurg is done separately making a base either in Goa or Pune or Mumbai. One can cover all the major attractions in Sindhudurg district in four to five days.
Hotels: Online booking is always preferable for discounts in tariff. Homestays are a very convenient and affordable option in this region along with the excellent opportunity to know the culture, tradition and local cuisine. Hotels in Sindhudurg are Hotel Sagar Kinara Malvan, Sonchafa Motel, MTDC Hotel Tarkarli, Sea View Resort Tarkarli and much more.