There is a fast way to go south from Mumbai, which is the Mumbai–Goa highway, and there is the right way, which is to keep the sea on your right for as long as the land allows. The Konkan coast between Raigad and Sindhudurg is a string of creeks, estuaries, sea forts, temple towns and fishing villages, and a road trip down it is one of the great slow journeys in western India. It is not fast. That is its virtue.
What follows is a route of five or six days from Mumbai to Tarkarli, with suggestions on pacing, stays and food. Treat distances and ferry times as approximate, and check current schedules before you rely on them.
Pacing, and why less is more
The Konkan punishes ambition. The coastal roads are narrow, winding and often slow, and the direct route is interrupted by creeks that you cross either by ferry or by driving inland to the nearest bridge. A day's drive that looks like 150 km on a map can easily take five or six hours with stops.
My rule of thumb is to drive no more than four or five hours a day, and never after dark. Night driving on these roads, with unlit bends, cattle, and the occasional fishing truck coming the other way, is a bad idea. Start after breakfast, arrive for a late lunch, and spend the evening on a beach.
A rough plan that works:
- Mumbai to Murud-Janjira, via Alibaug and Kashid.
- Murud to Dapoli, via Shrivardhan and a creek ferry or two.
- Dapoli to Guhagar, with a stop at Harnai.
- Guhagar to Ganpatipule.
- Ganpatipule to Ratnagiri, and on south towards Malvan.
- Tarkarli and Sindhudurg, then home.
If you have only five days, merge days four and five. If you have seven, give the extra day to Tarkarli, where you will want it.
Murud-Janjira to Dapoli
The first day takes you out of the city, either over Atal Setu or by the Ro-Ro to Mandwa, and south through Alibaug and Revdanda along a pretty coastal stretch past Kashid beach to Murud. The reason to stop here is Janjira, a massive sea fort on an island just off the coast, which famously held out against a long list of attackers, including the Marathas. Small sailing boats take visitors across from the Rajapuri jetty. The fort is closed to visitors in the monsoon, and even in season boats depend on the sea, so confirm before you go.
From Murud, the road south reaches the Dighi–Agardanda creek crossing, where a vehicle ferry saves a long inland detour. Beyond lie Shrivardhan and the temple town of Harihareshwar, and then another crossing near Bankot towards the Dapoli side. Ferry timings change and services can pause for maintenance or tides, so ask locally the evening before.
Dapoli is a good base for a night or two: a cooler, greener town inland, with beaches such as Karde, Ladghar and the Dapoli Murud (not to be confused with the one you left) a short drive away. At Harnai, the fish auction on the beach in the late afternoon is one of the liveliest sights on the coast, and Suvarnadurg, another sea fort, sits just offshore.
Guhagar and Ganpatipule
South of Dapoli, the Dabhol–Dhopave ferry across the Vashishti creek takes you towards Guhagar, a quiet town with a long, clean beach and a pleasant old main street lined with houses in the Konkani style. There is little to do here, which I mean as praise.
A little further on is Ganpatipule, known for its Swayambhu Ganpati temple, set right on the beach at the foot of a hill. Pilgrims walk around the hill as part of their visit. The beach is beautiful, but the sea here can be dangerous; there are warning signs for a reason, and swimming is best avoided. Come for the evening light over the temple and the sea, and stay for the quiet once the day visitors leave. The Jaigad side route to Ganpatipule may involve another creek crossing; check before you go.
Ratnagiri and the long run south
Ratnagiri is the district town and a useful stop. It is the birthplace of Lokmanya Tilak, and home to Thibaw Palace, built for the last king of Burma, who lived here in exile under the British. The Ratnadurg fort and its lighthouse look out over the sea. In season, from roughly March to May, this is also the heartland of the Alphonso mango, and you will see stalls selling it everywhere. In winter you will have to make do with the idea of it.
From Ratnagiri the coast becomes quieter and the drive south, through Pawas, Rajapur and the Devgad side, is long. Vijaydurg, a large sea fort on the Devgad coast, is worth the detour if you have time. Otherwise, press on to Malvan.
Tarkarli, Sindhudurg and Malvani food
Malvan is a busy fishing town, and Sindhudurg, built on an island off its harbour in the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is the grandest of the Konkan sea forts. Boats run from the Malvan jetty in season. Inside the walls there are still families living, a small temple, and views back across the water to the town.
A few km south is Tarkarli, with a long white beach and clear water, and further still Devbag, where the Karli river meets the sea. This is where I would stay longest: homestays and small resorts along the beach, backwater boat rides, and some of the best food of the trip.
Malvani food deserves its own paragraph. Look for kombdi vade, chicken curry with fried puris of rice flour; fish thalis built around bangda, surmai or pomfret in a coconut-and-kokum curry; tisrya, the small clams; and sol kadhi to end every meal. Vegetarians should try the local usal and the jackfruit and cashew preparations in season. Eat at small family-run places rather than at the hotels on the main road.
Stays, season and getting home
Where to stay. The Konkan is at its best in homestays: rooms in family homes, often under coconut and areca palms, with home-cooked meals included. MTDC also has resorts at several points along the coast. Book ahead for weekends and holidays, and call rather than relying only on booking sites; many of the best places are small and informal.
When to go. October to March is the season. The monsoon, from June to September, closes the sea forts and many ferries, and the rain on this coast is intense. April and May are hot and humid, though mango season has its own appeal.
Getting home. You can drive back up the Mumbai–Goa highway, a long day, or hand the car to a vehicle-transport company and take the Konkan Railway home from Kudal or another nearby station. There is also an airport at Chipi, near Malvan, with limited flights; check current services.
The case for the slow road
A Konkan road trip is, in the end, an exercise in accepting delay: the ferry that leaves when it is full, the lunch that takes an hour to arrive because the fish was not caught yet, the bridge you have to drive inland to reach. After a week of it, the city's impatience starts to look like a habit rather than a necessity. You come back with sand in the car and a strong opinion about which sol kadhi was best, and with the mild, lingering suspicion that you have been doing Mumbai weekends the wrong way all along.
