Malvan, a hidden gem in the Konkan district of Maharashtra, is undoubtedly a dream destination for many people. With its pristine beaches, authentic homestays, shore temples, and coastal cuisines, Malvan attracts travelers that seek peace with beachy vibes. This coastal town overlooks the Arabian sea and is a go-to place for outdoorsy creatures. (just like us!)
There are a plenty of beautiful places to visit in Malvan that fulfill your nature cravings. Whether you want to enjoy water sports or spend a peaceful evening by the sea, experience history or indulge in spirituality, Malvan has them all!
With so many things to add to life’s book, we thought, why not explore it. That’s when we, along with our friends, planned for Malvan, and here’s everything from our expedition.
In this post, you will find some fantastic places to visit in Malvan with bits of experience and suggestions regarding stay and commute. Let’s dive in!
Places to visit in Malvan:
Sindhudurg Fort:
In 1667, The Great Maratha King, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, built the Sindhudurg fort that occupies an island in the Arabian Sea. Amidst the heavy tides, this 354-year-old fortress stands strong and serves as a pride for the Maratha empire.
To visit Sindhudurg fort, you need to reach Malvan Port, borrow a ferry ticket and enjoy a wavy ride with co-passengers. On your way to Sindhudurg fort, you can experience the thrill and wildness of the Arabian Sea and the sky engulfing it in its arms. After reaching, you can explore the greatest architecture of Sindhudurg fort built with mindful techniques that served the purpose of monitoring the foreign merchants in historical times.
Some parts of the fort have deteriorated over time due to lack of maintenance, but their reconstruction is in progress. Hopefully, it stays durable in the coming years. You can go through the fort’s hidden structures, stairs, water tanks, and temples. It offers a scenic view with the rumbling sound of waves. All in all, Sindhudurg fort is one of the most popular places to visit in Malvan as it fulfills your desire to explore the sea and adds a historical touch to the journey.
Rock Garden:
Situated on the rocky shores of Malvan, the Rock garden offers a serene sea view with a pleasant atmosphere. Plus, the beautifully built garden accentuates this place with creativity where you can wander around and capture pictures with your loved ones. You can also sit by the rocks and feast your eyes on the beautiful sunset.
We are sure, the roar and crash of sea waves will take you far away from the chaotic life into a dreamy world as it took us! Besides, you can savor the tempting local snacks while exiting the beach, so make sure to add Rock Garden to your list of places to visit in Malvan.
Kunkeshwar Temple:
If your heart inches towards spirituality, then you should definitely visit the Kunkeshwar temple situated in the Kunkeshwar village. Placed at the banks of the Arabian Sea, this temple extends 60 Kms from Kankavli, so you can easily reach it by hiring local cabs.
Kunkeshwar temple is popularly known for its tranquility, peaceful atmosphere, and spiritual attachment with Lord Shiva. The crashing sound of waves on pearly shores, along with the chiming of temple bells, adds a meditative and calming tint to the place. You can visit this temple to pay respect to Lord Shiva and immerse yourself in the soothing environment for as long as you want.
Kunkeshwar village is also popular for the production of Alphonso mangoes. So, if you are planning to visit Malvan in March or April, then make sure to get some sweet treats of Alphonso Mangoes on your return journey.
Malvan market:
Savor the flavor of local Malvani dishes that are popular for their authenticity! The malvan market will provide you with various food items made from mango, jackfruit, kokam, and dry fruits like fried cashews. Apart from this, you can get the special Malvani masala and other delectable cuisines while wandering around the Malvan market. You can combine this visit to the market with other attractions around the city to make the most of your time.
Anganewadi Temple:
Situated in the Sindhudurg district of Malvan, the Anganewadi temple is known for its Bharadi Devi temple and the most famous fair named Anganewadi Jatra, which occurs annually. The temple gets to witness many political leaders and celebrities visiting throughout the year due to the Bharadi (Earth Goddess) devi’s wish-fulfilling powers.
Anganewadi temple is also known as the ‘Pandharpur of Konkan’ that offers a serene and spiritual vibe to the devotees. If you have faith in God, then visiting the Anganewadi temple on your visit to Malvan can surely give you peace of mind.
Devgad Beach:
DEVGAD BEACH
This Beach will welcome you with a massive placement of windmills. It is connected to the north-located windmills with artistically built stairs that offer a panoramic view of the sea. Its seashore stretches over 2 km and is filled with silvery sand, rock patches, corals, and seashells. The cyan-shaded sea crashes the beach and lets the sand shine bright as the sun keeps playing hide and seek with clouds in the sky.
You can spend plenty of time exploring the beach as the coconut and palm trees enhances the seashore’s aura. This lush green sight combined with the craziness of the Arabian sea offers a mesmerizing view, especially during sunsets. So, if you are eagerly waiting to witness this picturesque beauty, then ensure to add Devgad beach to your list of places to visit in Malvan.
Chivala Beach:
Dive in blue waters and get suntanned at none other than Chivala Beach, as it’s a perfect place to relax your mind! The white sand, clear waters, and variety of water sports present on this C-shaped Chivala beach that spreads over 2Km from one end to others makes it one of the popular attractions in Malvan.
Whether you want to wake up early to enjoy water sports or laze around in the evening and watch the sun go down, Chivala beach will cover it all. Plenty of water sports are managed at this beach, so you can visit anytime and get your spot on the waves. Remember that scuba diving is carried in winters and summers, but it’s better to dive in during October-November. In these months, the water is clear, so you can treat your eyes with corals and reefs deep in the sea and take some cool videos.
(Tip: If you are visiting this beach in summers and want to go scuba diving, then make sure to reach early as the water becomes unclear in the afternoon and thus, will ruin your experience.)
Tarkarli Beach:
Apart from Chivala beach, Tarkarli beach is also popularly known for its clean beaches and adventurous water sports. A few years back, this beach got tagged as the Queen Beach of the Konkan region. Suru (casuarina) trees and white sand enclosing the clean blue waters adds a stunning look to this beach and makes it one of the popular places to visit in Malvan.
Coming to the adventurous part, all the watersport activities at Tarkarli beach are done under the international safety standards and under the professional guidance (Dive Master) with modern safety equipment. Most scuba diving operators run these activities near the Tsunami island as it possesses low life risk due to shallow waters. So, if you want to enjoy water sports with zero worries, then head to Tarkarli beach without a second thought!
Tsunami Island:
As the name implies, Tsunami island formed when the tsunami waves hit the Indian ocean in 2004. This island cum beach is present in the midst of the Tarkarli river and has become a wonderful attraction for nature and beach lovers. Unlike the name, Tarkarli beach is calm and captivating, which makes it a popular place to visit in Malvan.
Besides, tourists pack this beach in peak seasons as they get to enjoy the thrill of water sports and experience the unique creation of a natural calamity. On your visit to Tsunami island, don’t forget to roll your body on its sand, as the locals say that it is magnetic sand used to massage the joints. You will need to hop on a boat ride to reach Tsunami island.
How to reach Malvan?
By Train:
The easiest and most affordable way to reach Malvan is by train. This option is suitable when you want to plan a budget trip. You can buy a train ticket to Kudal or Kankavli as both are located near the popular places to visit in Malvan.
Kudal railway station is situated around 30 km, while Kankavli is located about 47 km from Malvan. From these railway stations, you can reach the beaches/stays by state transport buses or private auto/taxi.
By Road:
Make Google uncle your best friend while traveling by road! Plus, here are some common locations that you’ll come across while going by road to Malvan.
From Mumbai: → Panvel → Pali → Mahad → Chiplun → Sawarde → Niwali → Rajapur → Kankavli → Malvan.
From Pune: → Wai → Satara → Karad route to reach Kolhapur → Nivade → Kankavli → Malvan.
By Air:
Malvan doesn’t have direct air connectivity. So you’ll need to reach the Dabolim Airport in Goa, which is also known as the Goa International Airport. From here, you can take the state transport buses or hire a private cab to reach Malvan.
What’s the best season to visit Malvan?
Well, we planned our trip in April, and tbh, it burnt us out. We hope this doesn’t happen to you. So considering the need for a cool and calm environment, Malvan is best in winters that start from November and remain until February. Besides, the water stays clear and makes it the perfect time for Scuba diving.
How to plan your stay in Malvan?
Malvan boasts plenty of homestays, hotels, and lodges that are suitable for everyone’s pocket. You can choose an authentic homestay by the beach to make your vacay perfect. Or, go for hotels that fall under your budget. You will easily find them on popular booking sites like Booking.com, goibibo.com, trivago.in, makemytrip.com, and various others. We would recommend you book a room facing the seaside or the backwaters to enjoy the sunset/sunrise. Plus, make sure it is close to the popular places to visit in Malvan for easier accessibility.
Our stay – Malvanite, The Crook House:
While there are many attractive homestays in Malvan, we dropped our eyes on this charming crook house named Malvanite. Located at the backwaters of Devbaug, this homestay offered a soothing view of the sunrise! The surroundings are filled with sand which obviously gives beachy vibes. Plus, it contains both a dormitory and 3 separate rooms with an airy terrace.
Prasad, a distant friend of ours hosts this place and takes care of all the things as per the visitor’s request. Moreover, he ensures you savor the flavor of authentic Malvani dishes, especially with dishes that are prepared under his supervision.
So if you want to get a homey feel while still enjoying your vacation, then Malvanite, the crook house, would be a perfect option for you.
How to explore these best places in Malvan?
To explore Malvan, you can ask your hotel manager for contacts of bike/scooty/car rentals. It becomes convenient and affordable to rent the vehicle for local transportation in Malvan while traveling on a budget.
Activities to do in Malvan:
Watersports:
With clean beaches, clear water, and rich coral life, Malvan becomes a hotspot for adventurists who want to dive in the thrill of the sea. A wide range of watersports are available such as Paragliding, Jet-Ski, Banana ride, Bumper Boat Ride, Scuba Diving, etc. And most importantly, all of these are offered at a reasonable rate at beaches like Tarkarli, Tsunami Island, Chiwala, and Devbagh. The hidden treasure under the Arabian Sea will surely give a treat to your eyes!
Dolphin watching:
For a decade, Malvan has been witnessing the sheer beauty of Dolphins playing around the sea. You can get to experience this around January – February as the big families of Dolphins keep basking in the warm sun and thrilling waves where synchronized swimming offers a spectacular view.
Option to extend your vacation:
If you are on a long break, then you can plan a Malvan – Goa tour to make it worth your time. Goa stands at a distance of 144.7 km from Malvan, which will take approx 4 hours via the Hathkhamba-Goa road.
Bottom-Line:
Malvan, with its cleanest beaches in Maharashtra is definitely worth exploring for every nature lover. Plus, the accommodation, commute, and activities are under normal budget. These things make it easy anyone to fulfill his dreams of traveling while still taking care of all his responsibilities.
So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head towards Malvan for a thrilling adventure filled with beachy vibes.