Malvan-Tarkarli
Konkan coast's clearest water for scuba diving
Best time to visit Malvan-Tarkarli
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to September
Malvan-Tarkarli season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Calm, clear water - peak scuba diving season and the best beach weather.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Hot and humid, visibility drops before the monsoon, fishing boats prep to head in.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Rough seas shut down diving and boat trips, and the seasonal fishing ban empties the harbour.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Seas calm back down through October, diving season restarts by November.
What Malvan-Tarkarli is actually like
Quiet Konkan fishing-village feel - scuba schools and homestays draw a small diving crowd
Things to do in Malvan-Tarkarli
The local places worth your time in and around Malvan-Tarkarli, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
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Sindhudurg Fort
Fort · 3 km out
Shivaji's sea fort on a rock offshore with his handprint shrine inside; ferries from Malvan jetty, none in rough seas
-
Devbagh Beach
Beach · 8 km out
Sandbar where the Karli backwater meets the sea, dolphin boats and banana rides; go at low tide, the current is strong
-
Chivla Beach
Beach · 2 km out
Short town beach with black rock at either end, safe enough for a swim; fish fry stalls open along the road after 5 pm
-
Rock Garden
Viewpoint · 1 km out
Black basalt shelf on Malvan's edge where the town walks at sunset; slippery in spray, sit well back from the drop
-
Achra Beach
Beach · 16 km out
Long empty beach with a wooden boat yard and the Rameshwar temple behind; no shacks, carry water and lunch
Getting to Malvan-Tarkarli
Overnight train/bus to Kudal/Sindhudurg, then 20-30min local transport
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 0 m
- State
- Maharashtra
- Coordinates
- 16.0356, 73.4681
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Malvan-Tarkarli?
November to February is peak season in Malvan-Tarkarli. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. Seas calm back down through October, diving season restarts by November.
How many days do you need in Malvan-Tarkarli?
2 days is the usual stay. Quiet Konkan fishing-village feel - scuba schools and homestays draw a small diving crowd.
How do you get to Malvan-Tarkarli?
Overnight train/bus to Kudal/Sindhudurg, then 20-30min local transport. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Malvan-Tarkarli expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
What are the best things to do in Malvan-Tarkarli?
Sindhudurg Fort, Devbagh Beach, Chivla Beach, Rock Garden and Achra Beach. Shivaji's sea fort on a rock offshore with his handprint shrine inside; ferries from Malvan jetty, none in rough seas.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Vengurla
Maharashtra
Cashew-and-fish Konkan town with empty coves near Goa
30 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly under an hour by road
-
Kunkeshwar (Devgad)
Maharashtra
Black stone Shiva temple standing on the Devgad sand
50 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly under an hour by road
-
Arambol & Mandrem
Goa
North Goa's hippie tail end, drum circles and cheap huts
60 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Dajipur (Radhanagari)
Maharashtra
Gaur country above the Radhanagari dam on the Sahyadri crest
80 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Amboli
Maharashtra
Maharashtra's wettest hill station - falls and king cobras
80 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Anjuna-Vagator
Goa
North Goa's flea-market, trance-party, hostel strip
80 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Gaganbawda
Maharashtra
Kolhapur's rain-drenched ghat edge above the Konkan drop
90 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Panaji (Fontainhas & Old Goa)
Goa
Portuguese Latin Quarter and the churches of Old Goa
90 km from Malvan-Tarkarli, roughly about 2 h by road
More places to visit in Maharashtra
- Ajanta-Ellora Maharashtra
- Alibaug Maharashtra
- Amboli Maharashtra
- Bhandardara Maharashtra
- Bhigwan (Kumbhargaon) Maharashtra
- Bhimashankar Maharashtra
- Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Maharashtra
- Chikhaldara Maharashtra
- Dajipur (Radhanagari) Maharashtra
- Gaganbawda Maharashtra
- Ganpatipule Maharashtra
- Guhagar Maharashtra
- Harishchandragad Maharashtra
- Harnai (Dapoli) Maharashtra
- Igatpuri Maharashtra
- Jawhar Maharashtra
- Junnar (Shivneri) Maharashtra
- Kaas Plateau Maharashtra
- Kunkeshwar (Devgad) Maharashtra
- Lonar Crater Lake Maharashtra
- Lonavala Maharashtra
- Mahabaleshwar Maharashtra
- Mahur (Mahurgad) Maharashtra
- Matheran Maharashtra
- Mumbai Maharashtra
- Murud-Janjira Maharashtra
- Nagzira (Pitezari Gate) Maharashtra
- Naldurg Maharashtra
- Nanded (Hazur Sahib) Maharashtra
- Nashik Maharashtra
- Panchgani Maharashtra
- Pandharpur Maharashtra
- Panhala Maharashtra
- Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) Maharashtra
- Raigad Fort Maharashtra
- Rajgad Fort Maharashtra
- Ramtek Maharashtra
- Sahastrakund Falls Maharashtra
- Salher Fort Maharashtra