17 Konkan & Goa

Konkan & Goa Beaches and Coastal Scenery by Car

A drive down the Konkan Coast of Maharsahtra, visiting coastal towns of Ganpatiphule, Vijaygarh, Ratnagiri , Vengurla, Malvaan etc. .... and then on to Goa Beaches of Vagator and Anjuna

16th Dec 2006 - I started from Thane, Mumbai at 6:30am. to do a drive down Maharashtra's Coast ...all the way to Goa. Went by the coastal route all the way avoiding main NH.

My first stop was at Panchagani via Mahabaleswar. I arrived there I visited my sister Mythili, who teaches n a Boarding school - New Era School. I stayed there one night in Gitanjali Hotel.

On 17th Dec 2006 left Panchgani at 10:30am and headed for Ganpthiphule. At 5pm reached Ganpathiphule, the coastal resort twon that has Ganesh Temple on the beach. Stayed at Hotel Maurya at rs 500 a night. Stayed 2 nights there.

Ganesh Temple on the beach at Ganpthiphule

Ganpatiphule Beach

18th Dec 2006 made a 3-hr to&fro trip up the coast to Jaigadh Fort. See Fort an dsea view below.

View of sea from Jaigadh Fort

19th Dec 2006 Left Ganpatiphule at 6:30 and and drove down the caostal roads. Had breakfast at Ratnagiri at 8:00am and a stop at Rajagarh at 10:00am. Then via Devgadh beach arrived at Malvan at 5:00PM. took a Beach Cottage called "Silver Sands" on Chivla Beach. Had a nice swim on the deserted beach there, just 20 feet from cottage door.

A coastal village south of Ratnagiri

Lighthouse view from Devgadh Fort

The Malvan hut on the beach .... where I stayed one night.

20th Dec 2006 Left Malvan early at 5:30am and continued down the coast via Kudal, Vengurla, Redi an then joined NH-17 again on to Goa.

Vengurla Coast View

I entered Goa at 10:00am ...visited Vagator Beach and Anjuna beach. had lunch at a restaurant on Anjuan Beach. And then set off again on the Panjim-Ponda road towards Karnataka border. Reached Oudhsagar Sanctuary at Molem, on Goa side of border and took a Resort Cottage to stay the night.

Next day 21st Dec 2006 left early at 7:30am after breakfast heading on NH-4A. The NH road was in terrible mess, created by thousands of trucks carrying reddish Iron-Ore to Goa Port, for exort to China. I had to get off the cratered NH-4A and went by internal village roads via Khanpur and Kittur to merge with NH-4 between Belgaum & Dharwad.

I was heading for the famous Hampi Ruins, near Hospet. Reached Hampi Village at 7:00PM.

Ganpatiphule Beach in Konkan Coast some 250 miles south of Mumbai

Fishing Village on way to Jaigadh from Ganpatiphule

Only Seagulls .... on a beach between Ganpatiphule & Ratnagiri

Devgadh beach and Wind-turbine farm on the hill behind.

Deserted Malvan Beach view..... from my beach hut verandah.

Vengurla Jetty

Vagator Beach ..... North Goa