Tarkarli beach is one of the numerous and amazingly beautiful beaches spread across the Konkan sea coast overlooking the Arabian Sea in the state of Maharashtra. The beach is situated almost 550 km from Mumbai near the village of Tarkali in district of Sindhudurg, coastal Maharashtra. The Mumbaikars (people of Mumbai) love visiting this place on the weekends.
The long coastline stretching across the beach with silky sand, its clean and clear waters, and the calmness of the place attracts tourists who are looking to get refreshed and rejuvenated both mentally and physically in natures lap. The place is also known for dolphins and turtles which can be sighted if you are lucky. The soft stretch of sand on the beach is ideal for romantic walks, on the long stretch of beach which seems to be never ending. The pristine and clear waters of the sea are untouched by pollution, so much so that on a clear day you can clearly see the seabed with snails, shells and other sea life up to the depth of 20 feet.
Besides the beach, the place is quite famous for the great function held at the Mahapurush temple during the Ramnavami every year. The festivitie is full of music, dance and moreover the dramas enacted re-telling the story of Ramayana.
The homely environment of Tarkarli
The helpful and friendly people of Tarkarli can be excellent guides to help tourists get the best out of the holiday at the beach. There are certain government approved home stays in the nearby village which are available at very nominal rates. Many tourists who have rented out a room with a family, some of which even provides food at some extra cost, have come back with good experience from their stay.
If you can fix a boatman or guide during your stay, they would be able to help you arrange for the boat ride, sightseeing around Tarkarli, turtle and dolphin sightings, scuba diving, snorkelling and many more activities on Tarkali beech which would make your stay there memorable. If you are good to them, they will bring the boats where it is convenient for you to board it, going out of way to make your stay comfortable. The local fishermen are the best people to take you to the backwaters which are a superb way to connect with the place. When travelling through the backwaters, one can see the fishermen community and other settlements near the beach at close quarters.
Tourist attractions at Tarkarli
The main attraction of Tarkarli is the beach itself. Other than the Tarkarli beach you can also visit other places like the Malvan beach, which has facilities for snorkeling and scuba diving that can be arranged for first timers too. There are islands close to the beach which are submerged underwater at least by 3-4 feet during high tides but the islands are visible during low tides.
Another amazing spot is the confluence of Karli River with the Arabian Sea on the Devbag Beach. This is the place for sports enthusiasts as there are facilities here for rowing boats, motor or mechanical Boats, Jet Ski, and liquid force boats.
When in Tarkarli, one should definitely visit the naval port and the Sindhudurg fort built by Chatrapati Shivaji. Another fort you can visit is the Padamgarh fort.
Accommodation at Tarkali
If you don’t mind the cost, MTDC Tarkarli Beach Resort is an excellent place to stay as it is situated right there on the beach. Just 5 km from Malvan, the resort has cosy cottages known as Konkani huts with both air-conditioning (AC) and non-AC from which you can watch the vast calmness of the sea. Every cottage has a hammock outside for customers to relax.
For those looking for something different, a room can be rented on a houseboat, which is set up on the beach. Food and service are good but again, like the accommodation they appear to be a bit on the expensive side.
At the home stay properties one can get the taste of local Malvan recipes, especially the fish, prawns and other spicy sea food which is not unique to this place.
Getting to Tarkali beech
The nearest major town to Tarkarli is Malvan which lies to the north of the beach at a distance of 8 km. The closest airport is Dabolim Airport of Goa.
By rail, one can reach the place either through Sindhudurg, Kankavli or Kudal railway stations from where you can hire cabs, auto rickshaws or board a bus to get to Tarkarli.
Many private luxury buses and state run transport buses connect Malvan with major places like Pune, Goa and Mumbai straight to Tarkali beech.
