Vengurla: The Good Life

The wind howls high above Vengurla’s lighthouse, swooshing around its little balcony that circles its rotund, red-striped tower. The sea looks like burnished liquid gold, stretching as far as the eye can see. Rustic and thoroughly Konkan at heart, Vengurla is thankfully modest on tourist trappings, and also oblivious to its own simple charms.

Small boats slice the waters as they approach a wooden pier, where fishermen busily unload the day’s catch of silver-grey fish. The countryside is resplendent with little rivers snaking past palms. Bordering it all, like a strip of lace, is the Sagareshwar Beach, one of the many unspoilt beaches in Vengurla.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Vengurla’s beaches are quite untouched and often, you will have the beach to yourself, which is perfect for the beach buff looking for a quiet holiday. Besides chilling out on the sand, there is much to be seen – ancient temples, historical forts and quaint villages, all tucked away in the green countryside.

TIP At all the beaches, there are huge waves at high tide, and so, swimming isn’t encouraged and it’s best not to wade too deep. There are no lifeguards. Dress as conservatively as possible

Sagareshwar Beach

Located about 3 km from the bus stand, the beach is hidden away behind rows of tall casuarinas swaying in the wind. Here you can walk on soft sand dunes that are white and thick with powdery shell deposits. At night, towards the north, you can see the lights of the jetty and the red beam of the lighthouse. On some mornings, dolphins can be seen near the southern end of the beach.

Wildflowers, Sagareshwar Beach

Dhritiman Mukherjee

Access to the beach is either through the MTDC Tent Resort or via the path that leads to the Sagareshwar Temple dedicated to Shiva. The temple, which is on the beach, has a huge deepastambh (lighted column). The structure itself is small; the temple is open only when the priest visits.

The Lighthouse

About 3 km from the town and near the jetty is Vengurla’s lighthouse, reached via a win d ing path that passes through shrubs and vegetation. It is perched on a small plateau atop a hill, and offers a spectac ular view, with the immense ocean below stretching far to the horizon; the jetty and its boats; the gorgeous palm-fringed coastline to the left; and a creek far away trailing out to the sea. To the right is a sheer drop down to the sea past jagged cliffs. To the northwest are the Vengurla Rocks, also called Burnt Islands, which were an important pointer for seafarers in ancient times.

Take a stroll around the lighthouse. The northern tip overlooks an alluring horseshoe-shaped beach. Winding pathways lead down to small coves, which are actually tiny strips of sand with the cliff-face rising on both sides. It is advisable for only experienced rock-climbers to venture down, and only after checking the timings of the tides.

A verdant stretch of land surrounded by blue waters near Vengurla Beach

Courtesy MTDC

Vengurla Jetty

From afar, the jetty and the area around looks like a shot from a classic Cary Grant movie: a sea veiled in shifting blue, little fishing boats in the foreground, a pier, red-roofed houses clinging to a hillock in the background, and a lighthouse over-looking it all.

Vengurla’s jetty was once a bustling port, part of a trading settlement set up by the Dutch. The best time to visit the jetty is at around 5.00 pm when the boats return with the day’s catch. The place comes alive with the sounds of fisherfolk: fisherwomen slip silver fish into their baskets and men anchor their boats with ropes. A little ahead of the slope that leads down to the jetty, look for a inconspicuous set of steps going down to a patch of beach, hidden by umbrella-like trees.

The jetty at Vengurla, part of a trading settlement set up by the Dutch

Dhritiman Mukherjee

Vengurla’s Fruit Research Centre

If you would like to know how mangoes keep getting bigger and more delicious, head to the Konkan Farming University and Fruit Research Centre at Vengurla. You are more likely to find it if you ask for the ‘Sanshodhan Kendra’, though. At the university, experiments on mango, cashew and fruits indigenous to the region are conducted to study the effects of pests and fertilisers.

Mochemad and Vayangani

Vayangani and Mochemad, the first two gems in the string of stunning beaches that trail the coast, lie on either side of Vengurla town. Vayangani is a tiny beach, 7 km from Vengurla, and is accessed via shady paths that wind through Vayangani Gaon, meandering between supari and casuarina groves. The way to Mochemad, 9 km from Vengurla, is past a little blue-andwhite church reminiscent of Goa’s churches, looking over green fields. The beach is on the road to Shiroda and, to access it, you have to get off your vehicle and walk for about a kilometre. With a backdrop of towering hills, the beach is undoubtedly the most scenic on this stretch.

Sateri Devi Mandir

Punit Paranjpe

Shiroda and Aravali

Keep your camera ready as you drive past these villages. White egrets dot paapdi (a locally grown bean) fields. Small bridges perch over creeks that snake out into the sea. The wind ruffles paddy fields, brushing it with different hues of green.

Shiroda, 10 km south of Vengurla, is home to the Mauli Devi Temple whose presiding deity is the kul devi, or patron goddess, of the region. The salt pans in this village are memorable, particularly because Mahatma Gandhi visited the place during the Salt Satyagraha of 1930. Aravali, Shiroda’s twin village, is home to the Sri Vithoba Temple and the Sateri Devi Mandir. The pen temple, open from dawn to dusk, welcomes people of all faiths.

Sagarteerth and Velagar Beaches

These beaches are about 14 km south of Vengurla town, and are attached to the villages of Shiroda and Aravali. Though both have become popular with tourists from Kolhapur and Belgaum, the beaches are still pristine. They lie in a line, one continuing from where the other leaves off. The white sand glitters silver in the moonlight, thanks to the high content of shell deposits. The resorts located here offer dolphin cruises at Velagar Beach.

A fisherman casts his net in a creek at Aravali Village

Dhritiman Mukherjee

Redi Beach

About 21 km south of Vengurla, Redi is the southernmost beach in Maharashtra, bordering Tiracol and Goa. Redi is known to many as a small mining town. But it’s most famous for its Ganapati Temple, close to the beach, and the 6-foothigh statue of the elephant god. Stroll down the path behind the temple for a view of a stretch of beach that goes right down to Mochemad. The access road to the temple is a bit bumpy.

Also visit the Redi Jetty, about 5 minutes from the temple, from where you can see barges being loaded with ore from the region, to be taken to Goa to be refined.

WHERE TO STAY

In Vengurla town

Sagar Sarita Beach Resort (Tel: 02366-262698; Tariff: ₹1,500-2,000) on Vengurla bunder offers five luxury tents with sea view, a restaurant and bar. So does Sagar Holiday Resort (Tel: 280363, Cell: 09405227521; Tariff: ₹1,500-2,000), also on Vengurla bunder. Mermaid Beach Resort (Tel: 262203, Cell: 0943683855; Tariff: ₹2,000-3,000) offers two sea-facing rooms, and some at the back. Gajli Hotel (Tel: 262615; Tariff: ₹1,200-2,000) has four rooms, three of them sea-facing.

Perched on a rocky outcrop, a stone’s throw from Vengurla Jetty is the PWD guesthouse Sagar (Tel: 262411; Tariff: ₹800), facing the sea, with two VIP rooms. Samir (Tel: 262112; Tariff: ₹400 per person) near the Fruit Research Centre in the Camp Area, is a PWD property with two rooms. Reservations have to be made at the PWD head office (Tel: 02363-272214) at Moti Talao in Sawantwadi. You have to collect your pass from this office before heading to Vengurla.

Hardika Beach Resort (Tel: 228293, Cell: 07507596776; Tariff: ₹800-1,200) located close to Nivati Beach has 15 rooms in three cottages. MyBoli Hotel (Tel: 263255; Tariff: ₹750-2,000) is another good option on Kudal Vengurla Road.

Tucked away in a beautiful, quiet village called Math, about 6 km from Vengurla, lies the peaceful Dhuri Homestay (Cell: 09420740901, 09604165641; Tariff: ₹1,200). It offers two clean and comfortable rooms set amid small groves. The food is traditional home-made Konkan food with both vegetarian and nonvegetarian options available.

On Sagareshwar Beach

Hotel Kokan Kinara (Tel: 263366; Tariff: ₹1,200-1,500) is a deluxe hotel on Sagareshwar Beach with a garden restaurant, bar and a swimming pool. They also run Sneha Farm House (Cell: 098203-82343, 09637844061; Tariff: ₹1,200- 1,500) in Kudal.

On Velagar Beach

The best option on the beach is the Dolphin Bay Beach Resort (Tel: 227529, Cell: 08806726299; Tariff: ₹600-2,500), which has six huts with common baths. They have well-furnished, clean air-conditioned rooms as well.

WHERE TO EAT

Vengurla has a few small restaurants. Bamboo Inn on the road to Sagareshwar Beach, about 1.5 km from the ST bus stand, serves good seafood, Chinese and vegetarian dishes. It comes with a bar and restaurant, as does Gajaalee near the jetty, which, thanks to its location, serves a popular fish thali. You can find several hole-in-the-wall places like Gomantak in the market, which serve both vegetarian and fish dishes.

When to go November-February is the best Location On the far south of Maharashtra’s Konkan strip, near the border with Goa, just 28 km from Sawantwadi Air Nearest airport: Dabolim, Goa Rail Nearest rail: Sawantwadi