Maharashtra Coastal Road Trip: 5-Day Itinerary from Pune to Ganpatipule, Ratnagiri & Malvan
The Konkan coast of Maharashtra is perfect for a road trip, with winding coastal roads, pristine beaches, fishing villages and spectacular views of the Arabian Sea. On this five-day self-drive journey from Pune, we explored Ganpatipule, Ratnagiri and Malvan, enjoying scenic drives, beautiful beaches, seaside resorts and authentic Malvani cuisine.
Our itinerary combined relaxed beach stays with opportunities to explore historic forts, river estuaries and picturesque coastal viewpoints. If you are planning a road trip along Maharashtra’s coastline, here is our five-day itinerary, complete with the places we visited and our travel experiences along the way.
Day 1: Drive from Pune to Ganpatipule. Overnight stay at Ganpatipule
Day 2: Drive from Ganpatipule to Ratnagiri via Aare Ware Beach. Overnight stay at Ratnagiri
Day 3: Drive from Ratnagiri to Malvan. Overnight stay at Malvan
Day 4: Day at Malvan. Overnight stay at Malvan
Day 5: Drive from Malvan to Pune
Day 1: Drive from Pune to Ganpatipule. Overnight stay at Ganpatipule
A long drive from Pune to Ganpatipule, through Satara and Karad (Pune – Bengaluru Highway). There is one more option available going through the Tamhini Ghats but we opted for this considering this would give us a more flatter terrain and less of the hills and hence would be quicker. The road was mostly in good condition except the odd stretch filled with potholes. Thankfully that was more an exception than the rule. It is understandable post monsoon. We had a late monsoon shower till the previous night and we thought that our trip would be impacted. It turned out to be a blessing as this resulted in some great blue skies with white clouds, to go with the greenery.
We took a break at the McDonalds early on after crossing Katraj and then a proper lunch break after crossing Karad and moving right from the Bengaluru Highway.
The drive gave us some beautiful views of hills, windmills and the occasional lake. After a long six hours drive we could finally smell the sea in the backdrop of the setting sun.
We checked in at Fern Resorts Ganpatipule.
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Day 2: Drive from Ganpatipule to Ratnagiri via Aare Ware Beach. Overnight stay at Ratnagiri
We enjoyed the resort in the morning with breakfast and a walk to the Ganpati Temple within the premises. This was followed by a swim. The premises were sprawling and the best mode of transport were golf carts shuttling around. In order to go close to the sea we had to walk to the opposite side of the resort and enter a property which was also owned by Fern. That had its own seaside restaurant and cafe. Our plan is to check-out and then drive to Ratnagiri which would be about an hour. Though the plan was not to reach that quick. On the way would be the Aare Ware Beach which provides one of the best coastal drives of the region. We started off and first were blown away by the blue waters below the gorgeous skies at the Bhandarphule Viewpoint. And then the Aare Ware beach truly lived up to its billing.
We reached Ratnagiri after spending some great moments at the Aare Ware beach coastal road and checked into the Kohinoor Samudra Beach Resort. The resort was on a cliff-top and gave some great views of the beach below. In evening we went out to Ratnagiri town.
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Day 3: Drive from Ratnagiri to Malvan. Overnight stay at Malvan
The morning views from our hotel were even more gorgeous with the most amazing sky. The water was at its bluest. I had not see such a shade of blue anywhere in India barring Andamans. The sky was working its magic post monsoon. Our plan was to set-off for Malvan which is a four hour drive but we were not able to drag ourselves after seeing the beautiful views. I had a swim with the gorgeous sea right ahead.
We finally left for Malvan at around noon. This drive was also special with some great coastal views, crossing rivers, watching rivers meet into the sea and passing countless fishing villages. Our first major stop was a Devgad Beach next to the Devgad Windmills. This was not the Netherlands but our very own Maharashtra. This was as beautiful as we saw in Ratnagiri.
We reached Malvan, checked-in to the Windmill Resorts and were welcomed by a most gorgeous twilight, as we watched the fisherman returning with their catch of the day.
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Watch Our Maharashtra Coastal Road Trip
Join us on our road trip along the Konkan coast as we explore Ganpatipule, Ratnagiri and Malvan. From spectacular coastal drives and beautiful beaches to local food and seaside stays, watch our travel vlog for a closer look at the journey.
Day 4: Day at Malvan. Overnight stay at Malvan
Our day out at Malvan today and plenty to do. After the usual relaxation with beachside walk and a swim in the hotel pool, we went to the Devbag Sangam point which is one of the main attractions of the place. This was the tipping point on the southern most part of Malvan where the Karli River flows into the Arabian Sea. For a long stretch of land you would have the sea on one side and the river on the other. The place gave great views of the islands on the other side of the river which looked like a crocodile and hence was aptly named Crocodile island. We planned to do the boating on the river later in the day when the heat subsided.
We now set-off for Malvan town which was the opposite direction northwards. It was time for our lunch and we went local at Hotel Ruchira. A couple of Malvani thalis – one fish and one mutton.
On of the main attractions of this place is the Sindhudurg Fort. This is slightly offshore and one needs to go by ferry. We reached the ferry point and thought of making it but at 3 PM, but with the sun was blazing down, we decided to leave it for some other time. Maybe one more trip in the winters.
Now we headed off to the riverside where we decided to go a boat ride. Through the Karli river towards the sangam and close to the sea. Never have I seen a river flowing into the sea this closely.
On the ride was a memorable experience of stopping at Seagull island, a small sandy piece of land popping out of nowhere. This is mostly submerged and makes an appearance only during low tide. The time of the day which was about 4 PM was just the right time to be on it.
We now headed back to the hotel with the customary walk on the beachside in the twilight. We had the experience of seeing the fisherman all assembled at one place arranging the catches of the day and even turning it into a makeshift market on the beach.
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Day 5: Drive from Malvan to Pune
Our final day. Today we have a long nine hour drive ahead of us. I wondered should we do the full stretch today or break for the night at Satara which would be six hours from here. We thought we would decide once we reach Satara. We did that without taking a major break except a couple of ‘scenery’ breaks at the gorgeous ghats. One of the most scenic drives. We covered the hilly part before sun down which was our plan and then as the evening set in, we took refuge at the McDonalds in Satara on the highway. We totally switched ourselves off as we munched on the Filet-O-Fish meal and browsed our phone and even took a power nap. Satara is like local to us and it would be flat drive to Pune so we had no hurry. We set-off at around 7 PM and at one go we were home at 10 PM.
Watch our Travel Vlog (2nd Part) Here:
Is a Maharashtra Coastal Road Trip Worth It?
Our five-day road trip from Pune to Ganpatipule, Ratnagiri and Malvan was a wonderful combination of scenic drives, beautiful beaches, relaxed resort stays and local cuisine. The Aare Ware coastal road, the views at Devgad and the boat ride through the Karli River were among the highlights.
If you enjoy driving, exploring lesser-known coastal stretches and travelling at a relaxed pace, this itinerary makes a great introduction to Maharashtra’s Konkan coast. If you have an extra day, consider spending more time in Malvan to explore Sindhudurg Fort and its surrounding beaches without rushing.
Watch our travel vlogs for more glimpses of the journey, and explore our other travel guides on The Heart Travels for inspiration for your next trip.
