When someone says Beach immediately we visualize the gushing waves, the endless stretch of pristine sands, seagulls are flying over the water. The mere imagination of the beach gives us a sense of calm to our nerves.
Being in India, we are blessed to have the longest stretch of coastline wherein we can see some of the incredible beaches in India. Maharashtra itself has more than 90 beaches, and out of these, some of them are quite popular while some of them are hidden treasures. One such unexplored beach is Kolthare Beach in Dapoli.
How To Reach kolthare Beach
People travelling from Mumbai to Dapoli can travel by road or by rail to reach Kolthare beach. By road the distance from Mumbai to Dapoli is roughly around 220 km and from Dapoli to Kolthare beach is around 20 km, you can either drive the distance or rent a car as per your convenience.
Tourists who prefer to travel by train have to book the ticket to Khed which is the closest station to Dapoli, after alighting at the station you have to rent a vehicle to cover a distance of 29 km to Dapoli and further around 20 km for Kolthare beach. While the distance from Pune to Dapoli is roughly 197 km if taken the Tamhini Ghat route if travelling by road.
Beautiful Drive to Kolthare Beach
Kolthare beach is unlike any other beaches you will experience in India. This unknown treasure is around 20 km away from the Dapoli, i.e., towards the southern coastal area.
The drive towards kolthare beach itself is a beautiful one. Being on the Konkan belt, you will see a lot of coconut trees and luscious green fields, which are a rare sight for city mongers.
Due to the greenery all over the place, the air around is always refreshing and pleasant, thus making the drive more enjoyable. As you near the beach, you will get a glimpse of the quaint and calm village life where people are busy with their daily chores with a content smile on their face.
Best Place to stay at Kolthare Beach
If you are planning to stay over the weekend, you can stay at some of the hotels near kolthare beach. People also prefer to take accommodations like a homestay in Dapoli to get the feel of life here in this place.
One of the preferred places to stay amongst the visitors is Shrikanchan Niwas, the property is just 100 metres away from Kolthare Beach, so it is a perfect place to stay for enjoying this beautiful beach.
Rejuvenate your Soul at Kolthare beach
Apart from being unexplored, the other USP of Kolthare beach is that it is one of the cleanest beaches not only in dapoli but in entire India.
It is a rare sight to find clean, pristine beaches, especially in India, hence all the more reason to go and visit this beautiful hidden treasure in the outskirts of Maharashtra.
Being the cleanest, you can safely walk around the shore without the fear of stamping something unpleasant. The feeling of the silverish grey sand on your feet is quite amazing.
Take in the Beauty of the Place
The Kolthare beach is the perfect weekend getaway for couples and families alike. Here on the beach, you can see the spot where the Panchanadi river meets the Arabian Sea.
Visitors take a leisure walk across the beach or go for a beach jog and enjoy the pleasantness around. The striking beauty of kolthare beach makes it an ideal location to capture good photographs.
Many people just sit alongside the shore in the evening and enjoy the beautiful sunset with their loved ones. At the same time, many visitors engage themselves in some games like Volleyball or cricket at the sports complex nearby which is a part of shrikanchan hotels and resorts.
Take in the calmness and tranquillity of the place while you are here as seldom you will find such a place in the city.
Places Around the Beach to Visit
First thing first while driving towards Kolthare, do not forget to visit the 42-feet statue of Lord Parshuram, who is the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu.
This breath-taking statue of Lord Parshuram is standing on top of the Earth, and inside the structure, they have made provision for meditation or prayers for the devotees.
Besides this, you can visit a couple of ancient temples like Shri Chandikadevi temple or Ganesh Temple around the beach. Shree Dev Koleshwar is yet another ancient temple for you to visit here. This Lord Shiva temple is also one of the places where you can seek divine blessing.
History buffs should visit the Panhalekaji Caves which comprises 29 different caves with years of history behind it. You may as well enjoy a ferry ride to the nearby island and if you are lucky would be able to see some dolphins riding along.
If you are a seafood lover, do visit the local fish market where you will find a wide variety of fresh seafood for sale. You can buy some and take home to prepare a delicious meal.
Local Cuisine at Shrikanchan Niwas
Every visit to the place is incomplete if you haven’t tried the local cuisine. The food here is known for being spicy and tasty and being in the Konkan belt, the cuisine has a heavy coconut base in almost all their dishes.
Homestays in Dapoli or places like Shrikanchan hotels and resorts will provide you with authentic Konkani cuisine for their guests. As it is near the coastline, non-vegetarian should not miss the delicious seafood including freshly caught fish prepared locally, be it in the form of curry or a fried manner; you should not miss this at any cost.
Throughout the day the tourist staying in the nearby homestay will enjoy the typical Maharashtrian healthy breakfast and mouth-watering meals and snacks. The area around Kolthare beach is genuinely an excellent place to enjoy good food.
Serene, Pristine, Tranquil are some of the adjectives that come to mind after visiting Kolthare beach. The best part of this beach is that it is non-commercial and tucked away in the interiors of the Dapoli far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Kolthare beach being in a little secluded location, it is a great place to spend some quiet quality time with your loved ones. And we as the visitor should ensure that it maintains its cleanest beach status by being responsible for our demeanour.