In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · India
Dapoli
दापोली
Give Dapoli 2 nights as a beach-and-fort base in South Konkan: go Nov–Feb, skip the Jun–Sep monsoon, and only if you have your own car or a hired one.
Dapoli is a small South Konkan town on the Maharashtra coast, about 240 km from Mumbai and 180 km from Pune, used by Indian travellers as a weekend beach break. The draws are spread along a 30 km stretch of coast — Murud and Karde beaches, the Suvarnadurg island fort off Harnai, the hilltop Ganapati temple at Anjarle, and the rock-cut caves at Panhalekaji. Sights sit far apart and buses are slow, so a car changes the trip. Two nights covers the coast; three lets you add a day trip.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- दापोली
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (monsoon rain and rough sea), late Apr–May (heat and humidity)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,200–2,500 excl. bed · Mid ₹2,500–5,000 excl. bed · High ₹5,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All emergency services 112 · Ambulance 108 · Police 100 · Tourist helpline (24 h, English) 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Filter coffee or chai at a village stall | ₹15–40 |
| Thali (veg) at a lunch home | ₹120–250 |
| Fish thali with rice and solkadhi | ₹250–450 |
| Bottle of water (1 L) | ₹20–30 |
| Kokam sarbat or tender coconut | ₹30–60 |
| ST bus, Dapoli to Harnai | ₹30–60 (check) |
| Auto or taxi, Dapoli town to Murud | ₹300–500 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- RTC · Ratnagiri Airport
- About 100 km away; limited scheduled service — check before planning around it.About 62 mi away; limited scheduled service — check before planning around it.
- BOM · Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International
- About 240 km by road; most visitors arrive here and drive or take a bus down NH-66.About 149 mi by road; most visitors arrive here and drive or take a bus down NH-66.
Typical fares
- Taxi Dapoli → Murud
- ₹300–500, about 20 min (check)
- ST bus Dapoli → Harnai
- ₹30–60, about 30 min (check)
- Boat Harnai → Suvarnadurg, return
- about ₹300 per person, tide dependent (check)
Get around
There is no useful local rail or metro. ST buses run between villages but are slow and infrequent, and the last one back is early. A self-drive car or a car with driver is the practical way to link Murud, Karde, Harnai, Anjarle and Panhalekaji in one day. Scooters can be rented in season — check brakes and paperwork. Distances are short in km but the roads are narrow and slow.
See and do
Known for
- Murud and Karde beaches
- Suvarnadurg island fort
- Kadyawarcha Ganapati temple at Anjarle
- Panhalekaji rock-cut caves
- Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth agricultural college
- Seafood and kokam
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Guhagar | Car or ST bus north along the coast road | About 1.5–2 h |
| Khadikolvan | Car via the Dapoli–Harnai road | Under 1 h |
| Amboli | Car or bus via NH-66 and the ghat road | 3–4 h |
| Ratnagiri | Bus or car south on NH-66 | 2.5–3.5 h |
| Ganpatipule | Car or bus south along the coast | 3–4 h |
Sleep
- Dapoli town
- Shops, bus stand, hospitals and the agricultural college; no beach at the door. Best for a first night and for errands.
- Murud
- Beach village 10–12 km west of town with the densest cluster of resorts; walk to the sand.Beach village 6.2–7.5 mi west of town with the densest cluster of resorts; walk to the sand.
- Karde
- Quieter beach 3–4 km north of Murud; a handful of resorts, few shops.Quieter beach 1.9–2.5 mi north of Murud; a handful of resorts, few shops.
- Ladghar
- Tamas Teertha beach, known for sunsets; resorts and seafood lunch homes.
- Harnai
- Fishing port with the evening fish auction and boats to Suvarnadurg; basic lodges.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | नमस्कारnamaskār |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavād |
| How much is it? | किती रुपये?kiti rupaye? |
| Where is the beach? | समुद्रकिनारा कुठे आहे?samudrakināra kuthe āhe? |
| No chilli, please | तिखट नकोtikhat nako |
| Where is the toilet? | स्वच्छतागृह कुठे आहे?svachhatāgruha kuthe āhe? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Swimming: the Arabian Sea here has strong currents and no lifeguards at most beaches; ask locally before entering the water.
- Monsoon: Jun–Sep brings heavy rain, closed beach shacks and rough sea; some resorts shut.
- Cash: ATMs are few and can be empty or out of order — carry enough rupees from Mumbai, Pune or Ratnagiri.
- Mobile data is patchy between villages; download offline maps before you leave the highway.
- Boat trips to Suvarnadurg depend on tide and weather; agree the price and return time before boarding.
- Alcohol is not widely sold outside licensed resorts; do not assume a bar in every village.
Dapoli is a low-crime, small-town coast and the main risks are practical: strong sea currents with no lifeguards, empty ATMs, patchy phone signal and slow roads after dark. Solo women travellers report few problems in season, but avoid unlit beach walks at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Dapoli yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Murud and Karde beaches
- Suvarnadurg island fort
- Kadyawarcha Ganapati temple at Anjarle
- Panhalekaji rock-cut caves
- Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth agricultural college
- Seafood and kokam
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation: www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/
- Indian Railways — Konkan Railway: konkanrailway.com/
- OpenStreetMap — Dapoli: www.openstreetmap.org/relation/10694247
- Wikivoyage: Dapoli, revision 5242602 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5242602
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Dapoliदापोली
या पत्त्यावर न्या
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Dapoli; foreign consulates are in Mumbai. Most countries' missions are in New Delhi.
Carry cash: card machines are rare outside larger resorts.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/dapoli). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.