Dapoli, a place far away from the city life’s craziness, a place as soon as you enter, you feel that you have come to paradise. With the natural green carpet on both sides of the road welcoming everyone, you are undoubtedly in a place where you will automatically feel relaxed due to the tranquility of the place it offers.

Most of the people visiting Dapoli, come here for a weekend getaway. With beautiful homestays and unique tent stays in the region, visitors can opt from a decent (cheapest) to luxurious stay here at Dapoli.

If you opt to stay in places like Shrikanchan hotels and resorts or Tent-o-treat you need not go out of the place, as you can enjoy a wide variety of activity and inactivity within the property.

But for those who like to explore the place they are visiting, there are numerous things that can be enjoyed and experienced with your family and friends. Let’s have a look at them.

Beach Lovers Paradise

Dapoli is known to be the coastal hill station of maharashtra, with numerous beaches around the place, it is a paradise for all the beach lovers. Some of the notable beaches you can visit are the Kolthare beach, which is touted to be India’s cleanest beaches.

Ladghar beach is also a secluded beach that you will enjoy visiting. Take in the tranquillity of Karde Beach, the time you spend walking on the beautiful silverish black sand will surely be a relaxing moment for you. Apart from these beaches, there is the famous Murud Beach where you can indulge with lots of activities with your family and friends. 

Mesmerizing Temples and Dargah

One of the top 10 things to do in Dapoli apart from beaches is the beautiful temples and Dargah. Dapoli offers some of the beautiful and ancient temples, and these structures are indeed architectural marvels that one can see today. You should not miss visiting the well-known Chandika Devi temple, this temple is built in the natural cave mountain, and the idol of the Goddess is made out of single stone.

Reaching the Keshavraj Temple is an experience in itself as you will be walking through the trails of palm grooves and coconut trees, which is believed to have existed for hundreds of years. The beautiful Durgadevi temple built in the 13th century having Hemadpanthi style of architecture will undoubtedly take your breath away.

Not to mention the Parashuram Bhumi where you will see the statue of Lord Parshuram standing on top of the huge monument of earth. Another place to visit in Dapoli is the Yakutbaba Dargah which is 386 years old where you can see the marvellous carvings on the stone throughout the Dargah.

Historical Caves 

Amongst the top 10 things to do in Dapoli, Panhalekaji Caves is one of the exciting places to visit when you are here. The caves are in the hilly ranges of Dapoli, and there are a group of 29 caves which is spread across areas. Each and every cave, be it the design of the caves or the sculpture inside the caves all are man-made.

You will find the beautiful idols of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh and Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Parvati here at Panhalekaji Caves. The construction of these caves belonging to the Hinayan, Buddhist, Ganpateya and the Nath sects started in the 2nd or 3rd century. The place is full of history, and people inclined towards history will thoroughly enjoy this place.

Majestic Forts

Dapoli has quite a number of forts that one can visit during their stay here. These majestic forts are built centuries ago and are filled with a fascinating history surrounding it. The Suvarnadurg or the Golden Fortress is one of the sea-forts conquered by Shivaji Maharaj in 1660. This fort is spread across eight acres of land and is one of the important forts in the Konkan area.

Three forts namely Kanaka Durga fort, Fattegad Fort and Goa Fort were built surrounding the Suvarnadurg Fort for its protection. Harnai port is adjacent to Kanaka Durga fort, and you will be able to see a beautiful lighthouse in this fort. The Goa or Gova fort is the largest fort amongst the three forts and attracts quite a number of tourists.

Lip Smacking Cuisine

Any trip is incomplete without trying out the local cuisine, Dapoli is also the same. The Konkan and Malvani cuisine that you have in Dapoli will surely tickle your taste buds. Dapoli being in the coastlines of the state, trying out the local seafood preparation is highly recommended. Many people prefer having rice and locally made fish curry as their daily meals throughout their stay here.

The taste of freshly grounded spices in the preparation takes the dish to whole another level. The local malvani curry is also to die for; you can get the malvani curry in fish, prawns or chicken as per your preference. Do not forget to give Solkadi a try, the traditional drink made from Kokum and milk. One suggestion, if you can, have a hearty meal from the local restaurants, as these restaurants prepare the meal in a more authentic way than the fine-dine restaurants.

Chaotic Fish Market

Fish lovers should not miss the Harnai Fish Market. It is the largest fish supplier market in the whole of Raigad and Ratnagiri district in the state of Maharashtra, with a wide variety of fishes being auctioned here.

From the seafood lovers to the big restaurateurs, you will find them all here to get hold of the fresh catch for personal consumption or hotel preparation. You can buy the fish or other seafood of your choice and request the locals to cook it for you as well.

Fresh fish cooked in the local coconut-based recipe or fried fish marinated in the local masala is not to be missed. Many people while going back to Mumbai or Pune from Dapoli stop here and buy the freshest catch of their choice and take back home. The experience of being in the midst of a fish auction is one of a kind and certainly should not be missed if you are a fish lover.

Water Sports for that Adrenaline Rush

If there is a beach, then there is bound to be water sports, and Dapoli is no exception, as it is a land of beaches. You can enjoy parasailing, jet skies, banana rides, powerboats as these are worth trying out, Ladghar beach has all these facilities if you are a water sports enthusiast.

There are some beaches in Dapoli that give a Dolphin ride, where you will see dolphins riding along with your boat. If you are in luck, you will witness the adorable dolphins jumping from the water, and it is quite a view to see them in their element.

Tease your Adventurous Streak

Yes, you read it right, you can learn to surf from Indica Surf Academy in Dapoli. They have experienced surfers who make sure that you get the best introduction to this adventurous sport of surfing. There are various courses as per the level of surfing, you know.

For the beginner, they ensure that the lessons are first explained and demonstrated on the sand for better understanding. Instructors are always beside the students helping them conquer every wave while practicing. Enrolling yourself for these sessions will not only add to your skills but will also give you an experience of the lifetime.

If you are not a beach person and prefer being amongst the mountains, Dapoli has wide mountain ranges which take care of that. You can start your trek early and conquer the mountains and enjoy the spellbound view from the top.

In fact, to visit the Keshavraj Temple, you have to do a small hike of 150 to 200 steps after passing the coconut trees and rivulet. Some resorts will guide you in deciding the trekking routes of various places around Dapoli. 

Rejuvenate with Nature

If nothing mentioned above is appealing to you, then just sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful nature in and around Dapoli. Wherever you stay, you will be in abundance of nature, the tall trees, the beautiful mountains, the serene beaches.

Take in the peace you will get here at some of the secluded beach homestays in Dapoli as going back to city life you will miss this experience.