Biking Along the Konkan Coast

Great place to stop for lunch. No restaurant, just some local shacks serving home made veg / non veg thalis.

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We set out on a Saturday afternoon to cover a distance of about 200 km between Bombay and Harihareshwar. The route, as seen in the map below, was bumpy in parts but pleasant otherwise. We reached the temple town by night time, tired and worn out.

After discussing different routes and things to do over breakfast, we decided to catch a ferry to the neighbouring village Bankot. The boat that stood at the end of the narrow jetty looked small but the local fishermen helped us load our bikes on it with ease. We later found out that there are two jetties in town. The one that we took was used by the locals for fishing. The other jetty which was used for ferrying people and vehicles was wider and the boats there were large enough to accommodate vehicles as big as buses. The locals in Bankot depend on fishing as their primary source of livelihood.

Riding through the narrow lanes of the village we reached Bankot Fort. A small fort perched on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful Konkan coastline that hasn’t featured on the tourist maps yet. There isn’t much to do here except enjoying the view in peace, away from the noise and the distractions of other popular hangouts.

Another such place that doesn’t find a mention in the guide books but is a must-see is the ‘Parikrama Marg’ located near the famous temple in Harihareshwar. One has to enter the temple premises and take the steps that go uphill. The climb is not only a good calorie burner, but also gives a fantastic view of the beach below.

Soon it was time to head back home and we decided to take the route that runs along the coast via Shrivardhan, Diveagar leading to Rajapuri creek as seen in the map below. With the Arabian Sea and white beaches as a constant backdrop, this is easily one of those drives you can’t have enough of.

While we made it in time to hop on a ferry from Rajapuri creek to Murud, we couldn’t make it in time for the last ferry out from Alibag (Revas) to Bombay (1830 hrs). So instead, we rode back home via Pen / Panvel highway.

A back-breaking trip but totally worth the pain. I realized that often things aren’t as tough as they seem and that sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for no good reason.