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Maharashtra

Harnai (Dapoli)

Evening fish auction on the sand below two headland forts

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Best time to visit Harnai (Dapoli)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: November to February
  • Shoulder: March to April and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: June to July

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryNovemberDecember

Harnai (Dapoli) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

December to February is the season: the auction starts about 5 pm on the sand, the sea is flat for the Suvarnadurg boat and nights are cool.

Summer March to May Shoulder

March to May bring alphonso trucks and warm still water; May afternoons sit at 35 C and humid, so swim early and keep the middle of the day slow.

Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail

June and July shut it down: the trawler ban empties the auction, the sea turns violent and the creek roads flood. August and September ease slowly.

Autumn October to November Prime time

October is humid and empty, then November clears, boats restart and the climb up Kanakdurg gives you Anjarle beach with nobody else on it.

What Harnai (Dapoli) is actually like

Fishing village homestays and Dapoli beach cottages; the evening is the auction, then dinner of whatever the boats landed

Getting to Harnai (Dapoli)

Khed railhead 45 km, bus to Dapoli then a share auto 17 km; about 6 h by road from Mumbai

Practical ways in: trainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
3 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Steady at its peak
Solo travel
Fine solo
Altitude
6 m
State
Maharashtra
Coordinates
17.8126, 73.0925

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Harnai (Dapoli)?

November to February is peak season in Harnai (Dapoli). March to April and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to July. December to February is the season: the auction starts about 5 pm on the sand, the sea is flat for the Suvarnadurg boat and nights are cool.

How many days do you need in Harnai (Dapoli)?

3 days is the usual stay. Fishing village homestays and Dapoli beach cottages; the evening is the auction, then dinner of whatever the boats landed.

How do you get to Harnai (Dapoli)?

Khed railhead 45 km, bus to Dapoli then a share auto 17 km; about 6 h by road from Mumbai. Practical ways in: train and road.

Is Harnai (Dapoli) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.

Is there a festival in Harnai (Dapoli)?

Feb: Magh fair at Anjarle's cliff-top Ganpati. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.

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