About Velneshwar
Velneshwar village is located in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. The village is known for its rock-free beach which makes it one of the best locations for swimming. A Lord Shiva temple in the village is frequented by ardent devotees especially during Maha Shivratri.
This is one of my favourite places in Konkan as it’s less frequented by tourists and offers stays right on the beach. Winters are the best time to visit Konkan and in November of 2019, I along with my fellow adventurers, Sanket and Prathamesh decided to head here for a weekend. We also had two other friends, Akshay and Nishikanth who joined us since they had seen and heard about our previous experiences visiting this place.
Dates: November 15th-16th
Reaching Velneshwar beach
Velneshwar beach is located at a distance of 251 kilometres from Pune. The distance might not sound like much but it takes 8 hours to cover this distance. We took the route suggested by Google Maps from Pune to Chiplun and from there towards Velneshwar
Knowing the distance, we packed our gear the night before in the car since we would be leaving at 6 am after coffee. We stopped to have breakfast at Hotel Abhiruchi located just before the exit towards Mahabaleshwar. We reached Chiplun by 11 am and it looked like we would make it before lunchtime. How wrong we were! Due to ongoing road construction, it took us more than 3 hours to reach Guhagar which was our pit stop for lunch. Thankfully, we made it just before the hotel was about the close.
The best route to reach Velneshwar from Pune which is also the most scenic via Mahabaleshwar – Mahad – Dapoli – Guhagar – Velneshwar
Staying at Velneshwar beach
There are very few hotels to stay in Velneshwar and all of them are decent. As you reach Velneshwar, there is an MTDC resort at the top of the mountain as the road descends towards the village. The property is run by the Maharashtra government and provides decently clean rooms and food. Depending on availability, you can choose the type of villa to stay. The best part about this property is the aerial view of the entire Arabian ocean in front of you which makes for one of the most spectacular sunsets you will ever see in Konkan.
The second hotel for stay and the one I prefer is Hotel Kinara which is a beachfront property. We opted for 2 AC rooms between 5 of us at a cost of Rs 2,000 INR per room. Since the sun was beaming down, we decided to take a quick nap before venturing into the water.
At around 5, we took our chairs, icebox and found a spot near the water to sit.
There is something theruptical about sand that makes me grin. No matter how many times I have been to the beach, it feels exactly the first time in my life. The water was at the optimum temperature for a quick swim and replenishing the salt from the sea.
After a while we brought out the volleyball for a round of non-professional suck at game. After fooling around for a bit, I pulled a chair and watched the sunset go down and feeling happy to have taken this trip.
Once the sun had set, we wrapped up our gear and went to sit at the shamiana built near the resort for a few rounds, roasted King mackeral and chit chat. The day had worn me out and I slipped into my bed for a good night’s sleep.
I woke up at around 7 am for a stroll on the beach and could see fishing boats venturing out to get their catch. After the stroll, I came and sat on the balcony to take in the beautiful view from the room sipping some hot tea and Poha.
We checked out at 10 am and decided to take an alternate route instead of the one we had arrived here. We drove till Dhopave to take a jetty till Dabhol.
At Dabhol, we stopped at Hotel Gopal Krishna and Khanaval. It’s a family-run hotel that serves one of the most amazing Vadapav, dry chutney and lunch. I will recommend everyone to definitely visit this place. 
Continuing ahead, we stopped at a Cashew Nut processing plant to get our hands on some fresh cashews, mango pulp and Kokam sharbat.
Things to do in Velneshwar beach
Swimming for one due to its rock-free nature. There are no watersports on the beach meaning you can play football, volleyball or simply sit and enjoy the sea. You can also light a campfire if you bring firewood with you. There is no police patrolling so you can sit here long into the night if you want.
Around Velneshwar, there is a place called Baamanghal. This beautiful natural wonder is a gorge in the rock patch and is around 20 feet deep, 35 feet long and 2 feet wide. During the high tide, water enters the gap with force and the collision results in a flow of water rising up to the height of 10 m through that gorge, a natural fountain!
Why you should visit?
One of the most beautiful sunsets, a beach without any water sports resulting in less crowd and a hotel that faces directly the ocean for a great early morning breeze. All of this at a budget of 2,500 per person for the entire trip!
So the next time you want to visit an offbeat place in Konkan, go to Velneshwar beach to experience all of this and create some unforgettable memories!
Nicely written.
I remember when we visited the first time. Let me know when you are going next and I would love join.
Keep writing, like to read your stories.