Anjarle Beach 2026: Distance from Dapoli, Turtle Festival, How to Reach and Safety

Anjarle Beach is a long, quiet sand beach at Anjarle village in Dapoli taluka, Ratnagiri district, on Maharashtra’s Konkan coast. The village sits beside the Anjarle creek, across the bridge from Harnai. Maharashtra Tourism says the beach is about 20 km from Dapoli. The Mangrove Cell’s Anjarle ecotourism leaflet says 17 km. Our own measurement on OpenStreetMap routing gives about 22 km (around 20 minutes without traffic) from Dapoli town, about 212 km from Mumbai CSMT and about 200 km from Pune station. Neither Maharashtra Tourism nor the Mangrove Cell lists an entry fee for the beach.

Turtle festival: olive ridley turtles nest on Anjarle beach, and the Mangrove Cell says hatchlings can be seen every year from February to May. The local festival is organised each year by the Anjarle Gram Panchayat, the Kasav Mitra volunteers and the Forest Department, and the dates change every year. It ran from 28 March to 30 April in 2024 (Anjarle Ecotourism’s own post) and from 10 April to 10 May in 2025 (Pudhari, 11 April 2025; Ratnagiri 24 News, 12 April 2025). We found no published dates for 2026, and the 2027 dates have not been announced yet. Call the Anjarle ecotourism numbers on the official leaflet (70384 25793 / 94047 65675) before you go. Best time: October to March for the beach (Maharashtra Tourism; its Marathi page says November to February), and February to May if you want to see turtles.

Last checked: 27 October 2026, on the Maharashtra Tourism Anjarle page (English and Marathi), the Mangrove Cell’s Anjarle Mangrove Ecotourism leaflet, the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships page for Kelshi (Anjarle) Lighthouse and the Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra turtle-festival pages, plus news reports from the last 12 months (named below). Road distances marked “OSRM” are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap routing on 27 October 2026, rounded. Drive times are no-traffic estimates and will be longer on ghat and village roads. This guide is not based on a personal visit.

Anjarle Beach at a glance

Anjarle Beach distance

Why do websites give different distances? They measure from different points and along different roads. The 20 km and 17 km figures are from the official pages (the Mangrove Cell measures from its ecotourism site near the Gram Panchayat, about 900 m from the beach); ours run from the beach to each town centre on OpenStreetMap routing.

How to reach Anjarle Beach

• By road from Mumbai: the shortest route on OpenStreetMap routing crosses Atal Setu, follows NH66 (the Mumbai–Goa highway) south, then turns west on state roads into Dapoli taluka. About 212 km from CSMT.
• By road from Pune: the shortest route goes down the Tamhini Ghat road (NH753F) to the Konkan and then on state roads to Dapoli taluka. About 200 km from Pune station. Allow extra time on the ghat section, especially in the monsoon.
• By train: the nearest station is Khed on the Konkan Railway, about 50 km by road. From Khed, go by road to Dapoli and on to Anjarle.
• By air: fly to Mumbai or Pune and continue by road (distances above).
• Local transport: Anjarle is on the Dapoli–Harnai–Anjarle–Kelshi road, which ST buses and private vehicles use, crossing the Anjarle creek bridge (Saamana, November 2023; the same report warned about stray cattle on the bridge, so drive slowly there). Dapoli has an MSRTC (ST) depot, but we could not find a current, official timetable to Anjarle online. In June 2025 a local paper reported that the Velvi–Dalkhan–Anjarle ST service from Dapoli depot had stopped, and villagers asked the depot manager to restart it (Ratnagiri Khabardar, 14 June 2025). Ask at Dapoli ST depot for current buses, or hire an auto-rickshaw or taxi in Dapoli.

Anjarle turtle festival

Olive ridley turtles come ashore at night, dig a pit in the sand and lay about 100–150 eggs. The eggs hatch in about 45–55 days (Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra). At Anjarle the nests are protected by the villagers with the Forest Department’s Mangrove Cell, the Mangrove Foundation and Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra. When the hatchlings come out, volunteers release them to the sea, and visitors can watch. This is the “turtle festival” (कासव महोत्सव).

Timing on the day: releases are usually at dawn and dusk. Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra’s Anjarle page says hatchlings were released at 7 AM and 6 PM during past festivals. Exact times depend on when the eggs hatch, and some days have no hatchlings at all. Call before you travel: 70384 25793 / 94047 65675 (Anjarle ecotourism numbers on the Mangrove Cell leaflet; Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra lists the same numbers for the Anjarle festival). Follow the volunteers’ instructions at the hatchery, keep behind the line they set, and don’t touch the hatchlings.

Things to do at and around Anjarle

• Kadyavarcha Ganpati temple: a Ganesh temple on top of the cliff above the village. Maharashtra Tourism says the idol’s trunk turns to the right, the temple was first built of wood and rebuilt in the late 1700s, and the path up is steep and winding. From the top there are views of the sea and the creek. Expect big crowds on Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi days, as on 29 September 2026 (Saamana). Older posts (including an earlier version of this one) said the temple was built around 1150; we found no source for that.
• Mangrove ecotourism: the Anjarle Mangrove Co-Management Committee runs kayaking and a mangrove trail (9:30 AM–5:30 PM), a mangrove safari and birdwatching, and can arrange a homestay and meals. It was set up under the state’s Mangrove Conservation and Livelihood Generation scheme (Mangrove Cell and Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra). The leaflet PDF was created in September 2022 and lists no prices, so call the numbers above.
• Harnai port and a dolphin trip: Maharashtra Tourism says dolphin-watching boat trips run from nearby Harnai port. The Suvarnadurg sea fort lies just off Harnai, about 4 km from Anjarle Beach in a straight line (OSRM/OpenStreetMap).
• Kelshi (Anjarle) Lighthouse: a 30 m lighthouse at Tadachakond village in Dapoli taluka, commissioned on 14 May 2022 and developed for tourists, with a cafeteria and parking. The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships lists visiting hours of 3:00–5:30 PM, with tickets booked on its lighthouse portal (lighthouse.nic.in).
• Local food and temples: Maharashtra Tourism mentions Konkani food (Koli thali with fish, rice and solkadhi, fish fry, coconut sweets, cashew curry, modak), the Kadakai Devi temple (the village deity, with a yearly festival) and a Datta temple in Anjarle.
• Winter birds: flocks of migratory seagulls arrived on Dapoli’s beaches, Anjarle included, in early October 2026 (Ratnagiri Khabardar, 3 Oct 2026).
• Sunsets and quiet walks: Maharashtra Tourism calls Anjarle a less crowded alternative to the more commercial Konkan beaches and highlights its sunset views.

Safety at Anjarle Beach

• Drownings: on 10 May 2025 a 22-year-old tourist from Pune drowned while swimming at Anjarle (Ratnagiri 24 News, 10 May 2025). In December 2020 three tourists from Pune drowned here (The Indian Express, 19 Dec 2020). We found no published lifeguard service or bathing rules, so don’t swim beyond knee depth, and don’t go in the water at all when the sea is rough.
• Don’t drive on the sand: on 5 November 2025 a car driven onto the beach went into the sea and sank (Saamana and ABP Majha, 5 Nov 2025). ABP Majha reported that vehicles are banned on the beach and the ban is often ignored. On 2 June 2026 a Pune group’s SUV got stuck in soft sand near the waterline and villagers had to pull it out (Punepulse, 3 Jun 2026).
• Monsoon (June–September): before the 2026 monsoon, papers reported a rough sea along the Ratnagiri coast, including Dapoli, and a warning to tourists to stay away from risky spots (Pudhari, 27 May 2026). Enjoy the greenery, but stay out of the water.
• Turtle nests: stay away from marked nest enclosures and keep lights low on the beach at night in the nesting season.

Where to stay

Anjarle has village homestays and small beach resorts, and Dapoli town has more hotels. The Anjarle ecotourism committee can arrange a homestay (Mangrove Cell leaflet). We don’t list names or prices because we couldn’t check them on the day. Book directly and confirm the price when you book, especially for turtle-festival weekends.

Best time to visit Anjarle Beach

• October to March: cool, breezy weather (Maharashtra Tourism, English page). The Marathi page says November to February is best.
• February to May: the turtle hatchling season (Mangrove Cell). Pudhari noted in April 2025 that beaches here are very crowded in April and May.
• Monsoon: Maharashtra Tourism says you can visit in the monsoon for the greenery. The sea is rough then (see Safety), so stay out of the water.

Anjarle Beach FAQs

How far is Anjarle Beach from Dapoli?

About 20 km according to Maharashtra Tourism, or 17 km according to the Mangrove Cell leaflet. By road from Dapoli town it is about 22 km, roughly 20 minutes without traffic (OSRM, 27 October 2026).

Is there an entry fee for Anjarle Beach?

No entry fee is listed on Maharashtra Tourism’s Anjarle page or the Mangrove Cell leaflet. Activities such as kayaking, boat trips and the lighthouse have their own charges.

When is the Anjarle turtle festival in 2027?

The dates have not been announced yet (checked 27 October 2026). Hatchlings are usually seen between February and May. The festival ran from 28 March to 30 April in 2024 and from 10 April to 10 May in 2025. Call 70384 25793 / 94047 65675 for the current dates.

What time are turtle hatchlings released at Anjarle?

Usually at dawn and dusk. Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra says releases during past festivals were at 7 AM and 6 PM. There may be no hatchlings on some days, so check with the volunteers the evening before.

Which is the nearest railway station to Anjarle?

Khed on the Konkan Railway, about 50 km by road (OSRM). Continue by road through Dapoli.

Is it safe to swim at Anjarle Beach?

Be very careful. Tourists drowned here in 2020 and 2025, and we found no published lifeguard service. Stay in shallow water when the sea is calm, and stay out of the water in the monsoon.

Related guides

• beaches near Pune
• picnic spots near Pune
• Nanemachi Waterfall
• Devkund Waterfall trek, Bhira (on the Tamhini Ghat route)