Koormagad / Kurumgad Island, Karwar - Timings, Water Sports, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 4 km off the coast of Karwar, Kurumgad or Koormagad Island is a tortoise shaped island in the Arabia Sea and is adjacent to Devbagh.

This tortoise shaped island is one of the five islands in this region; the other four islands are Devbagh, Sanyasi, Anjadip and Oyster. The Island is now privately owned and belongs to a Coffee Planter Suresh Mathias.

It bears a very old fort which is said to be related to Maratha rulers. This island contains some sightseeing places like Narasimha Temple and Kurumgad Beach. The hilltop Narasimha Temple attracts thousands of devotees during the annual jatra held on Pushya Purnima every year in early January. One has to climb the mountain to access the temple and thus the trekkers can have some good time here. Large number of people from Goa & Karnataka flocks to this island in January to offer prayers to Lord Narasimha. The Island has a sweet water pond despite the fact that it is located in mid Arabian Sea.

There are palm trees along the coastline and the sight of the grey sea is simply soothing for the eyes. Kurumgad is a snorkeling site with coral reefs extending over half a kilometer. Kurumgad is famous for water sports. Tourists can enjoy exotic beach walks, nature walks, swimming, fishing, bonfires and barbecues, dolphin spotting, boat rides and beach volleyball. There are many sea animals such as otters and dolphins that can be found near the island.

Kurumgad Island can be reached by travelling by ferry from Sadhashivgad Boat Jetty on the backwaters of River Kali at Karwar. This island is 1 km from Devbagh Beach, which is easily accessible from Karwar. The rates of the boat ride can vary from season to season. It takes around 30 minutes to reach the Island. Accommodation can be arranged at Great Outdoors Island Resort, where visitors need to book the tents in advance.

The best time to visit this island is from October to May.