Kelshi Beach, Harihareshwar - Timings, Water Sports, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 28 km from Velas, 34 km from Dapoli, 37 km from Harihareshwar, and 91 km from Chiplun, Kelshi Beach is a secluded beach located at Kelshi village in Raigad district of Maharashtra. It is one of the less-crowded beaches on the Konkan coast, and among the must-visit tourist places in Harihareshwar.

Kelshi Beach is a beautiful beach that stretches for about 2.5 km just outside the Kelshi village across the Bharja River. Kelshi is a calm and peaceful beach and ideal for people looking for a short weekend getaway from the cities of Mumbai, and Pune. Along the coast of Kelshi are thick woods and groves of Kevda, Cyprus, Coconut, and Betelnut. There is a hill on this beach called Utambar hill, and one will find large black rocks at the meeting point of Utambar hill and the sea. A part of the beach has rocks filled with treasure troves of cowries, conches, and shells.

Kelshi Beach is an untouched virgin beach and very few people travel here. People who enjoy spending time close to nature will fall in love with this beach. The long stretch of shimmering sands is great to relax or marvel at the mysteries of the ocean. The sunsets are amazing and jaw-dropping. And during winter, thousands of migratory birds come here and stay. It makes for a gorgeous sight. Another piece of wonder in Kelshi Beach is a natural sand dune formed by a Tsunami in 1524 CE.

Once part of the Peshwa Dynasty, the charming little village of Kelshi is also popular for the 350-year old Mahalakshmi Temple and the historic monument of Yaqub Sarvani, who was one of the spiritual leaders of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Mahalakshmi Temple is located at the base of the Utambar hill. Built during the regime of Peshwa times, it is an enclosed temple in a stone wall fortification. It also houses the idols of Lord Ganapathi and Lord Shiva. Near the temple is Yakub Baba Dargah and is believed that the darshan of Mahalakshmi temple is incomplete without a visit to the dargah. The work on the dargah was initiated by Shivaji Maharaj and completed by Bajirao I.

There are a few homestays in Kelshi, as well as the Cozy Cottage resort which offers decent accommodation to travelers. The nearby Dapoli has more lodging options and better connectivity to other parts of Maharashtra.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free