Top Nature & Scenic Places in Maharashtra

Chiplun is a town in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular tourist places in Maharashtra. About 238 km from Pune, and 259 km from Mumbai, it is among the best weekend getaways from Mumbai, and Goa.

Situated between the Western Ghats, and the Arabian Sea, Chiplun has a stunning natural beauty which includes lush greenery and stunning waterfalls. Lies near the source of the Vashishti river, Chiplun is also an industrial town and happens to be one of the must include places in Maharashtra tour packages.

Chiplun offers a bouquet of attractions to its visitors. Parashuram Temple, Swatsada Waterfalls, Gowalkot Fort, Nehru Smriti Udayan, Murud-Dapoli Beach, Anjarle Ganapati Temple, Anjarle Beach, Koyna Dam, and Pandava Caves are the top Chiplun tourist places.

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At a distance of 17 km from Matheran and 8 km from Diksal, Garbett Point or Garbut Point is located near Matheran with grand view of the plateau below. The huge plateau gives a view to various waterfalls on the neighboring mountains. This place is also one of the top things to do in Matheran hill station and it is one of the must include places in Lonavala packages..

Garbut Point, situated about 5 km walk from Matheran Railway Station, is a comparatively secluded and less visited vantage point. Flanked by a gorgeous valley on one side and the thick jungle on the other, Garbett Point is a place from where enthralling views of sunrise and sunset can be observed.

Garbett to Matheran trekking is very famous for adventure lovers from Mumbai and Pune. The trek is a bit long and requires a little patience to accomplish. The trek starts from Diksal village. After walking for 5 minutes one can see a huge manmade lake. Visitors need to walk along the perimeter of the lake and cross a fast moving stream. One needs a rope to cross the stream during the monsoon season. The fields and the mountains are lush green with waterfalls all around.

After crossing the stream, trekkers need to climb a steep hillock till a nearby village. After short steep climb from the village, one will reach the narrow Garbett plateau, which ...

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At a distance of 41 km from Chiplun, and 86 km from Satara, Koyna Dam is a rubble-concrete dam situated at Koyna Nagar in the Satara district of Maharashtra. Nestled in the Western Ghats, it is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, and among the top places to visit in Chiplun.

Koyna Dam was constructed on Koyna River, a major tributary of Krishna River. The construction of this dam was completed in 1963 and is amongst the chief civil engineering projects built after the independence of India. The catchment area of the Koyna Dam blocks up the Koyna River and creates the Shivsagar Lake, which is roughly 50 km long. The spillway of the dam is located at the center and it has 6 radial gates. The dam plays a vital role in flood controlling in monsoon season.

This dam is situated between Chiplun and Karad and is the main water source for the Western Maharashtra region. The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectricity with some irrigation in neighboring areas. Today the Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant in India having a total installed capacity of 1,920 MW. The Koyna Dam has survived a lot of earthquakes, even the destructive earthquake of Koyna Nagar in 1967 AD which resulted in a few cracks. The cracks were later repaired and holes were created internally to relieve the hydrostatic pressures in the dam. In 2006, the dam was further developed to strengthen the spillway.

Boating is available at the dam and is a prime ...

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At a distance of 24 km from Satara, 37 km from Mahabaleshwar, and 50 km from Panchgani, the Kaas Plateau, also known as the Kas Pathar, is a vast volcanic lateritic plateau situated in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It falls under the Sahyadri Sub Cluster and is among the top Satara tourist places.

Popularly known as the Plateau of Flowers, Kaas Plateau is one of the famous tourist attractions in Maharashtra and also a popular picnic spot among nature lovers during late monsoons. The plateau is situated at an altitude of 1200 m and is approximately 1,000 hectares in area. The name 'Kaas' originates from the Kaasa tree. It is one of the most visited tourist places as part of Satara packages.

Kaas Plateau was formed by volcanic activities and is covered by a thin soil cover as a result of which, no vegetation thrives in the region. This area comes under a very high rainfall zone. Due to this, the flora and fauna of the region are quite unique. These unique ecological features make Kaas one of the hotspots of biodiversity.

The Plateau is well known for its unique biosphere, high hill plateaus, and grasslands. During monsoon season, especially in the month of August, the Plateau comes to life with various types of flowers. Kaas has more than 850 different species of flowering plants ...

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At a distance of 8 km from Khandala Railway Station and 10 km from Lonavala Railway Station, Duke's Nose is one of the popular viewpoints situated near INS Shivaji in Lonavala. It is a popular place for trekking in Maharashtra and also it is one of the top things to do in Lonavala.

Duke's Nose is named after the Duke of Wellington, owing to its resemblance to the nose of Duke in a reclining position. The cliff is pointed like a snakes hood and hence the name Nagphani. The high altitude of this place makes it a wonderful vantage point. This site is also popular for thrilling activities like trekking, hiking and rock climbing, which attract many adventure enthusiasts. A very steep climb up rocky outcrops enables the tourists to reach the site. Although the cliffs are very steep, the rock at the top is flat and enables tourists to walk along the sides.

Duke's Nose is an ideal getaway from Mumbai or Pune for a one day trip. There are two trekking routes to reach Nagphani, one is from Khandala railway station and the other is from Kurvande. The first route takes nearly 3-4 hours (around 6 km one way) while the second one takes 1.5 hours (2 km) to reach the top and is the easiest route. There is a small temple on the hilltop. Visitors can get amazing views of the Mumbai-Pune road and rail corridors, Khandala and the surrounding Sahyadri peaks.

Timings: 9 AM to 5 PM.

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