Every year, around the end of winter the magnificent breed of Olive Ridley turtles visit and hatch eggs in the serene beaches of the small village called Velas in the Konkan region. Velas is also the birthplace of Nana Phadnis, one of the prominent personalities in Maratha history.
Harihareshwar temple
Built in the 16th century, it has deities of Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva. Harihareshwar region is amazingly beautiful with hills playing the perfect foil for a long stretch of pristine beach.
Bankot Fort
Bankot is a square shaped fort. On the sides of Bankot fort, there is a dry moat (Revni) dug out in the Jambhya stone, adorning a purple shade and the water invariably percolates through it.
Velas Turtle Festival (Google Map)
Rs.4000 per person
– Non-refundable advance: Rs.2000
– Remaining amount to be paid in cash during trip
23:00 – Pickup from Andheri, JVLR, Mulund, Nerul, Kalamboli.
Reach Velas by 5am. Head to the Velas beach to witness the baby turtles take their first step towards life. After breakfast, we will be visiting Bankot fort for a lovely view of beaches and temple. Return back for typical Konkani lunch at Velas. Evening at leisure on the beautiful beach of Velas.
Wake up early in the morning i.e. the best time to see the turtles. Later we will travel to Harihareshwar temple. An incredible sight – our bus along with us being transferred to an island inside the ferry. A small parikrama of the mountain gives you a beautiful view of the ocean.
We will leave for Mumbai after lunch
Reach Mumbai at night, tentatively 10pm. Dropping points are same as pickup
Note: The birth of turtles is a natural phenomenon and can’t be humanly controlled. Although we have always witnessed the hatchlings on every trip of ours in the past, we do not give any assurances.
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