Raigad Coast Weekend From Mumbai: Diveagar, Shrivardhan and Murud-Janjira in 2 Days
The South Raigad coast is a two-day loop from Mumbai through Diveagar (a long beach and the Suvarna Ganesh temple), Shrivardhan (a quiet beach and sunset) and Murud (a long beach, the Ahmedganj Palace and the Murud-Janjira sea fort). It is about 175 km each way to the south end and works year-round, but the fort’s boat service is normally suspended in the monsoon, and the sea is unsafe to swim in at that time. For a base, Bricks and Tides sits on Aravi Beach in Shrivardhan, and Casa Bella in Kashid is the natural stop on the way back.
The South Raigad coast is one of the quieter stretches of the Konkan, close enough to Mumbai for a long weekend and far enough south that the crowds are thinner than at Alibaug. This guide builds the trip around where you sleep, because on a coast loop with long drives and a rough sea in the rains, the base you choose decides how good the weekend is. It covers the route and real road distances, how the season changes the plan, a stay-first itinerary, and which villa suits which group.
In this Blog
1. The Coast Loop at a Glance
| Leg | Approximate road distance |
|---|---|
| Mumbai to Diveagar | ~176 km |
| Mumbai to Shrivardhan | ~175 km |
| Diveagar to Shrivardhan | ~17 km |
| Shrivardhan to Harihareshwar | ~18 km |
| Shrivardhan to Murud | ~63 km (about an hour) |
| Murud to Kashid | ~17 km |
| Kashid to Alibaug | ~32 km |
| Murud to Alibaug | ~49 km |
| Mumbai to Murud (via Alibaug) | ~148 km |
Distances are approximate road figures. Drive times depend heavily on traffic and weather, and the monsoon adds delays on this coast, so allow extra time.
Ideal duration: two days, or three with a relaxed finish at Kashid or Alibaug.
2. How the season changes the trip
Monsoon (roughly June to September). The coast turns green and the sea turns rough. Swimming is not safe at these beaches in the rains, so treat them as walking and photography spots. The Murud-Janjira boat service is normally suspended for the season: reports put the usual closure from about 1 June to 31 August, with a September reopening that depends on clearance, and the Maharashtra Tourism page notes that heavy rain and rough seas make boat rides risky (PunePulse, September 2025; Maharashtra Tourism). Dates change by year, so check the current notice before you plan around the fort.
After the monsoon (roughly October to November). The sea calms, the green lingers, and the fort’s crossing typically reopens. It is a good time to do the full loop, including the fort.
Winter (roughly December to February). Clear skies and the easiest weather for beach walks and the long drive. Weekends are busier.
Summer (roughly March to May). Hot and humid on the coast. Plan walks for mornings and evenings, and look for a villa with a pool.
3. Is Murud-Janjira Fort open?
It depends on the season. The fort is reached by boat from Rajapuri jetty, and that service is normally suspended through the monsoon for safety. Outside the monsoon, it usually runs. Because the dates move from year to year, check the current notice with the local authorities or the jetty before you plan the Murud leg around the fort.
If the fort is closed when you go, Murud is still worth the stop: a long beach, the Ahmedganj Palace of the Siddi family visible from the road, and the town itself. Treat the fort as a reason to come back after the rains.
4. The three stops
Diveagar
A long, quiet beach backed by casuarina trees, set among coconut and betel-nut plantations. The headline stop is the Suvarna Ganesh Temple, known for its gold Ganesh idol, which was found in 1997 and, after being stolen in 2012, was recreated (Wikipedia: Diveagar). In the monsoon, the beach is at its most dramatic, with heavy surf and dark skies, best watched from dry ground.
Shrivardhan
A smaller, quieter beach with a garden along its length and a reputation for good sunsets, time permitting. It is about 17 km from Diveagar and about 18 km from Harihareshwar, which makes it a natural base for all three.
Murud
A long beach, the Siddi family’s Ahmedganj Palace, and the Murud-Janjira sea fort. It is about 63 km from Shrivardhan by road and about 148 km from Mumbai via Alibaug.
Harihareshwar (about 18 km from Shrivardhan) is a Shiva temple town on the beach with a rocky shoreline walk behind it. It makes an easy third-day or half-day addition from a Shrivardhan base.
5. Where to base yourself
On this coast, the stay decides the weekend. The loop has long drives, a rough sea in the monsoon, and limited things to do indoors, so choose a base that suits your group and the season. There are three ways to do it.
Option A: one base in Shrivardhan (two nights)
Stay at Aravi Beach in Shrivardhan and day-trip to Diveagar (17 km) and Harihareshwar (18 km), then drive on to Murud on the way home. This avoids packing and unpacking and keeps the long drive to one day.
Bricks and Tides, Aravi Beachfront Villa is on Aravi Beach in Shrivardhan, with six rooms for 12 to 18 guests, a lawn, a beach view, indoor and outdoor games, and WiFi. Its page also lists it as wheelchair-friendly. It does not have a private pool, a BBQ, or a bonfire area, and it is not pet-friendly. All-male groups are not allowed, outside food is not allowed, alcohol is in designated areas, StayVista does not provide music or audio at the property, and noise should be kept down after 10 PM. Its page mentions Diveagar, Harihareshwar, Murud, and Janjira nearby.
Best for: a family or friends’ group of 12 to 18 that wants a beachfront base on the coast itself.
Option B: two bases (Shrivardhan, then Kashid)
Spend night one at Aravi Beach, then break the long drive home with a second night at Kashid, about 17 km north of Murud. This gives you a lighter second day and a villa with more to do indoors.
Casa Bella, Kashid is a hilltop retreat above Kashid Beach, with an infinity pool listed at 56 ft by 15 ft, beach views, a jacuzzi, a home theatre, a gazebo, a BBQ, a bar and a games room with a pool table, air hockey, poker, carrom and an electronic dartboard. Pets are welcome. It has six rooms and sleeps 12 to 25. Loud music is allowed, with noise kept to a minimum after midnight, though alcohol is only in designated areas and all-male groups are not allowed.
Best for: a larger group that wants a rain-proof second night.
Option C: finish on the Alibaug side
If you would rather split the drive nearer Mumbai, Alibaug is about 49 km from Murud and about 90 km from Mumbai.
Wander Beyond is a three-room, Balinese-styled villa with a courtyard, a private pool, a BBQ, a bar and a bonfire area. It sleeps 6 to 9. Two resident dogs live on the premises, it is not pet-friendly, and all-male groups are not allowed.
Best for: a couple or a small family.
Umber Villa has five rooms for 10 to 15 guests, with a private pool, a lawn, a gazebo, a BBQ and a bonfire area. Pets are welcome.
Best for: a bigger group or a group travelling with pets.
For more options on the Alibaug side, see villas in Alibaug.
6. Which stay for which group
| Group | Look for | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Family of 12 to 18, wants the coast itself | A beachfront base, a lawn, indoor games | Bricks and Tides |
| Larger group, wants a rain-proof night | A pool, a games room, a home theatre | Casa Bella |
| Couple or small family | A quiet villa with a private pool | Wander Beyond |
| Group with pets | A pet-friendly villa | Casa Bella, Umber Villa |
| Group with a wheelchair user | A wheelchair-friendly villa | Bricks and Tides, Wander Beyond, Umber Villa |
Ready to plan the base first? Check live availability at Bricks and Tides for the coast, or Casa Bella for the second night.
7. The 2-day itinerary, built around the stay
Day 1: Mumbai to Diveagar to Shrivardhan
Leave Mumbai early. The drive to Diveagar is about 176 km, so plan for a long morning on the road [VERIFY: drive time]. Stop at the Suvarna Ganesh Temple and walk Diveagar’s beach, with your feet on the sand and not in the water in the monsoon. Drive the short 17 km to Shrivardhan, check in at your base and catch the sunset from the beach if the sky allows. If you are staying at Bricks and Tides, you can walk to Aravi Beach from the villa [VERIFY: walking distance].
Day 2: Shrivardhan to Murud to Kashid or Alibaug to Mumbai
Start slowly with a second beach walk. Then drive to Murud, about 63 km and an hour away, so leave by mid-morning. Walk the beach, see the Ahmedganj Palace from the road and, if the boat service is running, visit the fort. From Murud, Kashid is about 17 km on, Alibaug is about 49 km, and Mumbai is about 148 km. Break the drive at Kashid for a late lunch, or stay a second night there if you want a lighter journey home.
If you have a third day
Add Harihareshwar on the way out of Shrivardhan, or turn the Kashid or Alibaug end of Day 2 into an overnight. Both stretch the trip into a proper long weekend without adding much distance.
8. A rain-day plan
The sea is off-limits in the monsoon, so plan what you will do when the weather turns:
- Choose a villa with indoor options. Games, a home theatre or a games room matter more in the rains than a pool. Casa Bella lists a home theatre and a games room, and Bricks and Tides lists indoor and outdoor games.
- Use the dry windows. Rain on this coast often comes in spells. Keep beach walks and sightseeing for the breaks.
- Drive in daylight. Coastal roads are slower in heavy rain and are best done before dusk.
- Keep the plan flexible. If the weather is bad, shorten the loop and spend a second night at one base.
9. What to ask the villa team before you book
A coast loop depends on a few practical points that are worth confirming with the team before you travel:
- Check-in and arrival. If you will arrive after a long drive, ask about check-in timing and when the caretaker is available.
- Meals. Ask how meals are arranged and what is available nearby, since choices on this stretch of coast are limited. Several villas do not allow outside food, so confirm what that means for your group.
- The beach. Ask how far the beach is from the villa on foot or by car, and whether there are safe, walkable stretches in the monsoon.
- Group rules. Rules on all-male groups, pets, music and noise differ between villas. State who is travelling when you enquire.
- Parking and roads. Ask whether the approach road is fine for your vehicle in heavy rain.
- Add-ons and extras. Features such as a games room, a home theatre or a BBQ are listed on the page, but ask what is included and what needs arranging in advance.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Outside the monsoon, usually. The boat service from Rajapuri jetty is normally suspended during the monsoon for safety, and it typically reopens in September subject to clearance. Check the current notice before you go.
No. The sea is rough and unpredictable during the monsoon, so treat the beaches as walking and photography spots.
About 63 km by road, roughly an hour, so allow time for it on Day 2.
About 17 km, a short drive, so you can base in one and visit the other.
About 176 km by road. Allow a long morning on the road, and more in heavy rain.
Bricks and Tides on Aravi Beach in Shrivardhan for the coast itself, Casa Bella in Kashid for a second night with a pool and games, and Wander Beyond or Umber Villa on the Alibaug side. We do not list villas in Diveagar or Murud town at the moment.
Yes, if you choose a base with enough rooms and something to do indoors. Casa Bella sleeps up to 25 and Bricks and Tides up to 18, so both suit larger groups.
After the monsoon and in winter for the easiest weather and the fort. The monsoon is greener and quieter, with a rough sea and the fort’s boat service usually suspended.
11. Conclusion
The South Raigad coast is a good loop at any time of year, as long as you plan around the sea and the fort in the monsoon and choose a base that suits your group. Use Bricks and Tides for a beachfront base at Shrivardhan, Casa Bella at Kashid for a rain-proof second night, and Wander Beyond or Umber Villa if you would rather finish on the Alibaug side. Check live availability and confirm the fort’s status before you leave.
Check availability: Bricks and Tides | Casa Bella | Wander Beyond | Umber Villa
Sources and references:
- PunePulse: Janjira Fort expected to reopen by the end of September (9 Sep 2025)
- Maharashtra Tourism: Murud-Janjira
- Wikipedia: Diveagar
- Road distances computed with OpenStreetMap data, October 2026
- Features, capacities, and policies as listed on each villa’s page on stayvista.com, October 2026
