“An Undiscovered Gem on the Konkan Coast.”
Velneshwar is a small coastal village in the Konkan, and we were surprised to learn that it boasts an MTDC Resort. Velneshwar lies in the Ratnagiri district about 20 km south of Guhagar and about 50 km north of Ganpatipule. It can be reached via Chiplun on the Mumbai – Panjim highway (NH17).
The MTDC Resort is beautifully located on a hilltop overlooking the beach and the Arabian Sea. We booked our room online about a week in advance on the MTDC website. Each of the cottage rooms has a small balcony where you can sit and enjoy the sea breeze and the listen to sound of the waves. The views are to die for!
The cottages are set on the hillside at different levels. The rooms and bathrooms are spacious and airy. There is a TV with all cable channels, but no cupboards for storage.There are 10 ac rooms at the lower levels and 5 non-ac rooms at a higher level. The non-ac rooms have better views but can be tedious to climb to because the restaurant and reception are at the lowest level. It can also get very hot in the summer months in spite of the sea breeze, so these rooms are habitable only during winter or monsoons. We did stay in the non ac room in the month of December, and it was OK, except when there was a power outage for 1 hour one afternoon.
The mornings and evenings are very pleasant to sit out on the benches in the garden and grounds outside. One can just sit and stare at the calm sea with its numerous fishing vessels. If you are lucky you may be able to spot dolphins in the water on some mornings. I did not see the dolphins but did see some hornbills flying overhead on one occasion. Of course, you can see a variety of other birds too, especially if you take a walk into the forests behind the resort, or near the beach.
The beach is a 10 minute walk or a 5 minute drive from the resort. It is a yellow-black sandy beach about 2 km long with hillocks at both ends. The waters are calm and inviting for a swim. There are very few people on the beach except during the evenings when the locals come for a walk. There are a couple of restaurants at the Shiva Temple end of the beach.
There is an attached restaurant which serves the complimentary breakfast of poha, upma, sabudana or egg omelette. You have to place your lunch and dinner order about an hour in advance, and the options are either fish, chicken or vegetarian thali meals, since the ala-carte menu is very limited. The food is prepared in the local Konkani style and is quite tasty. The restaurant is clean and airy but nothing fancy.
Sunsets at Velneshwar beach are spectacular. You can simply sit in the balcony of your cottage and observe the sunsets, and they will remain etched in your memory forever.
The MTDC Resort is beautifully located on a hilltop overlooking the beach and the Arabian Sea. We booked our room online about a week in advance on the MTDC website. Each of the cottage rooms has a small balcony where you can sit and enjoy the sea breeze and the listen to sound of the waves. The views are to die for!
The cottages are set on the hillside at different levels. The rooms and bathrooms are spacious and airy. There is a TV with all cable channels, but no cupboards for storage.There are 10 ac rooms at the lower levels and 5 non-ac rooms at a higher level. The non-ac rooms have better views but can be tedious to climb to because the restaurant and reception are at the lowest level. It can also get very hot in the summer months in spite of the sea breeze, so these rooms are habitable only during winter or monsoons. We did stay in the non ac room in the month of December, and it was OK, except when there was a power outage for 1 hour one afternoon.
The mornings and evenings are very pleasant to sit out on the benches in the garden and grounds outside. One can just sit and stare at the calm sea with its numerous fishing vessels. If you are lucky you may be able to spot dolphins in the water on some mornings. I did not see the dolphins but did see some hornbills flying overhead on one occasion. Of course, you can see a variety of other birds too, especially if you take a walk into the forests behind the resort, or near the beach.
The beach is a 10 minute walk or a 5 minute drive from the resort. It is a yellow-black sandy beach about 2 km long with hillocks at both ends. The waters are calm and inviting for a swim. There are very few people on the beach except during the evenings when the locals come for a walk. There are a couple of restaurants at the Shiva Temple end of the beach.
There is an attached restaurant which serves the complimentary breakfast of poha, upma, sabudana or egg omelette. You have to place your lunch and dinner order about an hour in advance, and the options are either fish, chicken or vegetarian thali meals, since the ala-carte menu is very limited. The food is prepared in the local Konkani style and is quite tasty. The restaurant is clean and airy but nothing fancy.
Sunsets at Velneshwar beach are spectacular. You can simply sit in the balcony of your cottage and observe the sunsets, and they will remain etched in your memory forever.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
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