Karwar, Karnataka: Tourist places of interest

Karwar is district HQ of North Canara (Uttara Kannada) district in Karnataka. Karwar borders Goa and makes for an ideal stopover while visiting Goa, Dandeli or Udupi/Mangalore side. If you are visiting or passing through Karwar what are the best places to visit?

Below is a comprehensive list of potential tourist attractions in and around Karwar, as well as few relevant info to plan your trip better. Most key places of interest can be explored within a day but you can also do it in a bit leisure by staying overnight in Karwar.

1. INS Chapal warship Museum- Check detailed post here

2. Aquarium & beach: Located next to warship museum, was closed during our visit. Beach is accessible nearby- had a basketball court as well

3. Rock Garden - half a km away from warship museum- detailed post here

4. Sadashivgadh fort- promoted by travel sites as top attraction in Karwar, but closed for tourists, except if you are staying with Jungle Lodges. Try your luck.

5. Devbagh Beach & Majali beach- normal beaches north of Karwar, watersports may be available in summer & peak tourist season.

6. Goa- Entered Goa state by foot at Karnataka-Goa border. Location was scenic and worth a quick stroll. Check this post if interested. Petrol is cheaper by 6 Rs per liter in Goa, so you might want to visit and tank up.

7. Kali River Garden- Small scenic park, was closed due to covid, worth a small stroll if open. Just walk on the outer boundary of the park, you will get nice view of the river.

8. Karwar Bridge- Normal bridge, you can get some nice pics from nearby vantage points, available on both sides. Try getting good sunrise/sunset pics. You can view it from 4 different sides.

9. Baahu waterfalls- small falls in the woods, about 7-8 kms from Karwar city. Details here Map shows another waterfall -Sananmani - couldn't locate it- you can try.

10. Temples: Dozens of temples exist in and around Karwar. Visit depending on your interest and time. Within city there is a Siddivinayak temple and few other main temples. Outskirts I found a Brahma temple (usually no temples are found for Brahma god) and dozens of small temples exist every few kms.

11. Boating: Prafulla boating center operates passenger boats to visit/view Kurumgad island, Oyster Rock lighthouse etc. 3 hours ride costs 1500 per person, ride subject to govt permission, favorable weather and minimum passengers. Jungle Lodges also operates some boat rides but only for their guests.

12. Karnataka's western most point. If you have the willpower, you can trek through residential area and woods to reach Karnataka's western most point. Better do it in group as the path is not well paved and extensive hiking is involved.

Mangrove walk: There was supposed to a mangrove walk betweek Sterling Resort and Sadashivgad fort, but I couldn't locate it. As I had seen one in Honnavar didn't take too much trouble to hunt for it.

Best places for food: Kamath, Udupi 

Best hotels: JLR Devbagh Beach Resort , Sterling Karwar, Sai International, Westend Karwar

Season: October to Feb is deemed best season to explore Karwar as monsoon would have ended.

Few points to note:

• Many places are under Navy control and not accessible to public. Several beaches, Anjadeva islad etc are inaccessible to tourists, though Google map may show the way.
• Cinator resort in Kurumgad doesn't seem to be operational
• Many islands are not accessible either due to monsoon or covid restrictions. Check with your hotel staff or local boat operators for feasibility.

Places of interest within 50-80 kms from Karwar if you are interested

1. Ankola (40 kms)

2. Madgaon (Goa): 70 kms

3. Dandeli (100 kms)

4. Gokarna: 62 kms

5. Honnavara (90 kms)

Related: Can Karwar be covered in 1 day or we need 2 days?