Malvan, Tarkarli

Malvan and Tarkarli, in the Sindhudurg district of coastal Maharashtra, share a linked history shaped by the Konkan seafront, trade, and forts. Malvan developed as an important port town on the Arabian Sea, known for natural creeks that provided sheltered anchorage and for its salt pans, fishing, and later its famous Malvani cuisine and spices.

In the late 17th century, this stretch of coast gained major strategic importance under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. To protect the Konkan shoreline from Portuguese, Siddi and other naval threats, Shivaji built the massive Sindhudurg Fort on a rocky island just off Malvan. The fort turned Malvan into a key Maratha naval base and customs point, controlling movement along the coast and offering refuge to Maratha ships. Over time, a bustling settlement of sailors, craftsmen and traders grew around the mainland town.

With the decline of Maratha power and the rise of British rule, Malvan’s military role faded, but it remained a regional centre for fishing, trade and coconut–cashew agriculture.

Tarkarli, a village and beach a short distance south of Malvan, historically functioned as a quiet coastal settlement of fishing and farming communities. In recent decades, its long stretch of white sand and clear waters have made it famous as a scuba-diving and water-sports destination, effectively turning the Malvan–Tarkarli belt into one of Maharashtra’s best-known coastal tourism corridors, where old fort heritage meets modern beach tourism.