Malvan is a fishing town on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, where the Western Ghats come down close to the Arabian Sea and the land is a strip of red earth, coconut palms and rocky coves. The town is crowded and noisy, with a busy fish market, narrow streets and a harbour full of painted wooden boats, but it is the gateway to some of the best coastline in western India. It has a character all its own, and the local people are proud of their food and their language.
The big attraction is the sea fort of Sindhudurg, which stands on a rocky island just off the shore, reached by a short boat ride from the harbour. Built in the 1660s under the Maratha leader Shivaji, it has thick walls of black stone, bastions, and a long, curved sea wall, and it was designed to guard the coast against the Portuguese, the British and pirates. Inside are temples, wells and a small shrine said to hold a footprint of Shivaji. A little way south is Tarkarli, with a long white beach and clear water, popular for snorkelling and diving.
Malvani cooking is worth a stop in itself. It is a spicy, coconut-based cuisine with plenty of fresh fish, prawns and crab, and the classic meal is a fish thali with rice, curry and fried fish, served with sol kadhi, a pink drink of kokum and coconut milk. Many small restaurants near the harbour serve it, and the prices are modest. Nearby Devgad is famous for its Alphonso mangoes, which ripen in April and May and are widely regarded as among the best in India.
The ride along the coast is a joy, with winding roads through villages, palm groves and paddy fields, over rivers on small bridges, and past hills with views down to the sea. The surface can be uneven, with potholes after the monsoon, and local traffic includes buses, autorickshaws and cattle, so keep your speed down. The monsoon, from June to September, brings heavy rain and many closures, and the best season is between October and March. Malvan has fuel stations on the main road, and it is wise to fill up here, since services are sparser on the lanes to the south.