Itinerary
One Day in Honavar
A perfect one-day Honavar itinerary: mangrove boardwalk, Apsarakonda falls, a fish thali, a backwater boat ride and sunset at Eco Beach.
About this itinerary
One day is enough to see why people fall for Honavar: a walk through the mangroves, a dip in a waterfall pool, a coastal fish meal, a boat ride on the Sharavathi River backwaters and a sunset on a Blue Flag beach. Everything on this plan is within about 10 km of town.
Start early, keep the middle of the day for the waterfall and lunch. Time the boat ride for high tide. A cab for the day makes it easy; autos work for the town stops.
The plan
Breakfast in town
Buns or tuppa dosa with filter coffee at a local hotel, or pre-book the 1929 Diner for a local veg meal in a heritage home.
Mangrove boardwalk
The Kandla mangrove boardwalk opens at 9 am. Walk the wooden planks through Rhizophora and Avicennia mangroves and look for fiddler crabs, mudskippers and kingfishers. Allow about an hour.
Apsarakonda
Drive 8 km south to Apsarakonda: bathe in the waterfall pool, see the Pandava caves and the Ugra Narasimha temple, then climb to the park for the sea view. The falls flow best from August to January.
Fish thali lunch
Fish curry, fry and red rice at Navarathna Fish Land or Hotel National. Vegetarians can head to Nammane Bhattraa Hotel.
Backwater boat ride
Board at Tarbagil Jetty on Church Road for a backwater boat ride of one to two hours. Time it for high tide to glide past the mangroves, Mavinakurve island and out towards the estuary.
Sunset at Eco Beach
Finish at Eco Beach in Kasarkod, a Blue Flag beach with lifeguards. The light is best from about 4:30 pm to sunset. Dinner is close by at Gajanana Fishland or Nagvekar's.
Swap it around
In the monsoon, skip the boat and add the Sharavathi Valley viewpoint or a half day at Karikanamma Hilltop, where the forest is at its greenest. On a temple day, add Idagunji, 16 km south and open 6 am to 8 pm.
Good to know
Carry water, a hat and a change of clothes for the waterfall. Wear footwear you can slip off at temples. Eco Beach gates open roughly 8 am to 7 pm.
Stay longer
One day only scratches the surface. If you can, stay a night or two and follow our weekend plan. Browse places to stay in Honavar.
Plan your trip
Ready for the river and the sea?
Pick a stay, choose an itinerary and book online on the property's site or a booking platform.