Velas: Turtle Festivalवेळास
Where olive ridley hatchlings are released at dawn each spring.
See what is open on your dateOpen in Google MapsWhereRatnagiri, Maharashtra
Konkan Coast
Konkan Coast
Best time to visit15 February to 15 April
Good seasonsWinter (December to February), Summer (March to May)
DifficultyEasy
Time neededOvernight
Base and nearbyVelas, Bankot
EntryHomestay ₹800-1200
ClosuresUsually closed 20 April to 5 February. Hatchling releases run roughly February to mid-April, outside that window there is nothing to see.
About Velas: Turtle Festival
Every February to April, olive ridley hatchlings are released here at dawn and make their way down the sand to the sea. The programme is run by villagers with Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra, and visitors stay in village homes rather than hotels.
What to see and do
- Olive ridley hatchling release at dawn
- Village homestays, no hotels
- A long, empty beach
- Bankot fort and the Savitri river mouth
- Harihareshwar across the water
Opening status, best time and closures here are estimates from usual seasons and past patterns, not live information. Confirm with the local authority before you go. Terms of use
More places in Ratnagiri
- Velneshwar Beach & TempleRatnagiri, Maharashtra · Temples & ShrinesA Shiva temple behind a coconut-lined bay, and a beach you can actually swim at.
- Bankot (Himmatgad)Ratnagiri, Maharashtra · Coastal DestinationsA fort at the Savitri river mouth, minutes from the Velas turtle beach.
- GanpatipuleRatnagiri, Maharashtra · Temples & ShrinesA swayambhu Ganesh with one of Konkan’s best beaches right behind it.
- Gopalgad (Anjanvel)Ratnagiri, Maharashtra · Coastal DestinationsA big, overgrown fort above the Vashishti creek mouth near Guhagar.
- Hedvi Dashabhuja GaneshRatnagiri, Maharashtra · Temples & ShrinesA rare ten-armed Ganesh, and a rock chasm the sea fires spray out of.
- Pawas: Swaroopanand AshramRatnagiri, Maharashtra · Pilgrimage RoutesThe quiet Konkan ashram and samadhi of Swami Swaroopanand.
- PurnagadRatnagiri, Maharashtra · Coastal DestinationsA tiny, near-empty sea fort at the mouth of the Muchkundi creek.
- Ratnadurg (Bhagwati Fort)Ratnagiri, Maharashtra · Coastal DestinationsA horseshoe fort on a headland with a lighthouse and one of Konkan's best sunsets.
All places in Ratnagiri · All places in Maharashtra
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Jagah Pedia is a free travel guide by Santosh Pandey. Status, timings and closures are estimates from usual patterns, so confirm locally before you travel.