Suvarnadurg Fort

Suvarnadurg fort stands on a rocky island in the Arabian Sea, about 2 km offshore from Harne village. It was one of the key sea forts of the Maratha Empire and saw significant naval action in the eighteenth century. The fort's walls and bastions are still largely intact, and the island setting makes it visually dramatic.

Boats to the island leave from Harne fishing harbour, about 12 km from Dapoli. The crossing takes around 20 minutes. On the island, you can walk the walls and explore the ruins of the inner buildings. The views back to the mainland — with the Western Ghats rising behind the Konkan plain — are impressive.

The site is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Go early to avoid the midday heat and to catch the fishing boats returning with the morning catch at Harne harbour.

things to do sight history
A story
Suvarnadurg, which translates roughly as 'Golden Fort', was one of the most important naval strongholds of the Maratha Empire. The Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre used it as a base from which he effectively controlled the sea lanes along the Konkan coast in the early eighteenth century — so successfully that the British and Portuguese combined their fleets in 1755 in an effort to destroy his maritime power.