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Things to Do in Honnavar

Backwaters, mangroves, waterfalls, beaches and temples — a local's list.

Beyond the boat

A Local's List

Honnavar is more than a stop on NH-66 — it's where the Sharavathi meets the sea, with backwaters, mangrove forests, waterfalls and quiet beaches packed into a few kilometres. Here's what we send our own homestay guests to see, roughly in the order we'd plan a day or two around.

Drone view of backwater boating on the Sharavathi River in Honnavar

1. Sharavathi Backwater Boating

The experience Honnavar is known for: a private boat through mirror-calm water, the Kerala Spot coconut channels, the mangrove tunnel and the golden sunset stretch. Rides run at government-approved rates — ₹1,500 per boat for 1 hour — from sunrise to sunset.

See packages & prices →

Mangrove boardwalk through the Kandla forest near Honnavar

2. Sharavathi Kandla Mangrove Boardwalk

A wooden walkway winding through dense mangrove forest to the river's edge — shaded, photogenic and easy for all ages. Pair it with a boat ride: the boardwalk shows you the mangroves from above, the boat from within.

Sunset on the Honnavar coast near Apsarakonda

3. Apsarakonda Falls & Beach

A short drive south of town: a small waterfall beside a hilltop park, steps leading down to a quiet beach, and a viewpoint over the Arabian Sea. Best right after the monsoon when the falls are full.

4. Eco Beach, Kasarkod

A long, clean stretch of Blue Flag-certified sand south of the Sharavathi mouth — walkable for kilometres, with casuarina groves behind and very few crowds on weekdays.

5. Idagunji Ganapati Temple

One of coastal Karnataka's most visited Ganesha temples, about 15 minutes from Honnavar — an easy morning stop before an afternoon on the water.

Evening sky over the Honnavar coast toward Basavaraj Durga Island

6. Basavaraj Durga Island

A laterite fort island sitting offshore in the Arabian Sea, visible from the Kasarkod coast — dramatic at sunset from the beach, and a striking landmark on clear days.

Honnavar bridge silhouetted at sunset over the Sharavathi River

7. Honnavar Bridge at Sunset

The long bridge across the Sharavathi is a local evening ritual — walkers on the deck, fishing boats below, and the sun dropping straight into the river mouth.

The Shiva statue at Murudeshwar, an hour from Honnavar

8. Day Trips: Gokarna & Murudeshwar

Honnavar sits between the two: Gokarna's beaches 50 km north, Murudeshwar's giant Shiva statue 40 km south — both about an hour away on NH-66 and easy to combine with a boat ride.

Gokarna guide →Murudeshwar guide →

Planning your visit? See the best time to visit — or message us and we'll help plan the whole day around your boat slot.

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