Mandvi Beach – Must visit in Gujarat

Mandvi, a small tranquil beach town located on the banks of Rukmavati river. While Mandvi Beach is the most sought-after place to visit and spending time in a resort in Mandvi the second best thing, Mandvi is one of the most beautiful destinations in Gujarat.

is located 75km from Bhuj. 

Mandvi Beach is a perfect weekend destination from Ahmedabad.

Located 60 km from Bhuj, it is an ideal getaway for nature lovers due to the clean beaches, architecture lovers due to the palace, wildlife lovers due to all the migratory birds and ultimately a family who just wants a break from a routine life thanks to a beach resort with a private beach nearby. 

Mandvi beach is popular amongst the locals as well as tourists. So much so that Rann Utsav offers a day trip to Mandvi.

Here are some of the places to visit in Mandvi other than Mandvi Beach.

About Mandvi, Gujarat

Mandvi, Gujarat was established by Rao Khengarji in the later part of the 16th century. It was an important trade town due to the presence of an important port famous harbour. Mandvi in its yesteryears was connected with other countries such as South Africa, Zanzibar, Arab countries, Malaysia, China, Japan and others.

Owing to the importance of the port, ship making industry was later developed, which is prevalent even in today’s times. 

Mandvi was originally a fortified town. The fort had several gateways, but at present, most of the wall is in ruins.

Places to visit in Mandvi

Mandvi Beach

Mandvi beach is a clean and pristine beach in Gujarat.

There are 2 nearby beaches – the popular and touristy windmill beach called Windmill Beach or Windfarm Beach and another Kashivishwanath Beach.

Windmill Beach has more crowds with beachside stalls, camel rides and a few adventure activities. For the adventure enthusiasts, there are various water sports options on the Windmill beach like a banana boat ride and jet-skiing. The overall scene looks beautiful having the windmills right on the beach. These windmills generate enough energy to provide electricity to nearby areas.

Kashivishwanath beach is the quieter and tranquil one. During my visit, I spent an entire evening at this beach and I only had the company of 2 dogs and a flock of sanderlings! I had the most solitude in a long time and the stroll on the beach during the evening low tide revealed some magical creations of the beach – shells, naturally formed sand art, crab art and so much more. It was also the perfect sunset I had witnessed in a long time. 

Time spent at Kashivishwanath beach has made it my favourite beach in Gujarat.

Ship Building Yard

The prosperous maritime trade of Kutch, made Mandvi an important port town so much so that it developed itself into a shipbuilding centre. Mandvi is known for its 400-year-old traditional craft of building wooden ships. These wooden ships are built by hand by local craftsmen using an ancestral methodology and some modern tools. 

Visitors can see the making of these ships from just about anywhere in Mandvi.

They are installed in the riverbed of Rukmavati river and one can see them taking shape from across the road. Visitors can go near the ships and see the carpenters at work and if you feel like going in, take permission to see the insides just like the work of artists.

Vijay Vilas Palace

Apart from the Mandvi beach, Vijay Vilas Palace is one of the most visited tourist places in Mandvi. It shot to fame after 2 superhit Bollywood movies – Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam and Lagaan were filmed here. It has a stunning piece of architecture providing a gorgeous view from the top.

Vijay Vilas Palace, sometimes also referred to as Mandvi palace Gujarat is a Royal abode placed in the middle of manicured gardens.

The royal family of Princely State of Kutch currently reside in the palace, because of which some portion of the palace is cut off for visitors.

The royal family used to reside in Prag Mahal, Bhuj which was destroyed in the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake which is why they moved into Vijay Vilas Palace.

Traditionally the Vijay Vilas Palace was a summer retreat of Kutch Maharajas, thanks to it being by the beachside. The palace has a high dome on the pillars, coloured glass windows, carved stone jalis, exquisitely designed halls, well-maintained artefacts and overall amazing architecture which makes the palace worth visiting.

The palace was built during the reign of Maharaja Khengarji-III as a summer resort for his son & successor, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayraj Ji and is therefore named after him as Vijay Vilas Palace. The palace is built with red Red Sandstone and it took about 9 years to complete construction. 

The Vijay Vilas Palace has its own private beach which offers luxurious tented accommodation.

Naliya – the coldest place in Gujarat

All of my trips need to have a wildlife angle to them. So I am always on the lookout for the nearest Wildlife sanctuary or a national park and the special species to spot there. I wanted to start from Mandvi and end the day in Bhuj so Naliya was the choice of visit.

Naliya is famous as the coldest place in Gujarat during winters. It is also famous for the grasslands which host the beautiful and elusive bird – the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) in Gujarat. There is only about 6 GIB in Naliya as of 2020! Known as The Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, it is an ideal spot for a nature enthusiast.

I did not want to miss the chance of spotting this rare bird in Gujarat so I drove down a distance of 82 km from Mandvi to Naliya. Naliya doesn’t have a typical safari like other national parks in India. At the entry gate, I was asked for my ID as entry is free. Professional guides during tours are available at extra cost and I will highly recommend you to get one as you will be clueless on where to go to spot the birds. The guide will come in your car and with a good pair of binoculars and help in spotting the birds. and safaris.

I spent over 2 hours, craning my neck over the grassland and could spot a pair of Great Indian Bustard couples for quite a distance. Seeing them was only possible from a binocular so my camera lens could not even manage a record shot!

Other places to visit near Mandvi, Gujarat

• Bhuj – Visitors will probably travel from Bhuj, so that is definitely a must-visit place
• Great Rann of Kutch – For its white sands
• Little Rann of Kutch – For the wild ass sanctuary and flamingoes
• Kala Dungar- the highest point in Kutch
• Dholavira- an archaeological site

Shopping in Mandvi, Gujarat

The crafts of Kutch are popular for shopping.

The entire Kutch district is famous for its mirror and thread work as well as Bandhani (tie & dye) techniques. Block print and Ajrakh prints on cotton textiles along with silver jewellery is what the women entrepreneurs make here. One can visit the making of these handicrafts and buy them from Khamir or Bhujodi near Bhuj.

How to reach Mandvi

Flight:

Many airlines operate flights between major cities to Bhuj airport and Kandla airport located in the Kutch district of Gujarat. From any of these airports hire a vehicle to reach Mandvi, Gujarat. The distance will be roughly 95 km from Kandla airport and 62 km from Bhuj airport. 

Car/Bus:

One can drive down in a car from Ahmedabad airport and it takes about 6 hours to reach.

Train:

There are main trains on the Western line which will take you till Bhuj. Hire a car or hop on to a public bus to reach Mandvi.

Hotels in Mandvi | Resorts in Mandvi

Mandvi offers a variety of accommodation options ranging from humble Dharamshala stays to luxurious resort options.

Homestay – I stayed at Rukmavati Guesthouse which is right in the middle of the city and the town was at walking distance. The family served a warm breakfast and tea in the morning. 

Luxury: Serena Beach Resort – this is upscale right on the beach resort which is certain to you Goa feels.

Mid range – Hotel Keev, Hotel Rosseta

Note: Mandvi is a port and due to its proximity to the India-Pakistan border and security concerns, you will be required to present Identification proof with the address (in original – photocopy will not be accepted) and also submit fingerprints digitally.

Best time to visit Mandvi

Mandvi enjoys pleasant weather all year round and the best time to travel is between October till March when the days are pleasant. Summers are quite harsh with day temperatures crossing 40-degree celsius. 

Sustainable tips for visiting Mandvi Beach

• Do not litter the beach with plastic or any other places in Mandvi.
• You are most likely to see wild animals like Indian Nilgai crossing the road/highway, give them time and space to do so.
• Do not write on the palace walls or rocks at the beach.
• Avoid wearing perfumes or hand sanitizers while going in the seawater or in protected areas like Naliya.

Read about other Beach towns in India:

Diveagar, Konkan

Alibaug

Have you been to Mandvi Beach before? What was your experience like? Tell me in the comments below.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. It means it adds no extra cost to you if you book through the link but I get a referral bonus which helps me earn a little to keep this website up and running. Read my Privacy Policy for more.

Pin this article!