Travel and Tourism in Panvel
Panvel is a residential as well as a commercial city, which is renowned as the ‘Gateway of Konkan’. It is adjacent to the planned city Navi Mumbai and the majestic land of Konkan. This city has many fascinating and exciting places to visit.
Tourist Attractions in Panvel
Panvel has gained importance in recent days due to better connectivity and has made it convenient to visit the nearby historic and religious places, and other attractions. There are many one day-visit places around the city, which attracts many people for one day picnic.
Historic Places Near Panvel
Chanderi Fort: This is a hill fort, located on the top of a hill between Malangad and Peb. This place will interest those people who are interested in rock climbing, as the path towards the fort is quite tough.Karnala Fort: 10 km from the city region of Panvel, the protected regions of Karnala Bird Sanctuary offers a majestic venue for tourists—the Karnala Fort. It is also known as Funnel Hill and has an important place in the ancient history of the region.
Manikgad Fort: It is set on a hill in Manikgad village. This fort is unassailable from three sides and is about 1,878 feet high. It is reachable only from the south. At present the fort is in impaired stage and the village has been abandoned.
Prabalgad Fort: It is situated between Matheran and Panvel at an elevation of 2,300 ft. on the Sahyadri mountains. It was formerly known as Muranjan until it was renamed after Maratha forces took over this fort under Shivaji’s rule in 1658. There is one more fort parallel to Prabalgad Fort, known as Irshalgad.
Other Attractions Near Panvel
Ballaleshwar Pali: It is one of the renowned Ganesha Temples located in the Pali village, which is
about 30 Kms from Raigad district. It is situated between fort Sarasgad and the river Amba. The original temple was of wooden and was renovated later as a stone temple, which is constructed in the shape of the Hindi letter Shri. The idol of this temple is known as a Swayambhu Murti.
Bet El Synagogue: This is one of the only synagogue situated in Panvel. This is a welcoming spiritual place for both Jews and non-Jews. These days it is a known tourist place and is a part of the Indian heritage and tourist places.
Gadeshwar Dam: It is a small reservoir situated between Chanderi, Mhaismal, Peb and Matheran hills near Panvel. It is surrounded with villages and farms and a small trek to reach this pictorial dam is a nice treat for them who love trekking.
Karnala Bird Sanctuary: It is a tiny sanctuary situated at the bottom of the Karnala Fort, 13 km away from Panvel. The 4.8 sq. km area of sanctuary is surrounded by the mountain range of Western Ghats. Being an opulent natural habitat for varieties of birds, it is a delight for bird watchers. Most commonly found species of birds are red vented Bulbul, Indian grey Hornbill, Owl, and Paradise Fly Catcher.
Matheran: Matheran means “Forest on the forehead (of the mountains)”. It is the smallest hill station in India, located on the Western Ghats elevated about 2625 ft. above sea level. It is an eco-sensitive region, which entices the urban residents for weekend getaways due to its nearness to many cosmopolitan cities.
Shirdhon: This village is known because of Indian revolutionist, father of the Indian armed rebellion—Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, who was born on 1845-11-04 in Shirdhon village of Panvel. His house and his belongings are preserved in this village.
Varadvinayak: It is also spelt as Varadavinayaka and is one of the Ashtavinayak temples of Lord Ganesha located in Mahad village. The idol of this temple is also a Swayambhu Murti and the temple was restored in 1725 AD by Peshwa General Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar. There is a beautiful pond in the temple premises. There is an oil lamp in this temple, which is said to be burning constantly since 1892.
Pandavgad Falls: It is also known as Pandav Prapat. It is one of the exotic and the 29th highest waterfall in India, which is located near Kharghar. There is a cave sited midway of the waterfall, which is said to be the cave where Pandavas stayed during their exile.
Zenith Falls: It is a 25 ft. high waterfall and is the best location to visit during the arrival of monsoon. It is wonderful to watch the spurting water from a great height. However, after monsoon when the waterfall dries up, it turns up in an ideal location for rappelling and rock-climbing.
about 30 Kms from Raigad district. It is situated between fort Sarasgad and the river Amba. The original temple was of wooden and was renovated later as a stone temple, which is constructed in the shape of the Hindi letter Shri. The idol of this temple is known as a Swayambhu Murti. Bet El Synagogue: This is one of the only synagogue situated in Panvel. This is a welcoming spiritual place for both Jews and non-Jews. These days it is a known tourist place and is a part of the Indian heritage and tourist places.
Gadeshwar Dam: It is a small reservoir situated between Chanderi, Mhaismal, Peb and Matheran hills near Panvel. It is surrounded with villages and farms and a small trek to reach this pictorial dam is a nice treat for them who love trekking.
Karnala Bird Sanctuary: It is a tiny sanctuary situated at the bottom of the Karnala Fort, 13 km away from Panvel. The 4.8 sq. km area of sanctuary is surrounded by the mountain range of Western Ghats. Being an opulent natural habitat for varieties of birds, it is a delight for bird watchers. Most commonly found species of birds are red vented Bulbul, Indian grey Hornbill, Owl, and Paradise Fly Catcher.
Matheran: Matheran means “Forest on the forehead (of the mountains)”. It is the smallest hill station in India, located on the Western Ghats elevated about 2625 ft. above sea level. It is an eco-sensitive region, which entices the urban residents for weekend getaways due to its nearness to many cosmopolitan cities.
Shirdhon: This village is known because of Indian revolutionist, father of the Indian armed rebellion—Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, who was born on 1845-11-04 in Shirdhon village of Panvel. His house and his belongings are preserved in this village.
Varadvinayak: It is also spelt as Varadavinayaka and is one of the Ashtavinayak temples of Lord Ganesha located in Mahad village. The idol of this temple is also a Swayambhu Murti and the temple was restored in 1725 AD by Peshwa General Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar. There is a beautiful pond in the temple premises. There is an oil lamp in this temple, which is said to be burning constantly since 1892.
Pandavgad Falls: It is also known as Pandav Prapat. It is one of the exotic and the 29th highest waterfall in India, which is located near Kharghar. There is a cave sited midway of the waterfall, which is said to be the cave where Pandavas stayed during their exile.
Zenith Falls: It is a 25 ft. high waterfall and is the best location to visit during the arrival of monsoon. It is wonderful to watch the spurting water from a great height. However, after monsoon when the waterfall dries up, it turns up in an ideal location for rappelling and rock-climbing.
Best time to visit Panvel
March to June is the best time to visit the city as the temperature is average and weather is pleasant with slight showers in between.Best places to stay in Panvel
Tourists can find many good hotels in the city depending on their budget. Due to it's proximity with Mumbai, a lot of tourists prefer to stay back seeing larger accommodation options.Getting There
Panvel Railway Station is a major junction in the Konkan Railway system and many major trains runs through the city. You can always get in touch with the right travel agents for booking or do it yourself.