A Guide To The Best Beaches In And Around Mumbai

This is inarguably Mumbai’s most famous beach. It’s popularity among tourists as well as the city’s residents, including celebrities, means that it is almost always crowded. But there’s no better place in the city to enjoy a game of volleyball, let your kids ride a camel or a horse, or to people watch as you dig into some seaside pav bhaji or falooda.

Juhu Chowpatty

http://instagram.com/p/BJj0cHWj4cf/

This narrow, rather rocky beach with little sand is far less crowded, primarily because its maintenance hasn’t been up to par with that of others in the city. However, the spectacular view it offers of Mumbai’s iconic Bandra-Worli Sea Link makes it a special destination in the city. While swimming or entering the waters isn’t considered safe in this low-tide beach, the breezy winds and calming silence will make up for that.

While Mumbaikars mostly stick to beaches towards the North of the city for their getaways, Navi Mumbai and further South offer many cleaner, better maintained beach options too. Uran is one such delightful secret tucked away towards the Southern end of Navi Mumbai. About 20 minutes from Panvel, this quiet and clean beach offers an exceptionally beautiful view of South Mumbai from a distance. The nearby village offers plenty of people watching options and there are plenty of historic forts to explore in the surrounding areas as well.

http://instagram.com/p/BKTJg4WAeiD/

This mesmerizing beach in Madh, about a 25 minute ride from the Malad local train station has striking, clean, emerald waters that will help you detach completely from the city’s maddening rush. Located right by a quiet fishing village surrounded by hills and paddy fields, this beach is almost empty during weekdays.

http://instagram.com/p/BIO50UpDkD3/

This quiet and clean beach just minutes from Malad train station is one of the best getaways Northern Mumbai has to offer. Though swimming is mostly prohibited here, due to unpredictable currents and shifting sands, there’s plenty of space to sit back and gaze into the Arabian Sea. Though blissfully empty during weekdays, it attracts quite a few picnickers from the city’s Northern suburbs during the weekends.

http://instagram.com/p/BIPO0l2BWlm/

Gorai beach is located on Gorai island, known for being home to the Essel World amusement park. The beach, however, is simple and rarely crowded during most of the week. There are a number of restaurants and cafes nearby offering scrumptious seafood and a variety of Marathi delicacies. With horse rides, plenty of coconut trees, fisher-folk and street food stalls, Gorai offers the typical Konkan beach experience.