What to expect
Highlights
- The 17th-century sea fort.
- The ruined ramparts.
- The lighthouse and sea views.
Basavaraja Durga Island
Basavaraja Durga Island is a 17th-century sea-fort island off the Honnavar coast, built by the Keladi Nayakas / Vijayanagara.
Practical guide
Plan Basavaraja Durga Island
Who's going?Tailor Basavaraja Durga Island to your trip
Typeisland
Nearest baseHonnavar
DistrictUttara Kannada
Best timeThe calm season when boats run
Time neededHalf a day with the boat
EntryFree
Places to visit2→It has ruined ramparts and a lighthouse, and is reached by boat.
Getting there
How to visit
- An island off Honnavar, reached by boat; arrange a local boat from the coast.
- A boat trip to a ruined island fort — check the sea and weather, and wear a life jacket.
Distance by road
- Panaji (Goa)100 km
- Hubballi165 km
- Udupi175 km
- Mangaluru270 km
- Bengaluru500 km
Road km to Uttara Kannada; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
The calm season when boats run — avoid the rough monsoon sea.
Weather in Basavaraja Durga IslandSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Basavaraja Durga Island
Sunrise6:24 am
Sunset6:11 pm
Golden hour best light5:11 pm–6:11 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:11 pm–6:36 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 260°
Moon tonight🌔 Waxing gibbous · 61%
Retreating monsoon. October and November still see spells of rain from the retreating monsoon, though it is usually lighter than mid-year. Conditions are generally good but worth checking.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- Uneven fort ruins and open sea — go with a licensed boatman and watch your footing.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Basavaraja Durga Island
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Basavaraja Durga Island — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
Verified inventory is being added here.
Verified places are being added. The category filters will fill in as approved stays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and nature listings go live.
List your placeRanked guides
Top experiences around Honnavar
One more place around Honnavar worth a day of its own.
waterfallApsarakonda Falls
10.3 km · ~17 min by cab
A tiered waterfall dropping into a pool near Honnavar, paired with an adjacent beach and a clifftop sunset point and Ganesha temple.
Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Basavaraja Durga Island? List it and it appears here once verified.
Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Basavaraja Durga Island — at a glance
TimingsBoat trips by day; weather-dependent
Best timeThe calm season; not the rough monsoon sea
Entry: Free island; boat charged
Getting here
How to reach Basavaraja Durga Island
An island off Honnavar, reached by boat; arrange a local boat from the coast
Getting back
If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.
- KSRTC— the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries.Online booking.
- Indian Railways— live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Basavaraja Durga Island
If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.
If you need help at Basavaraja Durga Island
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Basavaraja Durga Island
waterfallApsarakonda Falls
A tiered waterfall dropping into a pool near Honnavar, paired with an adjacent beach and a clifftop sunset point and Ganesha temple.
10.3 km · ~17 min by cab · straight line
heritageMirjan Fort
A laterite-stone fort near Kumta on the Aghanashini estuary, with high bastions and stepped wells amid greenery, linked to the 16th-century pepper-trading queen Chennabhairadevi.
19.6 km · ~33 min by cab · straight line
backwaterAghanashini Estuary
The Ramsar-listed mangrove estuary where the un-dammed Aghanashini river meets the sea — rich in bivalve fisheries, birdlife and boat backwaters.
23.4 km · ~39 min by cab · straight line
beachParadise Beach
The most remote of the Gokarna beaches (also called Full Moon), reached by boat or a long cliff trek — an isolated stretch popular for camping where permitted.
23.8 km · ~40 min by cab · straight line
beachHalf Moon Beach
A small half-moon cove reached by a cliff trek or boat beyond Om Beach — quiet and secluded, with just a few shacks.
24.0 km · ~40 min by cab · straight line
beachOm Beach
A beach curved into the shape of the Om (ॐ) symbol south of Gokarna — the most popular of the town’s beaches, with shacks, water sports and a laid-back scene.
24.3 km · ~40 min by cab · straight line
beachKudle Beach
A crescent of sand between Gokarna town and Om Beach, reached by a short cliff walk — a mellow backpacker favourite for sunsets and yoga.
25.6 km · ~43 min by cab · straight line
templeMurudeshwara Temple
A temple on a headland at Murudeshwara crowned by one of the world’s tallest statues of Shiva (~37 m) and a towering 20-storey gopura, washed on three sides by the Arabian Sea.
26.1 km · ~43 min by cab · straight line
templeMahabaleshwara Temple, Gokarna
An ancient Shiva temple at Gokarna enshrining the Atmalinga, one of the most sacred lingas in South India (a "Dakshina Kashi") — a classic Dravidian temple by the sea and the centre of the Maha Shivaratri car festival.
27.2 km · ~45 min by cab · straight line
beachGokarna Beach
The long town beach in front of Gokarna, used by pilgrims for ritual bathing and by visitors for a relaxed shore walk; the starting point of the cliff trail to the quieter southern beaches.
28.2 km · ~47 min by cab · straight lineB
Benne Hole Falls
Place
waterfallBenne Hole Falls
A multi-tier forest waterfall ~25 km from Siddapur reached by a trek — its name means “butter pool”, for the milky look of its water.
32.0 km · ~53 min by cab · straight line
templeIdagunji Temple
A much-visited Ganapathi (Vinayaka) temple at Idagunji near Honnavar — one of the most important Ganesha shrines on the Kanara coast.
32.3 km · ~54 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Basavaraja Durga Island is
Good to know
Basavaraja Durga Island — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Basavaraja Durga Island?
The calm season when boats run — avoid the rough monsoon sea.
What are the entry fee and timings at Basavaraja Durga Island?
Entry: Free island; boat charged. Timings: Boat trips by day; weather-dependent.
How do I reach Basavaraja Durga Island?
An island off Honnavar, reached by boat; arrange a local boat from the coast. A boat trip to a ruined island fort — check the sea and weather, and wear a life jacket.
How much time do I need for Basavaraja Durga Island?
Half a day with the boat.
What else is near Basavaraja Durga Island?
Nearby you can pair Apsarakonda Falls (10.3 km), Mirjan Fort (19.6 km), Aghanashini Estuary (23.4 km), Paradise Beach (23.8 km).
Read before you go
Basavaraja Durga Island guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Basavaraja Durga Island itself yet. These cover Honnavar and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Heritage guide
Mirjan Fort: Laterite Walls, Pepper Routes and a Monsoon Visit
6 min read · Read →
Regional guide
Banavasi: How to Read Karnataka’s First Historical Capital
6 min read · Read →
Day-trip guide
Magod Falls and Jenukallu Gudda: One Careful Yellapur Day
5 min read · Read →
Day-trip guide
Day Trips from Karwar: The Whole of Uttara Kannada from One Base
6 min read · Read →
Story
Tagore in Karwar: Four Months That Gave a Beach Its Name
5 min read · Read →
Story
The Last Ward: How Karwar Got Its Name, and Its Language
6 min read · Read →
Image credits
Photographs: Kumarcnaik, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.