What to expect
Highlights
- The tortoise-shaped island.
- The hilltop Narasimha temple.
- Snorkelling and the annual jatra.
Kurmagad Island
Kurmagad is a tortoise-shaped island about 4 km off Karwar, with a hilltop Narasimha temple.
Practical guide
Plan Kurmagad Island
Who's going?Tailor Kurmagad Island to your trip
Typeisland
Nearest baseKarwar
DistrictUttara Kannada
Best timeThe calm season when boats run
Time neededHalf a day with the boat
EntryFree
Places to visit4→Listed businesses12→It offers snorkelling and an annual jatra, and is reached by boat.
Getting there
How to visit
- About 4 km off Karwar, reached by boat; arrange a local boat from Karwar.
- A boat trip and a short climb to the temple — wear a life jacket and check the sea.
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 Kurmagad IslandSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Kurmagad Island
Sunrise6:26 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 · 60%
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
- A boat trip and hill climb — go with a licensed boatman and carry water.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Kurmagad Island
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Kurmagad Island — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
5 places to stay near Kurmagad Island
7 places to eat near Kurmagad Island
7 sights to see near Kurmagad Island
3 nature spots near Kurmagad Island
Top pick
Hotel
Emerald Bay, Karwar, Sterling HolidaysA three-star resort operated by Sterling Holidays on the coast about 5 km south of the town centre, and the largest branded hotel in Karwar. It is a package resort rather than a town hotel: expect to be driven in and out for everything in Karwar itself.
Top pick
Homestay
Prafulla HomestayHomestay on Ocean Deck Road at Sadashivgad, north of the river and roughly 8 km round from the town centre, near the estuary rather than the town beach.
Top pick
Homestay
Estuary View ResortGuest house on the Sadashivgad side of the Kali, named for the view it is built to face — the river mouth where the Kali meets the Arabian Sea, with the islands beyond it. About 6 km round by road from the town centre, which puts it away from the town beach and beside the estuary instead.
Guest house
Inspection BungalowThe government inspection bungalow in the town centre, eleven minutes' walk from the seafront — the old Public Works rest house of the kind every district headquarters in India has, built for touring officials and let to the public only when it is free and only through the department. Worth knowing about, not worth planning around.
Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.
Ranked guides
Top experiences around Karwar
3 more places around Karwar. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.
beachKarwar Beach
4.1 km · ~10 min by auto
The long shallow town strand of Karwar under its headland, running south from the mouth of the Kali river — the evening promenade of the district headquarters, with fishing boats drawn up on the sand and the Western Ghats behind.
fortSadashivgad Fort
3.5 km · ~9 min by auto
A Sonda-era hill fort of 1715 above the mouth of the Kali river, about 5 km from Karwar, with the Shantadurga temple and a 17th-century dargah on the way up and the Arabian Sea and its islands below.
beachTagore Beach & INS Chapal Museum
4.4 km · ~11 min by auto
Karwar’s main promenade beach, named for Rabindranath Tagore, who stayed here in 1882 and wrote a chapter of his memoirs about it — with the decommissioned missile boat INS Chapal preserved on the sand as a walk-through warship museum and a retired Tu-142 patrol aircraft beside it.
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Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Kurmagad 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 Kurmagad Island
About 4 km off Karwar, reached by boat; arrange a local boat from Karwar
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 Kurmagad 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 Kurmagad 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 Kurmagad Island
fortSadashivgad Fort
A Sonda-era hill fort of 1715 above the mouth of the Kali river, about 5 km from Karwar, with the Shantadurga temple and a 17th-century dargah on the way up and the Arabian Sea and its islands below.
3.5 km · ~9 min by auto · straight linebeachKarwar Beach
The long shallow town strand of Karwar under its headland, running south from the mouth of the Kali river — the evening promenade of the district headquarters, with fishing boats drawn up on the sand and the Western Ghats behind.
4.1 km · ~10 min by auto · straight linebeachTagore Beach & INS Chapal Museum
Karwar’s main promenade beach, named for Rabindranath Tagore, who stayed here in 1882 and wrote a chapter of his memoirs about it — with the decommissioned missile boat INS Chapal preserved on the sand as a walk-through warship museum and a retired Tu-142 patrol aircraft beside it.
4.4 km · ~11 min by auto · 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.
39.6 km · ~66 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.
40.7 km · ~68 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.
42.1 km · ~70 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.
43.5 km · ~73 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.
44.0 km · ~73 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.
44.4 km · ~74 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.
45.8 km · ~76 min by cab · straight lineU
Ulavi Channabasaveshwara Temple
Place
templeUlavi Channabasaveshwara Temple
The forest shrine at Ulavi (Joida taluk) around the samadhi of Channabasavanna — one of the largest Lingayat pilgrimage centres in Karnataka, with the Akka Nagalambike cave nearby.
47.6 km · ~79 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.
52.2 km · ~87 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Kurmagad Island is
Good to know
Kurmagad Island — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Kurmagad Island?
The calm season when boats run — avoid the rough monsoon sea.
What are the entry fee and timings at Kurmagad Island?
Entry: Free island; boat charged. Timings: Boat trips by day; weather-dependent.
How do I reach Kurmagad Island?
About 4 km off Karwar, reached by boat; arrange a local boat from Karwar. A boat trip and a short climb to the temple — wear a life jacket and check the sea.
How much time do I need for Kurmagad Island?
Half a day with the boat.
What else is near Kurmagad Island?
Nearby you can pair Sadashivgad Fort (3.5 km), Karwar Beach (4.1 km), Tagore Beach & INS Chapal Museum (4.4 km), Gokarna Beach (39.6 km).
Read before you go
Kurmagad Island guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Kurmagad Island itself yet. These cover Karwar and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Around Karwar
These guides explore Karwar and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.
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 →
Story
Sadashivgad: The Fort at the Mouth of the Kali
6 min read · Read →
Town guide
Karwar Town Guide: The Beach Town at the Mouth of the Kali
8 min read · Read →
Itinerary
Karwar in 2 Days: Beach, Warship, Fort and Island
6 min read · Read →
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Image credits
Photographs: S5OKINFINITY, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.