Ideally located close to the cities of Mumbai and Pune, Mahabaleshwar is a much sought after holiday destination and a summer retreat. The hill station offers every tourist something to make his visit worthwhile, like watching the waterfalls, sailing across the cold pristine mountain rivers or visiting the strawberry farms and temples for those that prefer a quiet holiday or hiking trips along steep mountain paths or indulging in amazing water sports for the adventure seekers.

We will tell you of the things you can do to keep yourself occupied while in Mahabaleshwar, the stuff you can shop for and the delicious local cuisine of the mountain retreat.

Do take a trip to Pustakanch Gaav or village of books in Bhilar in Satara. It’s a unique venture that encourages the habit of reading amongst the public. Temples, homestays, houses and schools are the artistically created locations where there are libraries for newspapers and multiple genres of books.

Bhilar is about 17 km from Mahabaleshwar.

The misty mountain peaks of Mahabaleshwar, with carpets of green meadows and wild flowers and spray filled cascades offer enchanting locales for lovely treks you could never overlook. Some of the most spectacular trekking trails are the Pratapgad fort trek, Rajgad fort trek and Lamington Plateau.

The best seasons for treks are the warm summers and breezy winters. 

Venna lake is one of the most oft visited locations in Mahabaleshwar for tourists and locals who need something exciting as well as tranquil. Try a boating trip on the beautiful Venna Lake, a manmade lake surrounded by lush green mountain ranges.

Venna Lake is about 2 km from the market.

Most of the tourist places have something to keep the kids occupied. Tracks around Venna Lake, Kate’s Point, Polo Grounds and Table Land offer horse or camel rides, merry go rounds and toy train rides. There are amusements parks too in town, with a plethora of indoor and outdoor games that are bound to keep you blissfully busy.

Mahabaleshwar has some of the most amazing viewpoint peaks that one ought to visit. Check out the Lodwick Point, the Elphinstone Point that looks real amazing with a view of the deep mysterious ravines, Koyna valley and the Pratapgarh fort at a distance and the Elephant point, naturally formed overhanging rocks that look like the head and trunk of an elephant.

Visiting the strawberry farms is on the to-do list of every tourist who visits Mahabaleshwar. If you are in Mahabaleshwar in winter, which is the ripe time for strawberry harvesting, check out the farms where you are taken around on a site visit and even allowed to pick succulent strawberries off the runners! Also, do take an afternoon excursion to the Mapro Gardens for a taste of all fresh fruit Mapro products like jams, syrups, fudges and more, followed by a lunch from their famous Mapro cafe serving delicious pizzas, sandwiches, soups and the yummy strawberry cream.

If there are mountain peaks and streams, there are bound to be waterfalls. If you love to watch the cascades, grab a camera and trek to the Dhobi falls near Elphinstone Point, Chinaman’s Falls near Tapola or the three tiered Vajrai falls near Kas Plateau. This is just a tiny list, explore Mahabaleshwar for more waterfalls.

All that trekking and exploring the mountains and valleys would get anyone hungry for a bite to eat. Mahabaleshwar offers variations in cuisine with rustic local fare as well as a combination of diverse flavours. Some of the hill station’s most sought after food are strawberries with cream on top, corn patties, Goan, Mughlai, Gujarati and Punjabi thalis,  non veggie kebabs, pav, pakoras and tandoori stuff on wet monsoon days that goes along real good with a cup of piping hot chai.

Shop for kilos of freshly plucked strawberries, mulberries, radish, cherry tomatoes and carrots, of course. You could buy syrups, jams and slushes, honey, wooden handicrafts, leather footwear and crafts and souvenirs crafted out of cane.