Must Visit...if you are Coming From Harihareshwar Take Ferry ride from Bangmandla..they are very economical & time saving... Amazing view from fort😍😍

A small fort which can be covered within 30 minutes and does not involve any trekking. The view from the fort of the ocean and the mountains is a key takeaway and something which will forever stay in your memory.The fort is accessible from Harihareshwara both by road and ferry. I would recommend to use the ferry as you can drive you with your vehicle. The ferry operates once every 2 hours starting from 0930 am in the morning from Harihareshwara.On crossing over the Savithri river the drive to the fort is about 20 mins. The last mile is quite steep and narrow with very bad road in few patches. Thus please use caution to drive and novice drivers should not attempt it especially if it’s raining.There is no entry fees and I found the fort all to myself when I visited it. I hope you find the same. Must visit for the view even if there is absolutely no interest of history.

A very beautiful place. The renovation of the fort is going on, however its great to visit. U can stare down also towards sea. The approach road is quite steep to club through car hence beware u shld know ur vehicle well and shld have better grip. A view can show u the ferry boat side and side of Harihareshwr.

Great place, beautiful view of the sea. Also have historical significance.

This fort was under control of Adilshahi during mid sixteen century, then in 1548 under Portuguese. Kanhoji Angre took control over Bankot & renamed as Himmatgad. In 1756 Bankot became the part of Bombay Presidency & renamed as Fort Victoria. But The British saw no benefits to retain the ownership of fort in terms of businesses & gave its ownership back to peshwas.The structure of fort is in square shape. Fort has grand entrance gate decorated with heavy designs. Now most of the structure is in damaged condition due to age, heavy rainfall, lack of maintenance & usage. Fort can be visited in any season but post monsoon to February end will be best. No accommodation facility or drinking water, food etc not available on the fort. You can see the harihareshwar hill, beautiful arebian sea coast of velas & ongoing construction of baugmandla-bankot bridge from top of fort. There is Mallett memorial toward sea from fort in name of family of Aurther (seat point of mahabaleshwar) Mallett is worth to visit.

Great place for sunset view.Its a great experience to be there!!

BanKot Fort...Fort is very easy and Near From the Velas Beach 🏖. Fort is underdevelopment from almost 5 to 6 Years. But it is not completed.Gram Panchayat of Bankot don’t look properly. Local People’s of Bankot spending there time with enjoying drinks and Smokes which is totally wrong.About fortIt is very beautiful located.

Bankot fort is located at a vantage point and provides unlimited views at the confluence of the Savitri River and Arabian sea. It is historically significant from the point of view of maritime security. Across the Savitri River, one can see Bagmandale and the MTDC resort, Harihareshwar.As per online references, the first record evidence about this fort is found in the records of Greek Traveller Ptolemy in first century AD. It was then called as Mandargiri or Mandgor or Nanaguna. The Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang is supposed to have embarked in Bankot in 640 AD.This fort was captured by the Portuguese from Mohammed Adil Shah of Bijapur in 1548. It was won by maratha Koli Admiral Kanhoji Angre in 1700 and named as Himmatgad.In 1755, this fort surrendered to the British who captured the fort and named it as Fort Victoria. Later it was revealed by the British that it was not an economically viable deal to maintain the fort and it was handed over to Peshwas. (courtesy wiki)

Good place great views

Bankot fort also known as Himmatgad fort and Victoriafort. This fort is an important fort in Ratnagiri district. The Fort is located on a prominent and commanding point for guarding the trade route along the Savitri river, which runs till, mahad which was a busy route in medieval times. It is a fort located on a hill near the sea.At the time of visit said fort under renovation and Heartly thanku to Archaeological department of Kokan division for such of great work.

Excellent Tourist Point

Deserted, atmospheric and stunning views are why I give Bankot Fort 5 stars. It may be unloved and uncared for and not as spectacular as other more well known forts in the region, but for me this adds to its appeal... and the steep, winding road to access it is also fun!

Bankot is a town in Maharashtra, India. It became part of the Bombay Presidency in 1756.Its most famous structure is Bankot Fort, which was the first residency of the British Raj in Southern Konkan.

Best place too visit wonderful historical place

Beautiful fortress from the 13th century. It is located on a hilltop overlooking the confluence of savitri river and the Arabian sea. It not very big, takes 30-45 mins to visit. Good place for taking photos overlooking the sea. It was a watchpost for maratha and Portuguese navies to keep control over the coast. Do read the history before visiting. Can take vehicle from bagmandle on car ferry to vesavi village and then drive 15 mins to the fort

Nice view of Bankot creek. Small but great place to explore.Take less than an hr to every bit ot the fort.

Beautiful and historical place. View of Arabian Sea and Savitri river from Bankot fort is superb. Very nice place to visit.

Easy to reach the fort as vehicles can go right up to the door step of the fort. Beautiful sea view from the fort. Best place for camping. Clean place and should be kept clean by hikers and trekkers as well.😉

Small fort but situated at important location where Kundlika river meets the ocean.Beautiful view.

Its beautiful😍The fort is nice and has a gorgeous sea view🌊you can spend hours over here for sure!

Easy to climb. Renovations started from Archiology of India. Nice place to visit.

It is sad that this fort is unknown to many people of Maharashtra. This is one of the best fort and located at a picturesque locates on top of a hill from which you can see River Savitri meeting the Ocean forming an estuary. Must visit time is summer as you can see the horizon clearly rest of the season its foggy and is raining season heavy rains.

Its on top of the hill, beautiful location and view of sea is awesomeNot maintained fort, i guess it wont last for longer time all the construction are loosening up hope government ensures this doesnt happen.Must visit once get some pics clicked nothing to explore in fort apart from view

Situated on a hill near Velas Beach, it is a must visit place of you are visiting Velas! One can see superb views of the Arabian Sea on front of it! Fort has nothing much to see but now they are doing some restoration works and we might get to see something interesting in upcoming few months! 🗺🏰

Good historical place

Peaceful, vibrant

Historical Castle,Famous For Tulaji Angre,Small but good to visit.

The fort is situated on the hill top and had steep roads. It is a small fort and is under repair by ASI. Not much to see here. However, post monsoon the views can be great.

Best view of Velas sea...

Osm Its sooo good place to tracking this group1

The view from this place is nice.There is a construction going on in the fort.

Best view form fort

Nice Fort with a great view of Arabian Sea from a hill-top. Better accessible by private vehicle (narrow road). Ideal for sunset time. Visit anytime sunrise to sunset.

Awesome View, No Crowd. 100% Natural Climate free from pollution. But no any accommodation and Food facility.

The view from this dilapidated Bankot fort is stunning. A good place to visit while in Harihareshwar or Velas.

A fort that can be considered for one of the best views of the beach. There is much more that can be done with this fort as a historic monument lies abandoned.

Himmatgad or Bankot is a key fort worth visiting. Situated on a hilltop on the mouth of Savitri river it offers excellent views. Walls are made of Jambha khadak or laterite.. very much intact. We can also see a 1797ad canon. Arthur Mallet lost his wife and 32 day old daughter to a boat drowning accident and their memorial cenotaphs are close to the fort walls. You have to be careful of shrubs as you navigate. You can see mango and cashew plantations here and a bridge is being built over river Savitri now.

Bankot fort and Velas Turtle festival is a destination to see the turtles making their way to the sea, starting their life journey.A good place to visit with family and friends. And if ur lucky enough u may get a chance to see the turtles in real. I was unlucky enough :).

Hilltop fort giving mesmerizing view of the sea shore and Savitri river merging into the sea..Rejuvenation work is going on currently. A visit usually combined with Velas beach where turtle festival is hosted every year

This fort is hill fort. The scenic view of Savitri river joining areabian sea is wonderful from top. Velas village is near to this fort. Harihareshwar is also near to this fort via bagmadala jetty. You can load your four wheeler in the ferry to cross the river @ Bagmadala jetty.

Renovation made fort look lively.. Nice place to see the sunset.

Good place with many unheard stories about this fort. Do visit with some local guide or join a group with local guide to know more in detail about forts history. This fort is good for 1st time trekkers not at difficult. Also reaching here is not much of a big worry. Rides are also easily available here. View of ocean from Fort is also good. Hence so many great selfie points u can find here.

Wonderful coastal fort. you can drive till entrance. suitable for family.

Its nice and small. Road is a difficult task. View is really good

Very nice place

Best Fort... HimmatgadNear to harihareshwar.. View of sea and savitri river is superb. Best place to visit

Very nice place to visit

Not worth the drive. If you are staying at Harihareshwar, you need to take the ferry to the other side(no other roads connecting the two ends). The roads to the fort are very narrow (not very ideal for larger vehicles)The fort itself is very small, they were doing some maintenance work when I visited it. Only good thing is the view of the sea from the top.

Renovation work in progress.. approach road not very convenient for self owned cars.. Authorities should provide display mentioning history and information of the fort. View from fort is amazing.

Nice Fort!We are visiting fort on the occasion of Shivjayanti which is special for me!

Amazing view from top

Sea and nature view is really awesome from the fort.Fort is not maintained.

Nice place ...

Scenic view. But nothing much to see

Superb view of the sea, less crowded, small cozy fort

You will get a amazing view fr this fort.

Its a fort, not a café. The repair work is going on. It could be much better after the completion of repair work. The ferry to this part of land is an unique experience.

A serene location. Totally refreshing.

Nice fort

Renovation work is in progress, not much to explore on fort but view from fort is refreshing.Good to visit if near harihareshwar.

The Fort with the history of treaties . The fort is almost never being in war . It was just passed from one ruler to another through treaties . The much of the history is not known , yet some say it exists from 13 century in old transcripts . The bankot fort was a strategic watching tower kind of fort . As it open to sea and at the entrance of savitri river which goes upto mahad. The bankot fort is also known as Victoria fort as it was under British rule until independence .

Awesome ! Thumbs up for upkeep and maintenance !

The nearest town is Harihareshwar which is 201 km from Mumbai and 194 km from Pune by road. The base village of the fort is Bankot which is 47 km from Dapoli and 21 km from Shrivardhan. To reach from Harihareshwar one has to avail the Bagmandala to Bankot base village ferry service to cross the Savitri river.There are good hotels at Dapoli and Shrivardhan. Now tea and snacks are also available in small hotels along the coastal road. The trekking path starts from the hillock west of the Bankot village. Now there is very safe and wide road up to the fort. It takes about half an hour to reach the entrance gate of the fort.Bankot Fort / Himmatgad Fort/ Fort Victoria बाणकोट चा किल्ला / हिम्मतगड is a fort located 47 km from Dapoli, in Ratnagiri district, of Maharashtra. This fort is an important fort in Ratnagiri district. The Fort is located on a prominent and commanding point for guarding the trade route along the Savitri River, which runs till, Mahad which was a busy route in medieval times. It is a fort located on a hill near the sea.First record evidence about this fort is found in the records of GreekTraveller Ptolemy in first century AD. It was then called as Mandargiri or Mandgor or Nanaguna. The Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang is supposed to have embarked in Bankot in 640 AD. This fort was captured by the Portuguese from Mohammed Adil Shah of Bijapur in 1548. It was won by maratha Koli Admiral Kanhoji Angre in 1700 and named as Himmatgad. Due to rivalry between Tulaji Angre and Peshwas. Peshwas allied with British and waged a war with Tulaji. In 1755 this fort surrendered to Commodore James of British fleet after the fall of Suvarnadurg.British forces captured the fort and named it as Fort Victoria. Later it was revealed by the British that it was not an economically viable deal to maintain the fort and it was handed over to Peshwas. In 1837 the Mamlatdars office was moved from Bankot to Mandangad.

Small fort near Velas village(also known as Turtle Villeage). It will took max 1 hour to visit fort and surrounding area.Currently some renovation work is under going. we visited fort in April 2019.

HISTORICAL PLACE TO VISITE

Fort is nothing but a watch tower. Nothing to see much. We camped there and It was okay.

Very beautiful location of the fort, offering 270 degree view of the sea.

Visti once if you are in Velas or near by

Horribly roads... train driver required....but sea view from the top... completely amazing...👌👌

Very nice

Beautiful 🥰 Killa

Not so good its okay

A tiny fort near velas. Since its small you can finish your tour in 5-10 mins. You might spend more time taking in the view of the sea which is awesome.You can take your vehicle right up to the gate of the fort. The road to the fort is narrow, winding and uphill which can make it difficult for larger vehicles like buses to navigate.Parking is ample,You can include this fort in your itinerary along with velas beach and turtle eggs hatching season.

If you are visiting Shriwardhan/ Harihareshwar and arent going to Bankot, then you are making a wrong decision. Please get this destination included in your itinerary.Firstly, to get there, drive from Harihareshwar to Bagmandala village, thereafter you ride a ferry to get over to the other bank. Surprisingly the other side ( Velse village)belongs to Ratnagiri district. From there you drive towards the fort. Warning: - After a certain point the drive can be stressful for lesser experienced drivers, I being one. So we parked our car at a point and started walking towards the fort. But was that walk worth it!!! Once you reach the fort, you will see the most breathtaking view of the confluence of Savitri river and Arabian sea. If you are present on the fort to witness the sunset, then 24 carat gold.Hidden Gems -1. In the fort, try to find a hidden route as an emergency exit.2. Note the logo and manufacturing year of the canon that welcomes you at the entrance.3. Try to find a Roman tower and a small pyramid and figure out the need for the construction that does not belong there. ( Hint : there is a plaque that gives the details).4. Scenic drive from the fort bottom towards Velhe village ( where in December there is a turtle festival). That drive along the sea coast on your right beats any in the world.5. Imagine yourself to be a naval officer from Maratha days and see how far away in the sea you can spot the enemy ships. Then you can appreciate the strategic advantage of this fort.Enough said, if you are reading this review, what are you waiting for, go ahead and plan your visit to this breathtaking place.

This fort is located on small hill beside Sea shore. Having good fortification, bastions, gates and many ruins. Fort is located on entry point of Savitri River Creek.

Amazing place. Must visit when you are in viscinity. The drive to this spot is full of bumps but the view from the fort is mesmerizing. There are some great photos I have but dont want to ruin the surprise for everyone! :)

The place was made in one day This is the speciality of this place but it was not so worthful

Nice placeFor amazing views

Beautiful place ... Amazing scenery..

Very worst condition

Very small abandoned fort. Which is why its perfect to find peace with beautiful seashore view.

Very nice location

Very nice place

It doesnt even qualify to be a fort. It ended even before it started. Just a waste of time.

LOcation is nice

Nice place 👌👌

Nicd place

Enjoy

Great vantage point to watch beautiful sunset from. The local government surely needs to maintain the ruins for a place with such a significant historical relevance. Sheer ignorance will only result in utter destruction of this beautiful fort in the future.

Nothing much to see but provides a great view to Velas beach

Bankot fort is small but yeah its very good for camping at night. Fire camping and music, dance, games with group can make your day. Also horror stories at fire camping can also made your day. Go with big groups. U will enjoy it.

Its monitoring fort.. small, now renovation is going on with full of speed. Hope in future it will be the best tourist destination...

Holy place to visit with family

Was under construction. Small and nice fort. Panoramic view was excellent. If you got luck with clear climatic conditions.

Its a nice, small fort overlooking the ocean. Roads to reach are small and decent. No food or water facility at the fort. Fort can be explored in 30mins max. Currently in Nov18, restoration work is going on at the fort.

A very small fort with breathtaking view of the sea. Nothing much to see except a cannon at the entrance of the fort. However, it is under renovation at the moment. Maybe, in future, it could become a beautiful site to visit.

Though some maintenance work is going on the fort is open for visitors. Awesome view of the West coast of Maharashtra.

5 stars for the panoramic view of the sea. Best place to view the sunset.

What a place to visit not much crowded... Small fort welcomed by Portuguese cannon... Had a great time hear... And the view from this place is jaw dropping... One time visit is a must...

Nice fort. Wonderful view of velas sea. But in the name of restoration they have destroyed its natural beauty.