Trailing Gokarna's Shores: Beach Trek Adventures

Insights of the Tourist Spot

This amazing place which is Gokarna is a small temple town found in the district of Uttara Kannada in the Southern state of Karnataka. It has a population of 20,000 and people around the place visit the Mahabaleshwara temple Lord Shiva is the most worshiped deity in the main temple so people can come here and receive blissful blessings and it holds a significant key of the temple that is the earliest Shiva lingam (Atmalinga). In the Hindu culture, Gokarna is one of the seven critical centers of the pilgrimage. 

Many tourists visit this place and it is no longer considered as only a center of pilgrimage as many worshippers and prayers offer their devotion. If anyone wants to have the best beach experience, it is none other than Gokarna and it is widely famous for beach trekking. The term Gokarna is stated as ‘cow’s ear’ and many people believe that according to Hindu mythology, Shiva emerged from the cow’s ear in this place. 

You will notice there are ear-shaped rivers of two kinds like Gangavali and Aghanashini and these stunning rivers offer an excellent view while anyone is going for a trek. A deep dive into the age of Bhagavata Purana of 200 years into this Kali Yuga where a Brahmin called Atmaveda was abstained by the Karma present in his past lives to have any children in any of his incarnations. In the Bhagavata Purana, it is stated that Gokarna houses two brothers called Gokarna and Dhundhakari.

Location

The authentic Gokarna is 283 km north of Mangalore, 483 km from the main city of Bengaluru, and almost 59 km from the Karwar district. The place is located between the Gangavali and Aghanashini rivers in the coastal region of Karwar by the popular sea called Arabian Sea. Tourists can access the cabs and public buses from Kumta, Ankola, Karwar, and Bhatkal traveling across the path of National Highway-66 (NH-66). There are my KSRTC buses along the route from various cities like Panaji, Bengaluru, and Mangalore. People can also have other travel options like the Railway station in Konkan on the route from Mumbai to Mangalore or even Goa to Mangalore which is 10 km away from Gokarna town. You can also access the nearest airports like Hubli Airport and make your journey from Goa International Airport Mangalore International Airport is the nearest airport around the town of Gokarna. 

Journey in the Gokarna Beach Trek

This beautiful trek location surrounded by beaches is located on the western coast of Karnataka and is a truly remarkable beach paradise that has a total of four major beaches for you to comfortably and peacefully explore the serene view of beaches. Embark on the lovely beach places of Gokarna such as Om Beach, Half Beach, Belekan Beach, and Paradise Beach and people can experience the calm breeze felt around the environment of the beaches. While reaching the location you definitely would be making your preparation for exciting and thrilling trekking activity with your fellow trekkers in this beautiful paradise. 

Difficulty of the Trek

Gokarna Beach Trek is a beginner-friendly experience rated as an easy level to complete and trekkers are required to have some form of basic fitness if you are active every week then this trek will be a free cup of tea for you to complete. Trekking enthusiasts won’t experience any difficulties on this trail as long as they follow the precautions and guidelines given by the leader or the trek guide. The hot environment surrounding the beaches could take a heat toll on you so it is recommended to carry sunscreen and stay regularly hydrated at all times. The most important part of the trek would be the hiking, as you will be crossing hills and crossing to the next beach of the same and also you will be climbing, crossing some rocky areas, and little boulders along the way to give you all the adventuring experience and the thrills on this challenging trail, well of course on the beginner level.

Where does the journey begin?

There are two choices that you can choose from-

First choice:

The trekking journey in Gokarna will start at the main beach of Gokarna or Belekan beach and there are no paths to trail in the beaches of Gokarna main beach or Kudle Beach. Trekkers may need to take the usual road to arrive at Kudle Beach and that’s the reason why Gokarna main beach is not included in the trek path later on, you can proceed trailing towards Paradise Beach. The benefit that you receive when choosing this choice is you can have an awesome time during the morning at Kudle and Om beaches making it the perfect place to swim. An additional feature is after completing half of the trek through Om Beach you are trailing in the lovely forest environment and in these moments you will feel relieved when the sun shines brightly.  Trekkers who want to use the ferry are only available around 5:30-6:00 PM and if you are making your stay in a different location you need to note the time and there are a limited number of ferries to drop you off in Kudle beach. Most ferries will drop you off in Om Beach if you are late and you would have to hike back to Kudle Beach during the dark time which is not usually safe. 

Second choice:

In this segment, you can choose the starting point of the trek from Belekan Beach or Paradise Beach. If you sign up for a group tour from Bengaluru or any other city, your starting point of the trek will be Belekan Beach. There is not much sand or a stretched coastal line at the Belekan beach, and the tour operator will take the decision to indulge you in a different road from the other side. Furthermore, if you are doing this trek by yourself and it is very feasible, you can take a ferry ride to Paradise Beach and make your starting point of the trek from there. There is no pressure or tension experienced to choose a ferry by the end of the day. Making your journey before the time will lead you to have a chilling time at all the beaches and you can have your delicious lunch at this place. In the morning around 10 AM, you will witness the cute Dolphins along the journey towards Paradise Beach as there are not so many ferry rides in the vicinity.

A small disadvantage of this choice is that the ferry rides from Kudle to Paradise Beach is considerably fewer and you will have to trek from Kudle Beach to Om Beach if there is no ferry ride available.

Short Summary

Prepare yourself for the stunning views offered on the shores of five beaches with your fellow trekkers or your group. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to get blessed from this place which has a significance of Hindu mythology and get the knowledge of the Hindu lore while making your journey along the challenging trails to meet your adventure needs. Experience your peaceful stay around the beach to observe the mesmerizing view of the sunrise and sunset which will surely give you a good amount of serotonin to feel the happiness and the joy. The place is a perfect spot for nature lovers surrounded by dense forests, some climbing activity, and boulders to pass from so the trail will not be just trekking but some little challenges to complete for the thrills. This famous tourist destination is reviewed by the locals and the travelers so this also makes this place a commendable spot for anyone looking to have awesome memories in their lifetime.