Gokarna: Town with Secret Beaches
Trivia: The local name of the town is Gokarn which is a combination of two words in Hindi Go (Cow) and Karn (Ear). The town looks like the ear of the cow nestled between the Gangavalli river, Arabian sea and the Aghnashini river.
There are some other stories as well. "A" for some reason got suffixed as it usually happens. Legend has it that the shiv ling in the Mahabaleshwar temple is the "Atam Ling" that the demon king Ravana got from God Shiv. The town also has some beautiful and some secret beaches. It attracts a lot of foreign tourists so much that you might find signage in foreign languages at some hotels.
Beaches: Gokarn beach, Kudle beach, Om beach and Half moon beach are the four most famous beaches from north to south east. Of these Half moon is only accessible either via a trail on foot or via the sea. The Gokarn beach is near the Mahabaleshwar temple and therefore the crowd here will be different. As you move towards half moon the crowd tends to get younger :).
Gokarn Beach:
This is the biggest beach in Gokarna town with a large parking space and a public bath and toilet nearby. The famed Mahabaleshwar temple is at a stone's throw from here.
If you are looking to booze and revel in party mood, this is not the beach you should be on. Head south west to Kudle or Om or Half moon.
Stay here to soak in the local culture and mix with the devotees who throng here to seek the blessings of the only Atma Ling in the world.
Kudle Beach: is quite large with a lot of stay options on the beach itself. It is between Gokarn beach and Om beach.
Since it is a bit far from the main town it is not as conservative as the Gokarn beach but also has more people than Om and other beaches.
A good option to stay
Stay Options:
Om Beach:
- Namaste Cafe: The property is on the Om beach and has it's own restaurant facing the beach. It is well connected with the Gokarna check post via auto's and tempo travelers. The hike trail from Kudle beach also end right next to this hotel cum restaurant.
Tip: Take a non-ac double room if on budget. The sleep quality was good. The staff was accommodating to give an early check-in. They accept card payments however the restaurant does not.
Have breakfast and dinner in their restaurant. Found the food to be decent. The prices are a tad higher because of the location. The restaurant gets really busy in the evening so come in on time.
Trail from Om Beach to Half Moon Beach
Trail from Om Beach to Kudle Beach:
Trail from Kudle Beach to Main Road for Gokarn Town
Mahabaleshwar Temple
