Western Ghats

The Western Ghats near Lonavla

The Western Ghats are a range of mountains along the western coast of India, traversing the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Western Ghats are one of the "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity in the world and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Maharashtrian section of the Western Ghats is called Sahyadri, while the Tamil Nadu section is called the Nilgiris. The Nilgiris act as the connector of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

Destinations

The Nilgiris at Ooty

See also: Hill stations in India

Gujarat

• 1 Saputara — the only hill station of Gujarat

Maharashtra

• 2 Aamby Valley City — a planned city on the Western Ghats, surrounding the Korigad fort

• 3 Kamshet

• 4 Khopoli —

• 5 Lonavla (Lonavala) — one of the go-to hill stations for the residents of Mumbai, famous for its chikki (peanut brittle)

• 6 Mahabaleshwar —

• 7 Matheran — a hill station where motor vehicles are banned; reachable by the narrow-gauge railway from Neral

• 8 Mulshi — a major dam site near Pune

• 9 Panchgani —

Goa

• 10 Sanguem —

Karnataka

• 11 Chikmagalur (Chikkamagaluru) — it bucks the trend of other hill stations by having a large number of coffee plantations instead of tea, aso home to many picturesque waterfalls and wildlife

• 12 Kodagu (Coorg) — known for its hospitality and beautiful scenery

• 13 Sagara —

• 14 Sirsi —

• 15 Sringeri —

Kerala

• 16 Munnar —

• 17 Nelliampathy — Forests, farms, cliffs, waterfalls, orange farms, its loved by adventurists, naturists and honeymooners.

• 18 Palakkad — the rice granary of Kerala, famous for its agricultural fields and industries

• 19 Top Station —

Tamil Nadu

• 20 Aruvankadu

• 21 Coonoor —

• 22 Devala —

• 23 Kodaikanal —

• 24 Ooty (Udhagamandalam) — the most popular hill station on the Nilgiris; reachable by the narrow-gauge railway from Mettupaalayam

Understand

Jog Falls, Sagara

The Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas. They influence Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the southwest during late summer. The range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau and separates the plateau from the narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea.

The range starts near the Tapi River and runs about 1,600 km (990 mi) along the western coast before ending at Swamithope near the southern tip of mainland India.

The Western Ghats are India's bio-diversity hot spot and a nice, chilly place in the otherwise hot and tropical southern part of India. Astonishing wildlife, beautiful tea and coffee plantations, unspoiled forests and a green, hilly landscape will make sure that your trip to this mountain range will become one of your favorites. The mild climate will ease your body and leave you non sweating but this region is much more than just relaxing. Trekking is a must for every sporty tourist and maybe you will find some hidden waterfall which invites you to take a refreshing shower.

Get in

Most destinations on the Western Ghats can be reached by road, train or plane. On the western side, the Western Ghats can be reached from Surat, Mumbai, Panaji, Karwar, Udupi, Mangalore, Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. On the eastern side, the Western Ghats can be reached from Nashik, Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad, Shimoga, Mysore and Coimbatore.

Get around

The Western Ghats have two narrow-gauge heritage railways, the Matheran Hill Railway (MHR) and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR). The Konkan Railway also provides a picturesque route through the Western Ghats.

See and do

The Western Ghats are known for their picturesque mountains and forests. Trekking is one of the most popular adventure sports for nature enthusiasts to discover the natural beauty of the Western Ghats. The treks range from very simple to absolutely tough. Some reserved forests arrange treks into the forest and also provide camping inside the forest.

Stay safe

Beware of the landslides caused by torrential rains.