Gaganbawada is a pristine and beautiful hill station that has not yet been overrun by tourists. It is a display of nature’s splendour, with green valleys and beautiful waterfalls around. It is situated at 914 m above sea level. It is known to receive the highest rainfall in all of Maharashtra, hence it is nicknamed the Cherapunji of Maharashtra. Gaganbawada is a town situated in the district of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is located 55 km by road from Kankavali. It is one of the taluka headquarters in Kolhapur District.

Gaganbawada used to be called Bawada Mahal and comprise the current Gaganbawada tehsil of Kolhapur district and the current entire Vaibhavwadi taluka of Sindhudurg district. In 1981, Sindhudurg became the independent district. The entire Vaibhavwadi area which used to be a part of Gaganbawada Tehsil was at the foothills of Sahyadri and it was very tedious for people living at the foothills to come to Gaganbawaba for their daily needs. So the portion of Sahyadri foothills was separated from Gaganbawada tehsil of Kolhapur District and joined to the Sindhudurg District. At that time the villages called Vaibhavwadi, Karul, Bhuibawada, Umbarde, Tithavali, Achirne, etc. became a part of Sindhudurg district and Vaibhavwadi became the tehsil headquarters.

Main Attractions: Gagangad hill, Sri Chaitanyagiri Gagangiri Maharaj Math, Gagangad fort, Rameshwar temple

Activities to do: Trekking, Rock climbing, Yoga

Distance: 58 km from Kolhapur.

Best time to visit: Throughout the year.