Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar sits on a plateau at 1,353 metres in the Sahyadri range — the highest hill station in the Western Ghats south of Maharashtra. The British developed the town as a sanatorium in 1828 (Sir John Malcolm), and it has remained Mumbai-Pune's preferred summer escape ever since: it is roughly 250 km from Mumbai, 120 km from Pune, doable as a long weekend. The town's signature crop is strawberries — Mahabaleshwar produces around 85% of India's commercial strawberries, harvested December through April. Strawberry-with-cream, strawberry crush, and Mapro syrups are local fixtures. The five lookout points (Wilson, Arthur's Seat, Kate's Point, Lodwick, and Bombay Point) frame the surrounding ghats. Old Mahabaleshwar (Kshetra Mahabaleshwar), 6 km from the main town, holds the source of the Krishna river inside the ancient Mahabaleshwar Temple. Pratapgad Fort, 24 km away, is a must-visit for the Shivaji-Afzal Khan story.