Madh Island

Madh Island is an island complex with a Portuguese fort between the Arabian Sea and Malad Creek, around 30 kilometers from central Mumbai. The island consists of several fishing villages, farmland, beaches, and flat coastal stretches that widen during low tide.

The Portuguese built the fort in the 17th century to guard the mouth of Marve Creek. Maratha troops captured the stronghold in February 1739, ending Portuguese control over this stretch of coast.

The name comes from Portuguese and the older villages still show narrow lanes where fishermen mend their nets and women dry rice in the sun. Catholic chapels stand next to Hindu shrines and small markets sell the morning catch.

Buses from Malad, autorickshaws, or a five-minute ferry from Versova bring visitors to the island. The ferry costs 5 rupees per person and runs regularly across the narrow waterway during the day.

Several film studios sit on the island and Bollywood productions often shoot at the beaches and in the villages. Many actors arrive by boat at the small jetty to film scenes with the sea in the background.