Located at the western suburbs of Mumbai, Juhu beach is the most visited beach of India. Owing to its bordering with the posh locality, it is not only popular among the general people of Mumbai as well as the stars of Bollywood. Many of the silver-screen as well as big screen stars could be seen jogging along the beach in the mornings and evenings. The beach also houses some really extravagant and sprawling bungalows and houses.

Juhu beach is not only famous for its marvelous and gripping scenic beauty, but also for its local delicacies. Every day, many tourists and locals gather at the food stalls and vendors at the beach to enjoy typical local snacks like “Pav-bhaji” and “Bhel-puri”.

Juhu beach provides a soothing and calming atmosphere and so, many people visit to have some respite from the relentless and fast-moving life of this era. Even a few minutes spent at the beach can relax you from a hard day. For its exceptional beauty, many of the shooting of famous Bollywood movies is done here. For all you know, you may end up witnessing a live shooting of an upcoming movie at your visit to the beach yourself.

History

Originally in 19th century, Juhu beach was nothing but a sandy island at the western end of Salsette. In the shape of a long and narrow strip, it was raised above sea by a matter of a few meters.

The dwellers of the beach or island in retrospect at that time were Goans and East Indians in majority. The northern end was turned into Juhu village while the southern end was occupied by the Agris, Bhandaris and Kulbis who belonged to salt trading, toppy tapering and cultivating domain respectively. In 1853, the Church of St. Joseph was established by the Portuguese.

Slowly and gradually, the beauty and charms of the beaches of Juhu started attracting visitors of all sorts from various regions of Mumbai and other surrounding cities.

With the advent of aviation by 20th century, the Bombay Flying Club started operations in 1929 at what eventually became the present Juhu Aerodrome.

Home to Celebrities

As mentioned, Juhu accommodates some of the biggest Indian personalities in the entertainment sphere. A detailed list will include the names like Rani Mukherjee, Vivek Oberoi, Anil Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Hema Malini and many others.

Things to Do

Try out Local Delicacies

Visiting Juhu beach and coming back home without trying out the street food is like watching a movie with closed eyes. The food vendors at the beach offer all kinds of lip-smacking Mumbain snacks including “pani-puri”, “pav bhaji” and “batata-bada”.

Visit Gandhi Gram

If you have kids with you then you can visit the Gandhi Gram which is located at the northern side of the beach. Here many kids come to play sports like soccer, cricket and basketball.

Enjoy Camel and Horse Rides

Yes, apart from mouth-watering snacks and breath-taking vistas, the Juhu beach also offers you exciting horse and camel rides at meager sums. Plus, if you are lucky you can also enjoy the performance of the dancing donkeys.

Fine Italian Food

If you love Italian cuisine then Juhu beach has to offer some of the finest Italian restaurants where you can have your favorite Italian dishes at affordable prices.

Visit Religious Places

Juhu has many temples and other religious places which are worth a visit. These include Grand Mosque Juhu, Mahalaxmi Temple, Chandra Prabhu Jain Temple, etc.

Best Time to Visit

The time between October and February serves the best to visit the Juhu Beach. And, it is advisable not to visit it during the time of monsoon as during this period, the tides are likely to be higher, thereby projecting a risk for life.

How to Reach

By Road

Juhu beach is well connected to roads and thus, you can easily reach it by a car or a public transport like bus or taxi. You can even board an auto. Even the nearest bus stand - Dadar bus stand- is just 15 km away from the beach.

By Rail

The nearest railway station to Juhu beach is the Ville Parle station and you can reach the beach on foot in 15-20. Else, you can board an auto.

By Air

Fortunately, both the domestic and international airports are located closely to the Juhu Beach. From there you can easily hire a cab or board a bus.