Chorwad Palace (Nawab of Junagadh Summer Palace)

Standing on a low rise above the Arabian Sea at Chorwad, a quiet fishing and coconut-belt town roughly 25 kilometres west of Veraval, the Chorwad Palace was built in the early twentieth century as the seaside summer retreat of the Nawabs of Junagadh.

• The rulers of the erstwhile princely state chose this breezy stretch of the Saurashtra coast to escape the inland heat of Junagadh, and the result is a rambling, part Indo-Saracenic, part European-influenced mansion looking out over palm groves, formal gardens and the open sea.
• Domed pavilions, arched verandahs and terraced lawns descend gently toward the shoreline, and the salt wind, the sound of surf and the rustle of the surrounding coconut plantations give the place a still, faded-grandeur atmosphere quite unlike the busy pilgrim streets of nearby Somnath.
• The palace is best understood as a piece of secular princely-era heritage rather than a living monument.
• After the integration of Junagadh into the Indian union in 1947–48, the property passed into public hands, and for many years Gujarat Tourism operated it as a heritage beach resort.
• Its fortunes have risen and fallen with the tides of tourism, and visitors today often find a weathered, atmospheric building whose condition varies over time; it is wise to check current access and opening arrangements locally before travelling, as portions may be closed or under restoration.
• Even so, the setting remains genuinely lovely, and the adjacent Chorwad beach is a calm, uncrowded alternative to the more visited shores of the region.
• Most travellers fold Chorwad into a wider Somnath circuit, pairing an hour or two here with the Jyotirlinga temple, the Prabhas tirths and the drive on toward Junagadh, Girnar or the Gir forest.
• Come for the sea light, the garden walks and a glimpse of Kathiawar's princely past rather than for polished museum displays.
• For food, Chorwad itself is a small town, so most travellers eat back toward Veraval and Somnath, where pure-vegetarian Gujarati and Kathiyawadi thali houses cluster along the pilgrim belt near the temple.
• Look for unlimited veg thalis heaped with rotli, shaak, dal-bhat, kadhi, farsan and jaggery-sweet touches, alongside simple pure-veg bhojanalayas and snack counters serving fafda, dhokla, khaman and masala chai.
• In Chorwad, keep to clearly pure-veg eateries and fresh tender coconut water from roadside vendors, and carry water and snacks, as choices in the immediate palace area are limited.