Amboli is a hill station in south Maharashtra, India. Situated at an altitude of 690 m (2,260 ft) it is the last hill station before the coastal highlands of Goa. Amboli lies in the Sahayadri hills of western India, one of the world’s “Eco hot-spots” and it abounds in unusual flora and fauna. However, as in the other parts of the Sahaydri hills, denudation of the forest cover and unregulated government-assisted development are gradually ruining a once-pristine environment.

The city of Amboli was used as a staging post during the British rule for the purpose of supplying garrisons to central and southern India. It was during this time that Amboli was declared to be a hill station in the 1880s. The locals of Sawantwadi had discovered the marvel of this small place even before the Britishers. However, with the monsoons making it the wettest region in Maharashtra, better sense prevailed and the British turned to Matheran as their favourite summer retreat spot. As a result Amboli was an inconspicuous dot on the map of Maharashtra for a long time.

Historically, Amboli village came into being as one of the staging posts along the road from Vengurla port to the city of Belgaum, which was extensively used by the British to supply their garrisons in south and central India. Amboli is a haven for waterfalls. The Shirgaonkar Falls, the Mahadev Falls and the Nagatta Falls are some of the numerous waterfalls that can be found here. The Nagatta Falls provides for an excellent location for picnics and relaxing.

The source of the Hiranyakeshi river lies in the hills around Amboli village, and an ancient Shiva temple (called Hiranyakeshwar) sits at the cave where the water emerges. It is rumoured that the temple was built by the embodiment of Shiva himself. Interestingly the Hiranya Keshi temple got its name from Goddess Parvati who was referred to by the same name. The main attraction for tourists is the incredibly-high rainfall (7 m average, per year) and the numerous waterfalls and mist during the monsoons. Legend has it that there are 108 Shiva temples in and around Amboli, of which only a dozen have been uncovered.

Being a hill station, Amboli has many viewpoints, like the Sea View Point, the Kavelsad Point, the Parikshit Point and the Mahadevgad Point. All these points offer panoramic views of the confluence of the Arabian Sea and the Konkan coast.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amboli,_Sindhudurg

https://www.nativeplanet.com/amboli/#overview

http://www.konkankatta.in/2014/09/amboli-hill-station.html