Known for
- 1
The western gate of the Sundarbans.
From Munshiganj and Nildumur in Shyamnagar, boats cross into the forest: Kalagachhia's trail for a day, or longer trips as far as the empty beach at Mandarbaria.
- 2
Temples and Pratapaditya's land.
Shyamnagar was the seat of Raja Pratapaditya of Jessore; the Jeshoreshwari temple at Ishwaripur, one of the Shakti Peethas, stands among the remains of that time.
Best season
GoodFairNov–Feb
November to February: dry roads and calm rivers for the Sundarbans. The monsoon makes the rivers rough and boat trips uncertain; cyclones strike the coast in May and in October–November.
Getting there
Bus
Dhaka
To Satkhira town or straight to Shyamnagar
Bus
Khulna
About 2 h
Frequent buses from Sonadanga bus stand
Getting around
Munshiganj / Nildumur
Hire a boat with a forest permit
Buses run from Dhaka to Satkhira town and on to Shyamnagar and Munshiganj. From Khulna, buses reach Satkhira in about two hours. Boats into the forest are hired at Munshiganj and Nildumur.
Local food
Himsagar mangoMust try
In season May–June
Coastal crab
Mud crab from the Shyamnagar farms
Satkhira is known for its mangoes, especially Himsagar, in early summer; river fish, crab and prawns along the coast; and sweets like the sandesh of the district.
Places to see
Archaeological siteকুমার দীপ · CC BY-SA 4.0Jahajghata Naval Fort Site
The site in Shyamnagar where Raja Pratapaditya is said to have kept his war boats, remembered as a naval fort of his time.
Hindu templeEmmy Chakma · CC BY-SA 4.0Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple
An ancient Kali temple at Ishwaripur, Shyamnagar, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, where by legend the palms and soles of Sati fell.
Forest and mangroveMd.A.Masud · CC BY-SA 4.0Kalagachhia Eco-tourism Centre
A forest station in the western Sundarbans, a short boat ride from Munshiganj, with a raised walkway through the mangroves: the easiest day trip into the forest.
Mandarbaria Beach
A long, empty beach at the sea edge of the Sundarbans by the Haribhanga river, reached only by boat from Shyamnagar on a forest trip.
Munshiganj and Nildumur
The river villages of Shyamnagar where the road ends and the Sundarbans begins across the water: the starting point for every boat into the western forest.
Mosque and shrineMamun M Hossain · CC BY-SA 4.0Tetulia Jame Mosque
An old many-domed mosque at Tetulia in Tala upazila, one of the district's best-known historic buildings.
Sources 2
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