Unseen Bangladesh
Barguna District · Barishal Division · সোনাকাটা সৈকত ও টেংরাগিরি ইকোপার্ক
Sonakata Beach and Tengragiri Eco Park travel guide
A deserted beach and a forest of keora and golpata palms; visible from Kuakata.
At a glance
- Forest
- Tengragiri (Fatrar Ban), about 13,644 acres
- Protection
- Reserved forest in 1967; wildlife sanctuary in 2010
- Location
- Taltali upazila
- Best time
- November–March
History and details
Tengragiri or Fatrar Ban is known as the country's second largest natural mangrove forest after the Sundarbans. It was declared a reserved forest in 1967 and a wildlife sanctuary in 2010. It has keora, gewa, sundari and golpata trees, and monkeys, wild boar, deer and many birds.
Inside the forest, Sonakata Eco Park has a crocodile breeding centre, a deer enclosure, a watch tower and wooden trails. Right next to the forest is the roughly 10 km long Sonakata Beach, far quieter than Kuakata.
It is easy to reach from Kuakata by trawler across the Andharmanik River, or by road since the Padma Bridge opened.
Things to do
- Walk the eco park trails into the forest
- See the forest and the sea from the watch tower
- Watch the sunset on deserted Sonakata Beach
How to get to Sonakata Beach and Tengragiri Eco Park
In Taltali upazila; by trawler or by road from Kuakata.
Barguna is about 250 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 6–7 hours.
- 🚌 By bus: Buses to Barguna via the Padma Bridge (Sakura, Dola), fare ৳600–900.
- 🚢 By launch: Launch from Sadarghat to Barguna.
Where to stay
The district town has basic and mid-range hotels (roughly ৳800–2,500). Government circuit houses and dak bungalows can be used with permission.
What to eat
Sea fish, dried fish
Good to know
- Easiest as a day trip from Kuakata
- Don't go deep into the forest alone
More to see nearby
- Shuvo Sandhya Beach (15 km)
- Kuakata (across the river)
- Taltali's Rakhine village
More places to visit in Barguna district
- Shuvo Sandhya Beach — A quiet beach fringed with casuarina trees at the mouth of the Payra River.