Karwar is a seaside city on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. To the east are the Western Ghats. Karwar is situated on the banks of the Kali river (Kali nadi) which flows west to the Arabian sea from its headwaters at Bidi village in the Western Ghats. The Kali river has a length of about 153 km and is the main source of irrigation in the region. Karwar is south of the Karnataka - Goa border, north-west of Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, and north of Karnataka's chief port city Mangalore.