Sawantwadi is one of the most popular taluka places of Sindhudurga District known for market for fish, coconut, betel nuts, Jackfruit; wooden articles. Mangoes, amsoles, and beautifully adorned with lush green forests and surrounded by hills from three sides. It has got numerous waterfalls. The  Arabian Sea lies to the west of Sawantwadi.

The popular wooden articles are exported to Germany and France. Gangifa, a game of 102 cards was first started in Sawantwadi. Deluxe Hotels with pure veg. and nonveg food facility is available in this city, recently Chinese food is also available in reasonable cost, but specialty lies only in Malvani food.

Today it has completed its 300 years of formation. The Sawantwadi Nagar Palika is the first Nagarpalika in Maharashtra to complete 100 years.

Initially, Charata was the capital of the Sawantwadi Sansthan. The cities of  Vengurla, Pedne, Kudal were governed under this Sansthan. Last Ruler King was Shivaji Raje Shivram Bhonsale who's Rajya Abhishek (coronation) was conducted in this city. He was known as 6th Khemsawant.  After the independence, Sawantwadi was governed as sansthan for 8 years i.e. up to 1956.

This city has got history of Electric, Water Supply and free education for girls since last 300 years. Mahatma Gandhi visited Amboli and stayed for 2 days. He called this Sansthan as Ramrajya.

Rani Parvati Devi College was first located in Sawantwadi, 300 years ago, and was then shifted to Belgaum. Its second branch is located in Sawantwadi. The Sansthan built two Rajwadas for King, one on Narendra Hill and the other in local city. For this, the workers dug out the soil and in this way the Moti Talav  was created. As workers got pearls in this work it was named as Moti Talav.

Sansthan's King gathered some workers and developed kalasutri, wood products, and chitrakathi. He appointed 3 guards named Upralkar, Helekar, Danelkar, to keep vigil on 3 sides of the Sansthan. They always guarded the boundaries of Sawantwadi by their skills and technique. The King gave some of the land to his court people and thereafter, the land was known by their surnames like Sabnis Wada, Khaskilwada.