Araku Pinery: New experiences at the community-led eco-tourism retreat

The potter’s wheel hums softly beneath the pines. Nearby, birds trade their morning calls as tall trees sway to a breeze carrying a trace of mist. At the wheel, a lump of clay slowly takes shape. Fingers press, steady and sure, as the soft clay turns into a cup, a pot or a small keepsake: a new experience at Araku Pinery.

Pottery is a the latest addition at Araku Pinery at Araku. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Pottery is the latest addition to this pine-lined retreat in the Araku Valley. The activity, started recently, gives visitors a chance to sit down, work with clay and take home something they have made themselves.

The timing could not have been better. The tourist season is gathering pace, and the Pinery has been steadily adding experiences to its forest setting. There are camping tents, wooden decks, a tree deck, seasonal gardens and a strawberry patch. Soon, there will be ATV rides and more accommodation options.

The changes are part of a larger experiment in community-led eco-tourism, for which the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department is working with the Van Sanrakshan Samiti of Shanti Nagar village to give an old pine plantation a new purpose.

The additions come at a time when the 27-acre pine plantation is drawing substantially more visitors. Araku Pinery recorded 1.79 lakh visitors during 2025-26. The visitor count marked an 80% rise over the previous year, according to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department. Revenue during the financial year stood at ₹1.06 crore.

“In the past six months, we have already crossed 65,000 visitors. This October, we are expecting 5,000 visitors per day,” says M Sekhar, manager, Eco Tourism Initiative, Araku Pinery. 

A view of pine trees wrapped in mist at Araku Pinery at Araku. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The numbers are significant for a location whose revival is closely tied to the local community. Araku Pinery is being managed with the participation of the VSS of Shanti Nagar village. The project records 56 households in the village, with 15 VSS members directly employed at Araku Pinery, a 26-member Dhimsa cultural team and eight members engaged through local shops. In all, 49 families are directly benefited through the activities around the destination.