Mahad was the central market for people of Poladpur, the Raigad villages and the hill station Mahabaleshwar. It has a very huge market in the part. The city is surrounded by the Sahyadri mountain ranges and the Savitri, Kal and Gandhari rivers originating through Mahabaleswar, hills in Mulshi and Raigad fort respectively. Mahad was a very flourishing port in the past.