Havelock is one of the few places that the administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory of India has permitted and encouraged development of tourism, with a focus on promoting eco-tourism.

Havelock Island avoided much of the devastation by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and its resulting tsunami and there were no documented casualties.

The island belongs to the Ritchie's Archipelago and is located between Havelock Island and Rose Island. It is a comparatively flat island, and much of the landmass was deemed suitable for paddy cultivation.

Despite its minuscule tourist infrastructure, an increasing number of tourists have chosen to stay at Neill Island instead of neighboring Havelock Island.

The city is located on the southern side of Aerial Bay, at 43 metres (141 feet) above sea level, 290 kilometres (180 miles) north of Port Blair. It is crossed by the Kalpong River, the only river of the Andaman islands. Saddle Peak, the highest point in the archipelago,lies about 10 km to the south.

The city also profits from tourism to nearby attractions in North Andaman, which include the Ross and Smith islands, the Saddle Peak National Park, the beaches at Ram Nagar, Kalipur and Lamiya bay, and mud volcanoes. Ram Nagar beach (15 kilometres (9.3 miles) away from Kalighat) is famous for sea turtle nesting from December to February.