Alibaug-Best weekend beach getaway around mumbai

Alibaug or Alibag is a small town in Raigad districts of Maharashtra (India) which is 120 kms away from Mumbai (India). Most of the people living in suburban parts of Mumbai and its neighboring cities has this habit of saying “Main Alibaug Se Nahin Aaya Hai” (Do you think I have come from alibag) which means “ Don’t try to fool me”. No body knows from where this phrase came from. That’s about the old adage, this small village is also very famous among travelers for its beautiful clean beaches and its coastal line. This place enjoys a pleasant climate throughout the year due to the vast number of trees. The weather is pleasant on most days due to high density of trees all around. Monsoon is very heavy and thus, ferries and catamarans are not operational from mid-June to late September. However, the downpour and greenery during monsoon and chilled climate during winter (Nov-Jan period) make Alibaug irresistible for globetrotters.

There are many options available with tourist to reach this beautiful place. They can get there by train (Pen is the nearest railway station) or by a jetty or ferry from Gateway of India (Mumbai) or by a cab or private car.

By Road - One can reach Alibag through Pen (124 km away), which is well connected with Mumbai and Pune. From Mumbai, one can reach Alibag by going straight on Mumbai-Goa highway till Wadkhal (or Vadkhal) and then taking right turn. The distance is approximately 130 kms from Mumbai Dadar and 96 Kms from Thane.

By Ferry/Jetty - The nearest jetty is Mandawa, from where catamaran/ferry services are available to Gateway of India, Mumbai. From Mandawa, one can take a bus to Alibagh. These services are not operational in the monsoons, due to heavy rains. It  can also be reached by a jetty /ferry from 'Bhaucha Dhakka'  (which is at dockyard road) in Mumbai to Revas port (23 km from Alibag).The journey takes 1 % hours. The frequency is almost every hour, both ways.

Alibag beach - Beautiful beach is surrounded by coconut trees which gives the tourist a fresh and lovely feeling. Alibag beach is totally clean and pollution free which also adds to the scenic its beauty. There are many resorts if tourist wants to stay there for more than a day. People who wants to feel at home can hire small bungalows or row houses which locals offers for a small daily rent of as low as Rs 300 (USD 6)

Colaba Fort/Kolaba Fort -: Situated in the sea at a distance of 1-2 km from the shores of Alibag, this magnificent fort was built in 1652 by Great Maratha Warrior Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to keep a vigil on the actions of his enemies of British, Portuguese and Siddhis of Janjira. Colaba fort, major water fort in Konkan,

Akshi Beach –Located at a distance of 5 kmsis the Akshi beach. It is a great throw back to a quiet and peaceful time and you automatically breathe easier and just leave your worries behind. This beach is well known for its white sand, clean waters and beautiful surrounding area. A number of birds inhabit the green surroundings near Akshi Beach and it is a bird-watcher’s delight.Calm waters and safeties of swimming make this beach an ideal picnic spot.

Nagaon Beach- Located 7 km away from Alibag’s centre, the beach is a perfect picnic spot for locals and tourists. It is one amongst the many beaches on the west-coast of Maharashtra in Alibag.

Kanakeshwar temple - Situated on a hill near Mapgaon village about 12 km away from Alibag, kanakeshwar temple is the oldest lord shiva temple which was built in 1764. A water tank - popular known as 'Pushkarni' - has water almost throughout the year.If you want to see the beauty of Arabian sea and fort of Khandevi as well as the entire hilly region, then Kanakeshwar is the place to visit .The hill one which this magnificent temple is located is almost 1200 feet high and one has to climb 5000 steps to reach the temple.