Alibaug is a coastal town (and a picturesque destination) surrounded by the Arabian Sea. It is a beachside town just south of Mumbai, India, known for its ravishing beaches and ancient forts such as a 17th-century fort with carvings of tigers and elephants and temples dedicated to Hindu gods and the Portuguese-built Korlai Fort with a lighthouse and which dates back to the 1500’s.
Alibaug is only 100 kilometres from Mumbai and is reachable by land and sea.
Enjoy the cool breeze and ponder on the beauty of nature during the 45-minute journey from the Gateway of India to Madwa jetty in Alibaug.
Or hop onto one of the many speedboats waiting for willing passengers and make it there in half the time.
As you depart, you are in for a treat with the breathtaking view of the coastline and the architectural majesty of The Taj Hotel and The Gateway of India.
The Mumbai weather is scorching hot all year around but the cool breeze flowing over the waters of the Arabian Sea and the beautiful seagulls who give a friendly escort to passengers, almost all the way Alibaug, will make you want the journey to not end too quickly.
It never gets old seeing the almost never-ending waters of the Arabian sea touching the vast blue skies.
From the Mandwa jetty, Alibaug is another 30-45 minutes inland. Public transportation is available but a private car and driver make the trip much faster and easier.
The Kolaba Fort, situated in the Arabian Sea, approximately 2 km from the shores of Alibaug. To get there, you can rent a horse-carriage to take you across the sea or you can walk on the floor of the Arabian Sea. Just be aware of when the tide comes in or you’ll be stuck in the middle of the ocean with waist-high waters swirling around you.
[You can see people walking across the sea floor in the video below].
Whether you visit Varsoli beach or Akshi, all the beaches in Alibaug are pristine clean. They’re also nowhere as crowded as the beaches in Phuket, Thailand or even in Chowpatty, a public beach along the shore in Mumbai .
The sunsets are Instagrammable and so is the entire beach scene – families, couples, and groups of friends frolicking in the water and spending quality time together.
Take a camel ride, soak in the sunshine, splash in the waves, or take a walk in the warm sand.
Alibaug is perfect for a weekend getaway or even for a single afternoon, to escape the city for a bit and get some much needed sea-and-sand therapy!
Fun fact: Alibaug got its name from an Israelite named Ali who owned mango and coconut plantations in Alibaug. Local people referred to his place as “Alichi Bagh”, meaning “Ali’s Garden”, or simply “Alibag”, and the name stuck.
