Fast facts State: Maharashtra
Distance: 113 km S of Mumbai
When to go: September-April
Tourist Office: MTDC Main Reservation Office, CDO Hutments, opp LIC Building, Madame Cama Road, Mumbai
Tel: 022-22044040, 22845678
website: maharashtratourism.gov.in
STD code: 02141
Getting there
Road route from Mumbai: NH17 to Vadkhal Naka via Karnala and Pen. Where NH17 curves left towards Goa, take the straight road over Dharamtar Creek to Alibaug via Poynad and Khandale.
Sea: Frequent boats and launches for Mandwa Jetty leave from the Gateway of India (50 mins-1 hr) between 6.00am and 6.30pm. These services are discontinued in the monsoon
At Alibaug Beach, you will invariably see scores of people wading through the incessant waves, as the sandy shore and its cluster of buildings slowly recede to the background. Most people have their clothes hitched up, a meaningless exercise; really, because below the waist everybody gets soaking wet. Throngs of people walk precariously in knee-deep water, occasionally getting splashed by high, foamy waves, leaving everyone coughing and spluttering. This is an amazing experience: actually crossing the sea by walking across it! This sea crossing is not unusual at this beach. Walking on the water is a daily pilgrimage – the walk, or the wade rather, being undertaken to the Kolaba Fort. Tourists wait for the low tide all day long, while the locals knowingly look at the sea and can predict when the time for the crossing will come. For those who are unable to make it on foot there are a few horse-driven buggies.
Both the Kolaba Fort and Alibaug town owe their existence to the Marathas. Kanhoji Angre, an important admiral in Shivaji’s army, built Alibaug town and its port. Kolaba Fort itself was built by Shivaji to mainly counter the prowess of the Siddis of Murud-Janjira, in addition to the Portuguese, Dutch and English forces.
Today the popularity of Alibaug lies in its beachside charms, that too just a hop away from Mumbai. The well heeled from the metropolis zeroed in on the beaches and green pastures here to build their farmhouses a couple of decades ago, and weekenders, attracted by the vast swaths of sand, soon followed suit.
Things to see and do
Alibaug offers many beaches in and around the town. Most beaches are safe and clean enough to enjoy gamboling in the water. Alibaug Beach is the most popular of the lot and has tons of visitors. Mornings are ideal for quiet walks and birdwatching. Only those who plan to be in the water throughout should visit the beaches in the afternoons as the sand gets unbearably hot to walk on and there is not much shade to escape the sun. Watersports such as jet-skiing, parasailing and banana boat rides are available at Nagaon, Mandwa and Kihim. Evenings mean crowds at the beaches: everyone flocks here to join the fun.
Alibaug Beach
At high tide you might think there is no beach in Alibaug. The water rushes against the concrete embankment that separates the sea and the many nariyal pani, bhel puri and kulfi kiosks. As the water begins to recede, the embankment reveals its stairs looking out to the ocean and the spread of black sand beneath. In the evening, buggies offer rides from one end of the beach to the other, and vendors move across the embankment to sell their goods.
Kolaba Fort
The Kolaba Fort is located just across the Alibaug Beach on a rock jutting out into the sea. It dominates the landscape of the beach and the imagination of its visitors. For most, the fort is the main reason to visit the Alibaug Beach, and rightly so. A couple of hours before low tide, the water become shallow enough for people to wade through or take horse rides to the fort.
Shivaji began the fort’s construction in the 1680s. The edifice is 900 ft long, 350 ft wide and has 25-foot walls with 17 bastions. It has many shrines, the most important being the 18th-century temple Ganesh Panchayatan. Next to it is a sweet water well.
Akshi and Nagaon
Akshi Beach is located south of Alibaug, on the road to Revdanda, 3 km from the town. A road through green coconut and betel nut plantations leads to Akshi and the beach itself is lined with casuarina trees. Nagaon is further south on the same road, 7 km from Alibaug. Keep a lookout for the Shivaji statue and turn right from there to reach the long and clean beach. Lately, watersports including parasailing, jet-skiing and banana boating have really taken off here.
Versoli and Kihim
Versoli is situated on the outskirts of Alibaug, about 2 km to the north of Alibaug Beach. It is a lovely walk through green lanes to the beach, from where you can see the Kolaba Fort and two smaller forts, Khanderi and Underi. These forts were built in the late 17th century. Visitors are not permitted inside.
Kihim is situated 11 km from Alibaug to the north; to get here turn left at Chondhi on the Alibaug-Rewas Road. The beach is a stony long stretch with white sand. The village, dotted with beautiful farmhouses and thick vegetation, wakes up in the evening to host picnicking crowds, who come to enjoy the waters.
Awas and Sasavne
Awas and Sasavne beaches are further north, 18 and 20 km respectively, from Alibaug. They are both huge, their waters full of fishing boats whose flags flutter in the breeze. Along the shore are the bungalows of Mumbai’s elite, who go to the beaches for their evening constitutional.
Where to stay
Radisson Blu Resort & Spa (Tel: 02141-302400, 227777; Tariff: INR 15,000-60,000; www.radissonblu.com) is a sprawling property on the banks of Veshwi Lake. Hotel Sea View (Cell: 09850552003; Tariff: INR 1,500-2,800) is on the beach with a superb view of the Kolaba Fort. Guruji Holiday Resort (Tel: 222266/ 85; Tariff: INR 1,200-2,000) a little away from the beach is clean and comfortable. Hotel Meera Madhav (Tel: 225279-81; Tariff: INR 1,100-2,200), is a tidy place in the centre of Alibaug town. The Sanman Beach Resort (Tel: 228118; Cell: 09373919292; Tariff: INR 3,000-3,500; www.sanmanbeachresort.com) is located on Versoli Beach, with good food and nice views.
Hotel Big Splash (Tel: 226800-03; Tariff: INR 2,700-3,800; www.hotelbigsplashalibaug.com), is in Alibaug village, on the road to Thal. Sai-Inn Holiday Resort (Tel: 232801-02; Tariff: INR 3,500-7,000; www.sai-inn.com) is located in Chodhi village on Alibaug-Rewas Road. The resort is spacious and nicely designed with a swimming pool. Countryside The Farm (Tel: 237123, Cell: 09373357212; Tariff: INR 4,000-5,500; www.countrysidefarm.in), on Mhatre Road in Saswane village, is just 2 km from the Mandwa Jetty. It offers both cottages and tents and homemade coastal delicacies. Outpost@Alibaug (Tel: 232865; Tariff: INR 4,500-7,000;outpostatalibaug.com), a boutique resort, is in Mapgaon, about 5 km from Kihim Beach.
Where to eat
In the evening, the beach at Alibaug is full of food stalls selling pani puri, bhel puri and the like, as well as Chinese and South Indian fare. Restaurants at Guruji, Meera Madhav and Big Splash dish out the usual Mughlai and Chinese food. For more local flavours, including Konkani fish preparations, crab and thalis, try the smaller places such as Hotel Sanman. Bohemyan Garden Cafe on Alibaug-Mandwa Road has great ambience and superb coastal cuisine and fusion food. Kiki’s Café and Deli serves great pizzas. Radisson’s Aparanta Restaurant is a fine dining establishment that serves Mediterranean, Continental, Oriental and Indian cuisine.
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