My visit to Alibaug

I took the morning ferry from Gateway of India, Mumbai to Alibaug. These are government-approved ferry rides that leave every half hour. Memories came rushing back as I sat on the upper deck of the boat and as the boat reversed leaving the beautiful monument behind.

A few minutes into the ride, I saw Seagulls flying around the boat as tourists started feeding them with potato chips! It was so bizarre as parents with kids bought Kurkure packets simply to feed the gulls and make a video of it! A seagulls diet is fish and feeding it with chips was utter idiotism.

As furious as I was looking at this, I had to control myself because people wouldn’t listen to me and call me crazy instead. I saw tourists in other ferry boats doing the same. This was a major ‘Facepalm moment’. The same thing I had experienced while on the boat ride to Beyt Dwarka Camping. 

I quietly sat down enjoying the view of the sea, the waves crashing on the side of the boat as the littered plastic happily floated in the morning sun’s glory.

In about 40 minutes, I could notice the land on the other side, which meant I was inching closer to Alibaug. And soon enough I did. I deboarded on the Mandwa jetty and took a rather long walk to reach the main area. From the Mandwa jetty, the town of Alibaug is another 40-50 minutes so one can choose to take a bus from the jetty bus stand or hire a private car for the day’s trip. Since I had my cousin’s car in the town, I took a bus to reach the town.

After the family greetings and a quick breakfast at home, I was ready to explore places to visit in Alibaug.

If you are up for breakfast first thing after reaching Alibaug, Kiki’s Cafe & Deli at Mandwa Jetty is an amazing place overlooking Mandwa Beach.

They have lovely breakfast options overlooking the bay and eating here will be an amazing way to start the day. The cafe itself is super cute with bicycles suspended from the ceiling, quirky illustrations all over the wall, and vibrant colours all around.

Places to visit in Alibaug 

Alibaug is a typical beach town but has a lot of other places to visit in Alibaug. There are adventure activities, staycation options in the villas, beach visits as well as biodiversity parks to visit.

Alibaug Beach – Kolaba Fort

I certainly wanted to check out the highlight of Alibaug – Kolaba Fort. As a kid, I was fascinated to walk across the ocean in low tide to reach a fort. What also fascinated me was the fact that this fort has sweet water well!

I parked the car outside and walked over the parapet wall to see the low tide in action. 

Being the closest to town, the Alibaug beach always is full of life with horse buggies, coconut water vendors and shops selling street snacks. A sitting area gives a good chance to simply relax and enjoy the beach view.

Alibaug water sports is also what brings a lot of tourists. Water sports such as banana boat ride, jet ski and sea kayaking are some of the most popular adventure activities of Alibaug Beach during one day trip to Alibaug.

Surrounded by the Arabian Sea waters from all sides lies a fortress which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Alibaug. Although this 300 years fort now lies in shambles, it was a sight a behold during the reign of Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra wherein the fort was used as the chief naval station. It is a nationally-protected area under the ASI.

I happily walked to the fort, although taking a horse buggy is also possible! I noticed some local vendors just outside the fort wall selling a local variety of fruits – chana bor, kairi, kakdi, chinch (my mouth is watering as I type this) and others. I got my entry ticket of INR 5 and went in.

Even though the fort is cut off for half the day, there is a community that has been living in the fort for generations and goes about doing their daily work. They have to shift back to the coast during the monsoons, but they spend the rest of the months in their home praying in the fort temple. Their source of water is that one sweet water well and a tank which gets filled with rainwater.

I walked around the fort, checking out the ocean views from each side, paying my respects at the temple and being in awe of the last remnants of the fort like the cannons!

Varsoli Beach 

The next stop for my day was Varsoli Beach, a 4 km ride from the town. Varsoli beach makes me feel like I am on one of those Konkan beaches. The pristinely beautiful Varsoli beach is one of the clean beaches in Alibaug and that is one of the best Alibaug visiting places. While an evening stroll around the sunset will give you Goa feels, it is equally mesmerizing in the morning. 

I love Varsoli beach for the beautiful forests that lead up to the beach. This place always kind of made me reminisce about old Bollywood movies where the actors danced around such trees to melodious tunes. It’s perfect to overlook the waves while sipping water from fresh coconut. The seafood, as well as veg food, served in shacks is delicious.

Native Biodiversity Garden

This recently opened Biodiversity garden is absolutely worth adding to your one day trip to Alibaug. This 1.25-acre park, in the compound of a government guest house, is owned by the Zila Parishad, sponsored by Shapoorji Pallonji and developed by Mumbai NGO the Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE).

The garden boasts of 55,000 plants of 525 indigenous species, especially from the Western Ghats. The entire garden is sustainable as it is manicured to look like a typical garden and is run on solar power. The light fixtures have been fabricated from waste material.

The garden is further divided into several sections like sensory, medicinal, butterfly, wetland, etc. to attract birds, butterflies and insects. At the entrance, you can spot the ginormous 8-foot tall hand-carved Deepmaal that signifies the local custom of welcoming guests with lights.

Dashrat Patel Museum

If you love arts and crafts then Dashrat Patel museum is an offbeat place to visit in Alibaug. The museum houses paintings, ceramic pottery, photography and design-related work by Dashrath Patel, the founding secretary of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad.

By the time this museum visit is over, it will probably be time to head back to Mandwa jetty for the ride back to Mumbai. Before doing that I would recommend you to catch up on high tea at one of the many amazing Cafes in Alibaug.

Where to Eat in Alibaug

Going back to Alibaug town from Dashrat Patel Museum would be a long journey. So instead just head to the exit destination and choose from the many beautifully decorated cafes at Mandwa Jetty. 

If you are in for picturesque sea views, I will highly recommend spending time at Boardwalk By Flamboyante. This waterfront restaurant is right between the bridge that takes you to the boats and the parking lots, so saves tons of time in commuting and there’s never a fear of not catching the ferry back. There is an outdoor seating area as well as an indoor area if it gets too hot outside.

With wide arrays of dishes, the menu has something for everyone. Their thin-crust pizzas, fries, burgers and coffee are amazing.

How to Reach Alibaug from Mumbai?

In order to cover one day trip to Alibaug there is an efficient transportation system.

Alibaug’s distance from Mumbai is about 100 km. The quickest transport to get to Alibaug from Mumbai is by boat from the Gateway of India. It is a 40 minutes ride by ferry and approximately 20 minutes in a speed boat. One can also hire private yachts for groups that take over an hour to reach the Mandwa Jetty. Alibaug Ferry time starts as early as 6 am and the last one from either side is around 6 pm. Tickets are available on the spot.

Note: Alibaug weather is bad during the monsoon and hence ferries are closed during the entire duration of the monsoon (Mid June to the end of September).

Recently, Mumbai to Alibaug Ro-Ro car ferry service has started which will work even in monsoon and reduce the road travel time.

From the jetty, it takes additional 30-40 minutes by bus, taxi or auto-rickshaw to get into town. The buses don’t function past 6 pm and the taxis and autos charge a super expensive fare. 

One can reach Alibaug from Mumbai by road which takes up to three and a half hours. Government-run buses ply on this route every day.

Best time to visit Alibaug

The best time to visit Alibaug in order to enjoy the beaches and the weather is during the months of winter – November to March. If you want to enjoy the monsoon curled up in your blanket, then monsoon is perfect to get away on a weekend. 

Where To Stay in Alibaug

While this post focuses on one day trip to Alibaug, a weekend is the best way to chill here.

There is no dearth of options for staying in Alibaug. From renting private villas to bungalows with orchards, from resorts to homestays, there are many options for accommodation in Alibaug.

Resorts in Alibaug: Alibaug U Tropicana, Radisson Blu

Alibaug beach villa: Saffron Stays Crimson Lagoon, Mango Beach House

Farmhouse: Outpost, Sidz Cottage

Guesthouse: Aie Maoli Guest House, Gandhar Ecostay

Beach camping: Paradise Beach Camping, Revdanda Beach Camping

Places to visit near Alibaug

Murud Janjira Fort

Located on an Island off of the coastal village of Murud, the Murud Janjira Fort is a majestic fortification. It is about 55 km from the Alibaug region in Maharashtra. If you are travelling on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra then this fort is a must-visit that you shouldn’t miss.

Other Beaches in Alibaug

If you have more days, then Nagaon Beach, Akshi Beach and Kihim Beach are something to look forward to. Nagaon Beach has water sports activities quite different from Alibaug beach.

Sustainable tips for Things to do in Alibaug

• Do not dispose of food or plastic bags, wrappers, or packets in the ocean while on the ferry ride or on the beach.
• So not feed anything to the seagulls! ANYTHING!
• Do not write on fort walls.

Read more posts from Maharashtra

• Trimbakeshwar Temple, Nashik
• Nashik Tourist Places
• Lohagad Trek
• Tadoba National Park
• Junnar Tourism

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