Alibaug is a serene, sleepy, confabulation of fishing hamlets with multiple beaches, now assuming the form of a prospering town. It is the ideal escape for work-weary Mumbaikars for the weekends. Besides the allure of the scenic beauty Alibaug now has another feather in its cap. A bollywood movie starring Sanjay Dutt is titled 'Alibaug', thus making this island a part of the big film industry.
 
Located on mainland coastal Alibaug comes across like a tropical island, lush trees and palm-fringed beaches. Alibaug is part of Raigad District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. It is 108 km from Mumbai, a journey of 3 hours by road. There are catamarans and speedboat services (25-30 minutes) from Gateway of India to Mandwa.

How to reach there:

By road: Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) runs buses from Mumbai to Alibaug, which will get you there in not more than 3 hours. Travel by a private vehicle is also a good option, which will allow you to stop at a number of beautiful spots, where Mother Nature has poured her blessings, while you enjoy the pleasure of driving out of all the traffic chaos and pollution of Mumbai. However, beware of stray animals jumping in front of your car.

By Train: The trains plying in Konkan railway is the best option to travel to Alibaug  by train, which will alight you at Pen, which is 28 kms from Alibaug. Getting to Alibaug from Pen will not be difficult, since there are a number of options such as bus, private taxis, and even auto rickshaws available at the station.

Where to Visit:

Alibaug has a number of clean beaches within a span of 10-60 km.

Kashid beach: The famous Kashid beach is located 40 kms from Alibaug. If you are traveling from Alibaug to Murud, the last U-turn in the Ghat section of the road that descends on the Kashid beach is simply mesmerizing.

The speciality of this beach is the beautiful silvery white sand, colours of stones, blue seas, green mountains. The beach is lined with small food stalls. There are a number of resorts around the beach, many of them sea facing, which will offer you the complete package of stay and food. This is by far the best beach in this part of the Konkan region and though absolutely deserted on weekdays, the town can attract its fair share of weekend holiday-makers. Driving down to Kashid itself is a rejuvenating experience.

Murud: Murud is located 60 km away from Alibaug and 18 Km from Kashid. Murud is popular for its appealing beach, murmuring casuarinas, coconut and betel palms and an ancient fort. This small village is on top of a hillock. The untouched and unspoiled Murud beach is located at the foot of the hills. The beach is surrounded by a number of garden resorts, which will offer you all the famous dishes cooked in typical village style.

The famous Janjira fort is located at just 4 Kms from Murud Beach. It is believed that the rulers of Ahmednagar constructed the fort in the 15th century. Despite the ravages of wind and tide, the fort is almost entirely intact. This 300-year old fort is famous for its fine architecture.

The great Maratha-warrior Shivaji started the construction of this sea fort in 1680 AD. The fort is 900 ft. long, 350 ft. wide and has 25 ft. high walls, which have 17 bastions (burj) on all sides. The fort has been standing for over 300 years. The fort can only be accessed during ebb tide through a narrow strip of land, which goes underwater during high tide.

Since its construction by the Ahmadnagar rulers under the supervision of their regent Malik Ambar in the 15th century, no enemy ever conquered the fort for over 300 years. Murud-Janjira is probably the only of its kind on the 720 km Maharashtra coastline.

Nearest airport is at Mumbai (165 km), while nearest railway station is at Roha. Regular ferry services are available from Ferry Wharf up to Rewas (23 km). One needs to take a bus via Alibaug and Chaul after Rewas. There are also regular catamarans from the Gateway of India in Mumbai going up to Mandwa.

Nagaon Beach: Nagaon beach is approximately 10 km away from Alibaug, and lies between Alibaug and Revdanda. The beach is lined with cypress trees and is clean and beautiful, and a favorite of the tourists. The specialty of the beach is the clean white sands, surrounded by lushy green trees. Horse ride through the beach is also an attraction of Nagaon beach. You can also visit the nearby 'Satad Bunder' a small fishing hamlet.

Kihim: Kihim beach is nearest beach from Alibaug,which is located at about 12 km from Alibaug. Kihim is a very beautiful place to stay; it has a long, excellent and clean seaside. Kihim is exclusive beach, laced with lush coconut trees. This also a favourite weekend holiday spot of Mumbaikars as it is quiet convenient for them to come to Kihim on a Saturday, stay there and go back on Sunday. MTDC has also a resort at Kihim with tents for staying on the beach. But the best option for food is the seaside huts, where villagers serve delicious home made food, cooked in a traditional way, and is very economical on the pocket.