Alibag is a beautiful coastal town in Maharashtra. Alibag blessed with beautiful nature is a nice place to travel . The town has some of the best beaches in Maharashtra. Alibag is a weekend getaway for the people of Mumbai. A lot of people travel to Alibag to spend some quality time with their families and escape the noise of the city.
The meaning of Alibag is Ali's Garden. The city deprives its name from Bene Israelite Ali, a rich man who used to own several mangoes and coconut trees in his gardens. Local people used to describe the place as Gardens of Ali which later on became Alibag.
Apart from its natural beauty, Alibag has a rich historical importance. This town was important part of King Shivaji's empire. The great Indian ruler Shivaji developed the area and built several forts in the region. Today these forts have become a major tourist attraction of Alibag.
Alibag also serves as a health resort. The fresh air and abundance of greenery has ensured that the town remains pollution free.
WHEN TO TRAVEL
The temperature in Alibag remains nice throughout the year. However the best months to travel Alibag are August to March.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Kolaba Fort - The Kolaba Fort was built by the Shivaji the great in 1860. Kolaba is widely considered as the last fort to be built by Shivaji the great. The purpose of the fort was to fight Siddis and British forces. Kolaba Fort witnessed some very famous battles. It is located only 2km from the ocean.
Alibaug Beach - The main beach of Alibag is very popular among tourists. It remains crowded during the weekends.
Varsoli Beach - Varsoli white sandy beach with cleaner water. Very few people visits this beach which makes it ideal for romantic couples to spend some quite time.
Akshi Beach - Akshi is perhaps the most beautiful beach in Alibag. The white sand of the beach dazzles like silver. The beach is popular spot for movie shoots.
Kihim-Navgaon Beach - Locatead at the distance of 12km, Kihim-Navgaon Beach is picture perfect thanks to coconut trees. The beach is home to some rare bird species.
Kaneshwar Mandir - The temple is located some 17km from Alibag. Kaneshwar is a famous temple of Lord Shiva on a 900ft high hill.
Korlai Beach - Korali beach is famous for white and black sands. The main attraction there is Korlao fort built by the Portuguese in 1521. There's a church and Hindu temple inside the fort.
ALIBAG HOTELS
There are wide range of hotels in Alibag. Some of the hotels are Radisson Resort Alibag, Hotel Aarhaah Alibag, Sahyadri Hotel Alibag and Sai Inn Alibag.
HOW TO REACH
By Bus - MSRTC offers bus service to Alibag from Mumbai Central Bus Station. The MSRTC also offer buses from various cities in Maharashtra to Alibag.
By Car - You can also hire taxi or take your own car to Alibag from Mumbai. Alibag lies on the way to Mumbai, Goa route. Several tourists include a short visit to Alibag during their trip to Goa.
By Boat - The ferry service to Alibag is available from Gateway of India in Mumbai. It takes around 2 hours from ferry to reach Alibag. During bad weather conditions especially in monsoon, ferry service is suspended.
