Alibag
Alibag or Alibaug as it is now known is a place where nature, religion and history share harmony. The land of less invaded, plush beaches, dotted with lines of coconut trees, has a soothing effect on its visitors. One can roam around Alibag on the eight sitter auto rickshaw or private vehicles.
Situated about 115 kms from Mumbai, Alibag is a town on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. It is best known for its historic marine forts, fine beaches, coconut and betelnut plantations and clean water. It’s one of the most popular weekend destinations for the Mumbaikers.
Alibag was developed towards the end of the 17th century by Chhatrapati Shivaji’s naval chief Kanhoji Angre. Alibag used to be the headquarters of the great Maratha Admiral, Kanhoji Angre and has the famous Kolaba fort in the sea.
Alibag is surrounded by beautiful beaches such as Aakshi, Nagaon, Kihim and Kashid. Other places of interest are the Vikram Vinayaka temple, Revdanda, Vikram Ispat factory, and Kanakeshwar, temples of many gods and goddesses.
Places of Interest
Kolaba Fort
Kolaba Fort is an old military fortification in India. It is situated in the Arabian Sea at a distance of 1–2 km from the shores of Alibag. The fort which was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1652 to keep a check on the activities of the foreign invaders is now in ruins. The average height of the fort walls is 25 feet. It has two main entrances, one on the sea side and the other towards Alibag. An interesting feature of this fort is that it has freshwater wells in its premises even though it is a seaside fort. In the monsoons, the fort can be reached by wading through waist-deep water at low tide. However, at high tide, boats must be used to reach it.
Kihim beach
One of the most famous beaches of Alibag is the Kihim beach. The Kihim beach, 11 km from Alibaug, is a neat and clean isolated beach. Kihim is famous for its birds, woods brimming with wild flowers and rare species of butterflies. The sea shore is laced with lush coconut trees. The most tempting feature is it’s free from pollution with not much population around. Overall, a great place to unwind yourself.
Other places of interest:
Tower of St. Barbara
The weather is pleasant throughout the year due to high density of trees all around. However, the rains, greenery, tourist attractions, peace and a direct signal for your cell phones makes Alibag a very attractive monsoon getaway!
Know More about Alibag - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibag
Hotels at Alibag - http://www.mumbaiside.com/tourism/hotels.php?site_id=12
