Things To Do In Alibagh

Alibagh is a favorite tourist spot for people who love nature and the wild seas. The seaside town offers a perfect vacation with a lot of adventures on the waters, pristine beaches for a peaceful evening, and treks up ruined seaside forts like the Murud – Janjira or Alibagh forts.

There are beachside shacks offering delicious seafood and beachside resorts that can put you up for as long as you want to wake up and go to sleep with the sounds of the rolling seas close by. Grab your camera and march off on a bird watching stint or visit the Kanakeshwar forests to watch the wild animals or the little temple up the hill.

We will give you a list of the choicest things that you can do while on a trip to Alibagh.

Alibagh’s tourism has some of the most exciting adventures on the seas that would keep you on your feet. Feel the salty spray on your face as you go parasailing at Nagaon beach, quad biking in Mandwa beach, jet skiing or sea kayaking in Alibagh beach. The seas of Alibagh and Murud – Janjira offer great scuba diving experiences, under skilled instructors.

Go on a banana boat ride, dolphin spotting or a gentle ride on a boat at Alibagh beach. It’s a lovely feel to sail past the tall looming fort at Alibagh beach. It’s one of the greatest photographic experiences ever!

When the weather’s fine, one of the most ideal things to do in Alibagh is going off on a trek. Apart from the beaches, there are a number of hills close by with ancient forts atop that are great trekking trails. The Sagargad Fort near Alibagh is such a beautiful place to trek to. Said to have existed since the rule of the Satavahana Dynasty, the fort travelled through the reign of the Marathas and the British who had used the pinnacle as a retreat.

A trek to Sagargad throws in an additional treat, with a river flowing by that cascades down from the top to form a waterfall. Keep your camera handy, for the Sagargad trek is one of the most picturesque locations near Alibagh.

Most people head off to Alibagh for spending some quality time at the numerous beaches of Alibagh. The Kashid Beach, about 32 km from Alibagh, is one of the most beautiful beaches, tucked in between two hillocks and with a pristine clear waterway. It is one of the hot favorites for a weekend getaway. 

Another delightful place you might love to visit is the secluded Nagaon beach, near the hamlet of Nagaon. It is a far quieter place and is considered a charmer, with a string of casuarina and coconut palms lined up on the shore. Places like the Alibagh beach that’s closer to the town gets crowded on weekends, so you might always get a choice of secluded and quieter beaches far away to spend some quality time.

If you love the quiet serenity of the forests, broken only by the rush of falling waters, then the cascades a little away from Alibagh are just the right places to visit. The Gaarambhi Falls and Gaarambhi dam, about 10 km from Murud and about 58 km from Alibagh are beautiful monsoon waterfalls, that are must-visit. Madap Waterfalls at Kalapura, a graceful waterfall that cascades down from a height of 125 ft is yet another wild offbeat place you can visit on a weekend.

The Aadoshi range of waterfalls, about 65 km from Alibagh is yet another magical place that is worth a visit. The Vardhayini falls, named after Vardhayini, the village deity of Kerwadi, is one of the lesser known; so unexplored yet spectacular.

A thick and woody timberland near Alibagh, the Kanakeshwar forest is home to several species of wild animals, snakes and birds. The Kanakeshwar Sanctuary, the Pushkarni water tank and the Kanakeshwar temple for Shiva on the hillock are some of the highlights of the forested regions.

The woods are predominantly secluded and quiet; and apart from the pilgrims who venture up the hillock to the Shiva temple and the wildlife aficionados who trip to the Sanctuary, the place is rather quiet and still. Once up the hill, you can get a good vision of the forested regions that lie spread over the area surrounding the hill.

The Khanderi and the sister Undheri sea forts are popular tourist destinations near Alibagh. The fort that can be visited during low tide with a joy ride on a boat, is an ancient fort associated with the Sidis and the Peshwas of the reign of the Marathas as well as the English.

The Khanderi and Undheri islands where the forts lie were used as landmarks for the ships that entered the harbor at Mumbai. The place of multiple battles and sieges, the small fort, now partially in ruins is a fine example of ancient fortifications. A visit to the fort is a must for people who love history and a boat ride as well.

Chaul is an ancient city that was occupied by the Portuguese settlements. The Portuguese had built forts like the Santa Maria do Castello that had houses and a Church, as well as the Korlai fort on the Morro de Chaul. As the Portuguese power declined and the Marathas gained importance, the Portuguese departed from Chaul and the prosperous town was abandoned and left to fall into ruins.

The ruined town that is located near the mouth of the Kundalika River and close to the town of Revdanda, are interesting places to visit for people keen on history and ancient ruins. Chaul is about 17 km from Alibagh.

A Hebrew term for Defender of Brothers, the Magen Aboth Synagogue set in a quiet area near Alibagh is one of the Synagogues built for the Bene Israeli Jews of the Konkan region. Constructed in about 1910 and with later modifications, the Synagogue has a charming Romanesque revival style with arched ceilings, a raised tebah, highlighted cornices and decorative panels that were added on later days. There is a quaint little garden with coconut trees that adds to the charm of the region, that is otherwise a quiet place.

If you are planning to visit the Synagogue, do check on the timings in advance as the prayer house is not open through the day.

There are multiple ways you can spend a delightful day at the beaches. Build sand castles with the black sands at Alibagh beach or the white colored sands at Kashid beach. Enjoy a round of quad bike riding at Mandwa or Kihim beach, camel and horse rides at Alibagh beach. Relax in the hammocks at Kashid Beach and treat yourself to the bajjis, sev and bhel puris at the beach side shacks.

The beaches are an absolute photographer’s delight and with a multitude of beaches to choose from, pick up a quiet beach far from the crowds and spend a wonderful evening watching the colors of the sea as the sun goes down.

If you are avid bird fans, the beaches of Alibagh are just the right place for a bird watching stint, especially in winter months when droves of birds fly in to roost. Tours are arranged for bird watchers that take them on a boat ride across the seas off Akshi beach where they can watch pelagic water birds like gulls, terns and plovers from close quarters or go on night trails to capture owls and nightjars on camera.

A trek up Ramdharaneshwar hills near Alibagh or Korlai Fort gives a bird enthusiast great opportunities to spot Oriental Honey Buzzards, Shikras, Booted Eagles, Asian Paradise Flycatchers and Common Kestrels.