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Alibaug from Mumbai (2026): Ferries, Beaches, Forts and Konkani Food

Travel Essentials · Discover Mumbai Team · 1 October 2026 · 4 min read

Alibaug from Mumbai (2026): Ferries, Beaches, Forts and Konkani Food

Alibaug is Mumbai’s weekend coast. It sits across the harbour on the Konkan shore, about an hour by boat from the Gateway of India, and it trades the city’s noise for casuarina-lined beaches, coconut groves, old sea forts and Konkani seafood. The town is the headquarters of Raigad district; the beaches and villages around it are where Mumbai goes to unwind, and where many of its wealthier families keep second homes.

You can do Alibaug as a long day trip, but it is better as one or two nights. This guide covers how to get there, the beaches and forts, the trips further south, and when to go.

The short version

  • Getting there: a catamaran from the Gateway of India to Mandwa jetty, about an hour, then the included bus into Alibaug town. Or the Ro-Ro ferry from Ferry Wharf with your car, or the road over the Atal Setu.
  • Time needed: a long day, better a night or two
  • Best time: October to March. The Gateway ferries stop for the monsoon, from 26 May to 31 August in 2026.
  • Good to know: Alibaug is spread out. Hire an auto for the day, rent a scooter, or bring a car on the Ro-Ro.

Getting there

  • Catamaran from the Gateway. PNP, Maldar and Ajanta run boats from the Gateway of India to Mandwa jetty, taking about an hour, from early morning. The fare includes a bus from Mandwa to Alibaug town, about half an hour more. Life jackets are compulsory on boats from the Gateway; wear one. Buy tickets at the counters, not from touts.
  • Ro-Ro from Ferry Wharf. The M2M Ro-Ro ferry leaves Ferry Wharf (Bhaucha Dhakka) at Mazgaon for Mandwa and carries cars, motorbikes and foot passengers. It is the way to go if you want your own transport on the other side; book ahead at weekends.
  • By road. The Atal Setu sea bridge to Navi Mumbai has made the drive much quicker: roughly two hours from South Mumbai, depending on traffic.
  • In the monsoon. The Gateway boats stop from late May to the end of August, and can be cancelled in rough weather either side of that. Check before you set out.

The beaches

Alibaug’s beaches are long, flat and backed by trees. They are for walking, sitting and sunsets more than swimming: currents can be strong, so only go in where others are and where lifeguards are posted, and stay out in rough weather.

  • Alibaug beach, in town, for the view of Kolaba Fort.
  • Varsoli, just north of town and quieter.
  • Kihim, north towards Mandwa, a long beach with casuarina groves and homestays.
  • Nagaon, south of town, the busiest, with water sports and food stalls.
  • Awas and Mandwa, near the jetty, for a quick walk before the boat back.

Forts and temples

  • Kolaba Fort. The sea fort standing 1 to 2 km off Alibaug beach was a Maratha naval base and is now a protected monument. At low tide you can walk across the sand to it; at high tide the sea surrounds it. Check the tide times before you set off, and come back well before the water returns.
  • Kanakeshwar. A Shiva temple on a hill near Mapgaon, about 12 km from Alibaug, reached by a climb of around 650 steps. Go early in the morning for the cool and the views over the coast.
  • Korlai Fort. South of Alibaug near Revdanda, the Portuguese built this fort on a headland facing Chaul. The village below still speaks Korlai Portuguese Creole, a Luso-Indian language found nowhere else.

Further south: Kashid and Murud-Janjira

If you have a car and a second day, follow the coast road south.

  • Kashid, about 135 km from Mumbai by road, is a white-sand beach in a curve between two rocky hills, with water sports at busy times.
  • Murud-Janjira is the island fortress of the Siddis, built in the 16th century and never taken despite attempts by the Marathas, the Mughals and the Portuguese. Sailboats from Rajapuri jetty take about 20 minutes each way. The crossing stops in the monsoon, from late May to late August.

Food

Alibaug is the place to eat Konkani seafood: fish thalis with surmai, pomfret or prawns, rice bhakri and sol kadhi, the pink kokum and coconut drink that follows a spicy meal. Vegetarians do well with Maharashtrian thalis.

Look out for Alibag white onions, sweet, mild onions grown around Pezari village, which were awarded a Geographical Indication tag in November 2022. In season they are sold in strings along the roads.

Practical notes

  • Weekends are busy. Ferries, the Ro-Ro and the roads are crowded on Saturdays and Sundays and at holidays. Go midweek if you can.
  • Getting around. Autos can be hired by the hour or the day; agree the price first. Scooter and car rentals are available in town.
  • Last boats. Check the time of the last catamaran back to the Gateway before you head off for the day, and leave time for the bus to Mandwa.
  • Cash. Carry cash for autos, small restaurants and stalls.

Alibaug is one of seven trips in our day trips from Mumbai guide.

Sources

Header photo: Kolaba Fort from Alibaug beach by Chirag Upadhyay, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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