Introduction
Alibaug Beach is also known as Beach No 103 in Alibaug is a stretch of beach, about 10 kilometres long running parallel to the Arabian Sea. It is one of the longest beaches in India. The beach is surrounded by lush green paddy fields and palm groves with coconut trees on either side. It has been used as a setting for many Hindi films.
Alibaug Beach is situated on the Maharashtra state highway, which connects Mumbai with Goa and Panaji. Alibaug Railway Station, the nearest railway station to Alibaug Beach is on the Mumbai-Goa line. The nearest airports are at Dabolim (Carnival Airlines and Jet Airways and JetLite), and at Panaji. Buses are available to travel to Goa from many places including Panaji, Margao, Pilerne, Dabolim etc. Taxi & local transport is also available for hire in Alibaug Beach.
Earlier the beach was called ‘Alibaug’ but after the name got lost in time, it was renamed ‘Beach No. 103’. The place was also mentioned in Ramnath Goenka’s novel Ram Lakshmana or Ishwar Babu Khandan or Ram Ram Bandhan by Ramlal Choksi. The place is named after a pilgrimage site of the deity Alibag (Albany).
Acitivities You Can Do
Alibaug Beach provides people with an ideal place to swim. And do water activities during summers or enjoy the cool breeze throughout the year. The road which runs along this coastline is named after famous actor Dilip Kumar. Who was born in this town called Alibaug town (Alibau).
The beach offers ideal arrangements for sunbathing, swimming, surfing, kite flying, boating etc. The town also owns a famous amusement park named “Malaprabha Lakshmi Park” which offers various rides to people.
From Alibaug Beach one can walk towards the next beach to the north called Mandwa Beach which is a 1.5 km or 10 minutes walk. The road that goes between both these beaches is also very calm. serene with coconut trees all along with it. Since this is a long stretch of beach, there are many shack restaurants on this side as well as resorts to stay in.
Alibaug beach
It is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west, the Southern Shores of Karli Lake on the east and the four-lane road (SH1) on the south. The farmlands of Goa’s coastline stretch to Mandwa beach to its north. This beach is known for its clear blue waters and long stretches of white sand, much like Mahabaleshwar in the Shivamogga district in Karnataka. When incoming waves crash against the steep cliffs at this end of the beach, they form lengthy wave crests that crash into each other like stone walls.
The beach receives all the North and South Western monsoon rains and misty winds from the Arabian Sea calm seas. The waves at Alibaug Beach usually range from 0.5 m to 2 m with a width of 30 m to 50 m. The average wind speed is 2 kmph, making the beach suitable for kite flying, water skiing and surfing. Along with this, you can enjoy camel rides and horse riding on the beach.
Popularities of the Beach
Alibaug Beach is known for its popularity amongst tourists and locals alike. Bollywood movies such as “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” were shot here in 2015 in a plot of land behind Alibaug’s Mandwa beach within a plot called ‘Gaja Valley’.
Alibaug Beach has become one of the major tourist attractions amongst people who love water sports. It is very well known for its calm and cool breeze throughout the year. Making it an inviting destination for tourists during summer.
Gaja Valley is located in Alibaug, Maharashtra, India. During the monsoon season, there are various animals like ostriches, peacocks and cows that take shelter here. The olive ridley turtles lay their eggs here in November–December and leave in February–March for deep-sea to grow into adults. This place is also used by many migratory birds like flamingos which can be seen during winters near this area.
Food and Stays
Alibaug Beach is known for its crowds during the long holiday seasons. The beach is dotted with several massive hotels, guest houses, resorts and restaurants. The beach has become a major tourist destination for both domestic tourism & foreign tourists due to its incredible geography. There are several resorts on either side of the road which give the tourists a great view of the ocean while staying at these places.
On the eastern side in front of Mandwa Beach, there are many shacks that sell fresh seafood like pomfret etc. On the northern side, people can eat chowpatia (starfish). There are also shacks where one can get both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.
One can easily find very good lodges and hotels which cater to tourists. There are tourist huts that provide both food and accommodation there at Alibaug Beach. However, it is near impossible to find any accommodation on the beach itself. There are various activities offered by people who stay there along with fishing boats for hire for people who wish to fish daily or go deep-sea fishing or water sports like water skis etc.
Transportation
The place is well connected to other major cities and tourist spots by road and rail. It is well connected by direct flights from Mumbai, Pune and Dabolim. The nearest railway station is Alibaug Railway Station and the nearest halt station is Mandwa Railway Station which comes under Konkan Railways. There are various bus stations that come under Maharashtra State Transport, MSRTC that allow people to commute through that means of transport to places like Mumbai, Pune etc. Taxi & local transport is also available for hire in Alibaug Beach such as Scooty, Tempo Traveller etc.
Buses are available from Mumbai, Pune, Panaji, Dabolim etc. There are also many local buses to travel within the village. Taxi & local transport is also available for hire in Alibaug Beach such as Scooty, Tempo Traveller etc.