5 of the Best Beaches in Alibaug- near Mumbai

Sharing my experience from may 2022 : Photos, Tips and Insiders for Beaches at Nagaon, Kashid, Revdanda, Awas and Akshi

Revdanda Coast Panorama

Dear folks, I am blogging after a long long time. For those of you looking forward to plan the next vacations- I got tips for you!! An ideal time to visit the west coast of India (Konkan region of Maharashtra) would be between November and March. But we got lucky, as a storm at the east coast brought us slightly misty skies and cold winds, enabling a pleasant beach-hop experience at 32 degrees mid-may 2022.

The city of Alibaug is a very famous weekend destination for Mumbai folks: a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Mumbai airport. As far as the city of Alibaug is concerned, I have already covered travel and tips in detail in 2020, when I wrote two extensive travel diaries featuring innumerable photos on Alibaug and its closest neighboring beaches and attractions - Kihim, Varsoli and Kolaba Fort.

Now unknowingly, me and my parents doubled our luck when I landed in Mumbai on a weekday morning. Naively opting for a beach-hop for the weekdays turned out to be a blessing. Near secluded beaches awaited us. My dad hired a driver he knows and a vehicle. That is the best way to travel in this region according to me.

These beaches are for walking along the waves and jumping into them, sitting in the sand and letting the warm, bulky, salty waves wash over you, building sand castles, gorgeous sunsets, horse-cart rides and some water-sports, as well as enjoying all the goodies and fresh fish that the stalls under the coconut trees have to offer. Most of them offer different types of water sport and rides in horse carts.

For those of you who are new to this terrain, please note: these beaches on the west coast are not for swimming. Everyone will advice you not go in too deep, as the current is extremely strong and the coast has steep falls on the seabed, which has resulted in innumerable drownings. Also this is the region of two high and low tides per day. Best would be to simply google the high tide timings for Alibaug before planning your day.

An overview of our itinerary for the first two days

DAY1

Nagaon Beach

Nagaon is a quiet beach that buzzes over the weekend. Morning walks were a little tough for me and my folks with a variety of stray dogs choosing to accompany us in packs of five at every 50 to 100 meters. Otherwise it would be a lucrative walk amidst a seeming desert-like landscape. The beach of Nagaon has a long stretch over many kilometers: just like every other beach mentioned below.

Nagaon Beach in the afternoon at Low Tide

Nagaon Beach Entrance

Evenings would fill up with roaring bikes, water scooters, horse carts and people jumping into the waves or just talking a meditative walk dipping the feet in the coastal (but a tad little muddy for my taste) waters.

This beach has a fish-restaurant/ beach resort lining it every couple of hundred meters. Consider it as your own private, rural, seaside vacation. Coupled with feeling at home in a delightful resort, it turned out to be a very relaxed stay in the countryside.

Our stay in Nagaon, is to be covered in a separate blogpost. I believe this additional post on our hotel, the food and cultural insights helps maintain a better overview. As this post is chiefly dedicated to the beauty of the beaches and what to expect there. I will be posting the same very soon. Please sure not to be hungry before reading it ;)

Nagaon Beach in the eve

On a weekday

DAY2

Stop-Over on the way to Kashid Beach

This was one endearing stop-over with flair. On the route from Nagaon to Kashid (in the later 1/3rd of the journey), situated on a cliff are tiny little tea stalls that also sell maggi (indian instant noodles), coconut water, biscuits and chips- in short, every inexpensive food item that screams 'vacation' ;) Almost each of them offers a Hammock, as well as plastic tables and chairs that look over an expansive rocky seashore. Quite a treat to just let in the moment accompanied by a soft breeze on a warm, dusty noon.

Kashid Beach

If big waves, clear waters, white sands are your thing, this is the beach for you. Squatting on the wet sand or even rolling in it, whilst awaiting the thrill of a wave crashing into or swelling over oneself, is a beloved activity of regional folks.

This beach is also very well equipped with clothes stalls, changing rooms and many a other amenities that are absent on the beaches south of the city of Alibaug.

Oh, my mom and me had a blast jumping over waves. If I was roaming with college buddies, we would have surely halted at the coast for hot bhajiyas (pakoras) and tea after getting soaked in the waters. When it comes to parents, they want to first change clothes and then go to a proper restaurant for lunch ;) In the end, it turned out to so be a good option. But you will have to drive to the cities or big towns for that. In the villages or at the coast, some people offer home made food in their own courtyard.

Kadhid Beach with its big waves

The many huts lining the coast selling local food and beverages

Siddhi Vinayak Temple Nandgaon

Is about a 15 minutes drive south from Kashid beach.

Over the last years, my little cousin sister's fascination over Ganesha idols has taught me to admire their cuteness. This one (photography within temple was not allowed) was the cutest I have seen so far I must say :) My parents have both grown increasingly religious over the last years. They make sure to purchase a plate of hibiscus flowers and coconut at the entrance as an offering to the Ganesha, which was later handed over to the priest.

Premises and Surroundings of Siddhivinayank temple at Nandgaon

Korlai Fortress

Is a Portuguese speaking village between Kashid and Nagaon. I read quite a few blogposts that boast of majestic views over the coastline and harbor from the fort. I really wanted to visit it. But the road was too narrow for our car. We were also late for lunch. So we ended up skipping this place.

Revdanda Fort and Revdanda Beach

One of the most scenic and memorable beaches I have ever visited. Do choose a time at low tide to visit.

The way to this beach is through the ruins of the Revdanda fort- down the rocky slope and onto wet sand from the previous high tide. A dense coconut plantation lines up the dark lengthy fortress. On one side is a rustic ship where the Kundalika river meets the sea. On the other hand, a seemingly never-ending stretch of sand lining the coast. The water from the high tide lodges itself around certain rocks or between stretches of sand, making for unusually pretty romantic picture settings. No wonder a huge board banning pre-wedding shoots on the beach welcomes the tourists :)

So many crab holes and designs along this coast :)

Rameshwar Temple at Chaul

Located just next to Revdanda, on our way back to Nagaon is this beautiful, ancient Shiva Mandir (Temple).

An overview of our itinerary for Day 3 & 4

The Beaches of Alibaug, Kihim and Varsoli were visited in 2020 and are covered extensively under a seperate blogpost.

DAY3

Awas Beach

The beauty of this beach is mesmerizing. To me, it felt like a shore made of glass.

We arrived as the high tide was almost ending. So I have no idea how big the waves are here. The water though came in alternative muddy and clear water waves. This beach also has well kept toilets, washbasins and also extra taps for washing feet, a children's play area and benches placed facing the sea.

Do not ask google to take you to the beach, as it will drop you off at a non-accessible point via a scary- narrow road. Ask the villagers of Awas for directions instead. We loved Awas Beach very much!! The village itself seemed to have very well to do inhabitants with their huge plantations and huge homes.

Akshi Beach

In the late afternoon google maps took us to a point, which was probably far away from the usual beach. I was made aware of it, unfortunately after our trip ended. I complained to my cousin brother about how dirty the beach at Akshi was. He said it does not sound like Akshi. Well, from our experience, near the harbour it does. As one has to look out at every step, to ensure you are not stepping into smelly yucky stuff, plastic garbage or actual human shit. So, if you choose to go to Akshi beach, maybe best would be to ask the villagers about how to get there.

This recent beach hop of ours, reminds me of a road trip of mine along the east coast of Sardinia (Italian Island), that I enjoyed with a dear friend of mine. We were often confused about planning the best itinerary with each beach claiming to be the most beautiful on the island. In the end all of them were beautiful and they were all very different from one another.

I do hope my little virtual tour gave you folks enough insights and inspiration to plan your trip to the beaches of Alibaug and maybe even opt for a beach hop.

Do look forward to my next post, which will outline many an indulgences and regional delicacies you can savor during your journey along the west coast of Maharashtra. At the end of which I will also share our beautiful journey over blue green waters of the Arabic sea- back to Mumbai, via a very large Ferry boat.

Lastly, I would like to also mention my blog has recently been listed this year under the 15 top websites and blogs on Germany in 2022 by Feedspot. Thank you dear readers and site members for your support and encouragement. Do share this post directly or share the feed of my facebook page, if it speaks to you.