 One of the pleasures of being in Mumbai is that you can take off for for a beach weekend at every whim. Alibaug is a popular getaway and that makes it very crowded especially on weekends. Kihim beach, which is just 9 Kms away from Alibaug, offers a better alternative as it is relatively quiet.
Reaching There:  You can drive down or take a ferry from Gateway of India to Mandwa and then hire a rickshaw to reach Kihim(Alibaug). If you are with kids, we would suggest the ferry as children will love it. Ferry ride provides ample opportunities to view the sea with all its vastness and splendor. If you are unlucky, the ferry can be over crowded and that might spoil the fun. If you plan to drive down, You have to reach Panvel and take the Goa road (NH 17). The drive from Mumbai should take around 2 – 2.5 hours. Follow this route map . If you are coming from Pune, please follow this route map.
At Kihim beach(Alibaug), there are plenty of things to do - Play cricket or beach volleyball or just laze around watching the sea and the spectacular sunset. Quite a few birds drop by at the beach. In fact, not many know that Dr. Salim Ali, the famous ornithologist used to call Kihim as his home.
Kihim is not a safe beach for swimming. There are big rocks and stones near the beach. Travel guides say that Kihim is famous for its white sands. That may not necessarily be true. While it not as black as Alibaug beach, the sands are not as white as Goan beaches. Locals insist that beach got degraded once unscrupulous businessmen transported the white sands to build buildings.  Apart from beach combing, there are quite a few attractions near Kihim. You can visit Kankeshwar Temple, which is on a hillock and you need to climb 700 steps. Colaba fort, constructed by Chatrapati Shivaji in 1680 is another key attraction. An interesting feature of this fort is that it has a freshwater well inside, even though it is a seaside fort. To reach Coloba fort one has to wade thru sea or hire a tong and is possible only at low tides.
Related: Harihareshwar
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