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Property rates in Alibaug’s most coveted stretch of coastline now rival those in South Mumbai

Once a sleepy seaside retreat, Alibaug now glistens with star homes, sea-view villas, and the promise of coastal luxury — a tranquil haven within sight of Mumbai’s skyline that has become Bollywood’s preferred escape for actors, politicians, and business leaders alike.

Film star Kartik Aaryan’s recent land purchase has only added another name to a glittering guest list that already includes Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon and many others.

“You name them, and I’ll show you their mansion,” says Santosh Gavand, sarpanch of Sasavne village near Alibaug, barely 20 kilometres from Mumbai.

Alibag (Raigad district) is situated on the western coast of India and on the shore of Arabian Sea.

According to Gavand, 80 per cent of Alibaug’s land is now owned by outsiders, mostly Mumbai’s bigwigs. Locals, lured or pushed out by skyrocketing prices, have shifted to more remote parts of Raigad .

A Ro-Ro Change

The transformation gathered pace after the Ro-Ro ferry service began in March 2020, cutting the journey from Mumbai to just an hour across the sea. Weekends now bring a deluge — not of tides, but of tourists.

Luxury villas sprout where paddy fields once rippled. Infinity pools shimmer where mangroves stood, and private beaches have replaced coconut groves. In Kihim, Alibaug’s most coveted stretch of coastline, property rates now rival those in South Mumbai.

Architect Pinakin Patel, who moved to Alibaug 26 years ago, calls it Mumbai’s green lungs — now being choked by careless development.

“Earlier, people built one villa at a time and managed their borewells and infrastructure,” he says.

“Now, the land has been transferred from the tehsildar’s office to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Overnight, peri-urban Alibaug was absorbed into Mumbai’s metropolitan sprawl.”

Alibaug Optimists

Patel and a small group of residents, calling themselves the ‘Alibaug Optimists’, aren’t against growth — just the way it’s being done.

“Can we not ask mature questions?” Patel says. “Where are the roads? Where does the garbage go? What about water? Townships are coming up, but there’s no planning. Land is sold by the square foot, aesthetics are lost, and towers will soon rise where there should be trees.”

He claims locals have tried for months to meet government officials but found no answers. Perhaps Alibaug’s crisis feels too small compared to the chaos around Mumbai, he says wryly.