East Coast Beaches
Beaches
The Bay of Bengal shore — Odisha's long empty stretches, Tamil Nadu's temple beaches, Puducherry's promenade.
22 places
Odisha
Chandrabhaga Beach (Konark)
A clean Blue-Flag beach beside the Konark Sun Temple, Chandrabhaga is known for sunrises, the annual sand-art festival and its religious significance. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Odisha
Chilika & Rambha Coast
Where Asia's largest brackish lagoon, Chilika, meets the sea, this coast is famed for Irrawaddy dolphins, vast migratory birdlife and empty island beaches. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Tamil Nadu
Covelong (Kovalam) Beach
A former fishing village turned surf town on the East Coast Road near Chennai, Covelong is South India's surfing hub with a laid-back beach-resort scene. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Tamil Nadu
Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram)
At India's southeastern tip, Dhanushkodi is a hauntingly beautiful ghost-town beach on a thin sandbar where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean, near sacred Rameswaram. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Tamil Nadu
Kanyakumari Beach
At the southernmost tip of mainland India, Kanyakumari is famous for sunrises and sunsets over three converging seas, the Vivekananda Rock and the Thiruvalluvar statue. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Tamil Nadu
Marina Beach (Chennai)
One of the world's longest urban beaches, Chennai's Marina is a vast city shoreline of promenades, statues, sunrise crowds and street food along the Bay of Bengal. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Puducherry
Paradise Beach (Pondicherry)
Reached by a short backwater boat ride from Chunnambar near Pondicherry, Paradise Beach is a clean golden sandbar between lagoon and sea, popular for day trips. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Andhra Pradesh
Rishikonda Beach (Vizag)
A golden crescent near Visakhapatnam backed by green hills, Rishikonda is Andhra's water-sports beach with surfing, jet-skiing and clean sands. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Tamil Nadu
Tranquebar (Tharangambadi)
A former Danish colonial town on the Tamil coast, Tharangambadi pairs a quiet beach with the seafront Dansborg Fort and atmospheric colonial streets. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Andhra Pradesh
Yarada Beach (Vizag)
Tucked between hills south of Visakhapatnam, Yarada is a secluded, clean golden beach with an end-of-the-road feel and panoramic hilltop views. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.
Chilika & Rambha Coast
Irrawaddy Dolphin Safari
Boat trips to spot rare Irrawaddy dolphins in the lagoon.
Chilika & Rambha Coast
Nalabana Bird Sanctuary
A lagoon island that hosts huge flocks of migratory birds.
Tranquebar (Tharangambadi)
Dansborg Fort
A 17th-century Danish fort on the beach.
Rishikonda Beach (Vizag)
Rishikonda Water Sports
Surfing, jet-skiing and banana-boat rides off the beach.
Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram)
Arichal Munai (Land's End)
The tip where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean.
Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram)
Dhanushkodi Ghost Town
The atmospheric ruins of a town washed away by a 1964 cyclone.
Yarada Beach (Vizag)
Yarada Hilltop View
A clifftop vantage over the beach and the Bay of Bengal.
Covelong (Kovalam) Beach
Covelong Surf Point
The beach break and surf schools that made the town a surfing hub.
Chandrabhaga Beach (Konark)
Konark Sand Art Stretch
The beach famed for the international sand-art festival.
Marina Beach (Chennai)
Marina Promenade
The long seafront walk lined with statues and food stalls.
Kanyakumari Beach
Vivekananda Rock Memorial
An island memorial reached by ferry, with a giant Thiruvalluvar statue alongside.
Paradise Beach (Pondicherry)
Chunnambar Boat Ride
The backwater boat ride that reaches the beach.
