Located at the Southern part of India,Tamil Nadu has a long stretch of beach running more than 900 Kms. The beaches of Tamil Nadu have got a peculiar charm. The vast stretches of sandlashed by the Bay of Bengal, has many ideal locations for sun bathing, rides on motorized boats or wind surfing. The beaches are dotted with beautiful palm and casuarina groves. In the Golden sands, the Crabs play hide and seek, while Sea gulls fly on the blue sky and then rest on the sails. In addition there are several breathtaking sights to please the visitors.
Marina Beach:
Adjoining the Bay of Bengal, Marina Beach is one of the beautiful beaches of Chennai. The 13 Km long beach is considered as second longest beach in the world. A walk along the beach whether it is morning or evening time refreshes every one. Watching the sun set and sun rise from the beautiful beaches is a nice experience. Golden sand and beautiful lush gardens, add more beauty to the beach. One can even shop around the beach, with vendors selling objects like shell, glass baubles, kites and fruit juices. On the other side of Kamarajar Road, the old Sarcenic buildings bring back the memories of British Raj. The beautiful buildings of the Senate House of theUniversity of Madras, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College, Government offices and Ice House are situated on the beach drive. The new light house stands on the other end of beach. In between the intersections of the promenade, stand several statues of Tamil scholars, patriots and renowned personalities. Among these statue, the Statue of Labour and Mahatma Gandhi are splendid sculptures.Bathing and swimming can be dangerous, as the currents are very strong.
Nearby Attractions :
» Aquarium - The aquarium close to theMarina beach provides a chance to have a closer look at the aquatic life. It has the most exotic collection of tropical sea fishes and fresh waterfishes.
» Anna and MGR Samadhis - 
The Anna and MGR Samad his are situated on the beach. The memorials of former Chief ministers of the state attracts a huge crowd.
Accessibiltiy :As the beach is located in Chennai, so one can easily reach there by Air,Rail and Road.
» By Air - Chennai Airport has both domestic andinternational terminals. Regular flights connect Chennai with the majorcities of the country and also with countries like USA, Singapore and U.K etc.
» By Rail - Chennai is well connected by rail with the important towns and cities of the country.
» By Bus - State transport buses and private buses connect Chennai with the major towns and cities within the country.
Accommodation :
The hotels in Chennai ranging from 5 Star to 2 Star offer a pleasant stay to guests.
Best time to visit :
The beach can be visited throughout the year but the best time to visit is November to February.
Mahabalipuram Beach:
Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram lies 58 Km, south of Chennai. Nestling on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram Beach is one of the finest beaches of India. The un-spoilt beach lies on the coastline of Tamil Naduattracts thousands of tourists all through the year. At the beach one cansun bathe, relax and unwind himself.
Mahabalipuram was once a port of the Pallavas. The Pallavas have created many magnificent monuments, which stand besides the beach, are must visiting places. The Shore temple, Rathas, Arjuna's penance attracts the religious tourists. A crocodile farm, snake venom extracting centre, schools of art and sculpture stands along the beach.
Accessibility :
Mahabalipuramis well connected through air, rail and road networks.
» Air - The nearest airport of Chennai (58 Kms)connects Mahabalipuram with other major cities of India and the world by frequent flights.
» Rail - The nearest railway stations from Mahabalipuram are Chennai (58 Kms) and Chengalpattu (29 Kms). From there onehas to take the road journey.
» Road - The good motorable roads connects Mahabalipuram with nearby towns. Regular bus services are available from Pondicherry , Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai to Mahabalipuram.
Accommodation :
Accommodation facility is easily available with many options like Beach Resorts, Deluxe Hotels and Budget Hotels.
Best time to visit :
The beach can be visited all through the year, but the ideal time to visit the beach is October to March.
Rameshwaram Beach:
Rameshwaram, a seaside village with a serene beach, is one of the most famous pilgrimage centers of South India. The beautiful beach with shallow waters, is a perfect site for swimming and sunbathing etc. Located at calmsea-shore, the beach provides natural wealth and peaceful solitude.Encircled by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar, Rameshwaram is a pilgrimagecentre for both Saivaites and Vaishnavaites. It is also said that Lord Rama offered thanks to Lord Shiva at Rameshwaram.
Attractions :
Ramanathaswamy Temple - Built in the 17th century,Ramanathswamy temple is one of the most important temples in Southern India.Situated close to the sea, this temple is popular for its 1,200 massive granite columns. The temple has 54 meter high gopuram (gate-tower), 1,220meters of corridors and the columns.
»Agnitheertham - Located at a distance of 100 metres from theRamanathaswamy temple, is Agnitheertham. It is the place where Lord Ramaworshipped Lord Shiva, to absolve himself from the Ravana.
Accessibility :
Rameshwaram has not its own airport, but it is connected by rail and road link with major towns of the country.
» Air - The nearest airport is Madurai (152 Kms),which is connected with airports of major cities.
» Rail - Rameshwaram has rail connections with Chennai (596 Kms), Madurai (152 Kms), Coimbatore, Trichy and Tanjorr.
» Road - Rameshwaram is connected with all important towns of Tamil Nadu like Madurai (152 Kms), Chennai (596 Kms),Kanykumari (320 Kms) and Tanjore (248 Kms) etc. Regular buses of State transport runs regularly to nearby places. For local transportation taxis,auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and tongas are available.
Accommodation :
Accommodation is available in the hotels, ranging from moderate to economy class.
Best time to visit :
Rameshwaram can be visit any time in the year. But the ideal time to visit the beach is October to March.
Kanyakumari Beach
Located at the Southern most tip of India, Kanyakumari is an important pilgrimage centre. The unique beach is surrounded by three seas namely Bayof Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The multicoloured sand stretchesover the beach, is one of the unique features of the Kanyakumari beach. Hereone can have the breathtaking views of the sunrise and the sunset at their best. It is entertaining to watch the rough sea here as it strike it selfagainst the sea-side rocks frequently. The beach does not offer the opportunity to sunbathe on soft golden sands. The rocky seashore is dangerous and a man-made wall running along it. The light house stands on thebeach which offers panoramic view of the surrounding sea. One can also buy various kinds of shells on the Kanyakumari beach.
Attractions :
» The Sangam - It is the meeting point of the three seas, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. It has abathing ghat whose steps leading into the water. One can bathe or jump around here by the remains of waves, which are washing over the rocks.
» Vivekananda's Rock - Kanyakumari is popular for Vivekananda's rock , it is said that Swami Vivekananda has mediated, on a massive rock rising out of the sea. The site now houses a statue of Vivekananda and his memorial.
Accessibility : Kanyakumari is not directly connected by Air, but it is well connected with major cities of India by Rail and Road link.
» Air - Thiruvananthapuram (80 Kms) is the nearest airport from Kanyakumari. The airport is connected with national and International flights. From here one has to take taxi or bus for Kanyakumari.
» Rail - Kanyakumari is well connected by train services, with all the major towns in India. Intercity trains run from almost all the southern cities.
» Road - Kanyakumari is connected by good roads,with Chennai, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Trichy, Madurai, Mandapam(Rameshwaram), Nagercoil, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Tiruvelvel and Trivandrum etc.
Accomodation :
The hotels in Kanyakumari offers choices varying from economic class to luxurious.
Best Time To Visit :
Kanyakumari enjoys a pleasant climate due to its closeness to the sea, soit can be visited throughout the year. During summers, the temperature risesto 34.8°C while it falls to 20.4°C during winters. Hence the ideal time to visit this place would be between October and March.
Covelong Beach:
Far away from the busy life of cities, Covelong is a charming beach.Located at a distance of 40 Kms from Chennai, Covelong is famous for fishing activities. The environment, surrounding, peace, tranquility and the infrastructure at the Covelong beach, make it one of the most popular beaches of India. For adventure seekers the beautiful beach offers an array of sports activities like wind-surfing, swimming and other water sports.Apart from the beach, Covelong is dotted with the several monuments like forts, churches and mosques etc. The ancient Catholic Church is a must visit place at Covelong.
Accessibility : Covelong is well connected with Air, Rail and Roads.
» Air - The nearest from Covelong is Chennai (40Kms), regular flights are available for major cities of the country. From Chennai one has to take reach Covelong by bus or taxi.
» Rail - Chennai (40 Kms) is the nearest rail head which is connected with all the major towns of the country.
» Road - Good motorable road connects Covelong with Chennai (40 Kms) and Mahabalipuram (19 Kms). There are regular bus services from Chennai, one can even hire taxi.
Accommodation :
Accommodation facility are available at Hotels, that suit the budgets of toursists. One can also stay in Chennai as well as Mahabalipuram as they are very close to Covelong.
Best Time To Visit :
The climate of the beach is pleasant and one can visit Covelong any time in the year. However the best time to visit the beach is October to March.
