Beaches in Mangalore

This picturesque city in Karnataka snugly fits in between the Arabian Sea and Western Ghats. The perfect geographical location of Mangalore has bestowed with immense beauty and unprecedented charm. The place is rich with beaches that makes tourist from every corner of the world throng this place all year round.  The spectacular beauty of its beaches spellbound the visitors that they long to visit this place repeatedly. Mangalore has remained an important spot of tourism for many years and is fondly referred as, “the entry point to beach country”. The untouched natural beauty of Mangalore beaches is enjoyed by travelers of all ages.

Famous Beaches in and around Mangalore

The Someshwara beach

This is one of the most popular beaches in the era and is situated at distance of about 9kms from Mangalore city. The nearest bus stand is about ½ kms and reaching this place is very easy from the city proper. This is generally called a rocky beach for the many rock formations that dot the beachside and is especially well known for an exceptionally large rock here called the “Rudra Shile” or the rock of Shiva. Here at this beach one can find the historic Somnath Temple that is situated on the north side and was built during the reign of the Queen Abakka Devi. The sea is fairly violent at this beach and tourists are generally asked not to venture out to sea, because of the unpredictable nature of the waters here.

The Panambur Beach

This is one of the tourist hotspots of Mangalore for tourist as well as the city dwellers. It is a top picnic, vacation and holiday destinations and is situated very close to the Mangalore-Udipi highway, making transport to and for extremely easy. The distance from the city is roughly about 13kms and is one of the most picturesque locations in this part of the region. It is magnificent to see the lighthouse in the distance here and a great view of the ships sailing away in the distance. This is quite a large stretch of beach and goes all the way up to Suratkal to the other side.

The Suratkal Beach

This lovely beach is accessible from the Udipi highway and is also relatively easy to reach within a short time. It is known as one of the cleanest beaches of the region and hence popular for family outings where a clean environment is appreciated. One of the prime attractions of this beach is the quaint Lighthouse and the famous temple of lord Sadashiva, the overlooks the Arabian Sea. This is also the location of the national Institute of Technology, Karnataka, which has its premises practically off the beach itself. Almost all through the year, one can see a huge flock of people crossing the beach because of its pristine and clean atmosphere.

The Ullal beach

A mere 12 kms away from Mangalore city and your transported to the midst of this beautiful beach that has large coconut trees swaying and dancing to the heady breeze that blows of the Arabian sea, all the time. a visit here is a remarkable experience in coastal beauty that makes it a tourist haunt par extraordinaire. There are two prime attraction here, one is the ruined fort of Queen Abakka Devi and the second being the many Jain temples that been here since the 16th century. Besides these two another prime attractions is the dargha of Sayed Mohammed Shereful Madani, who is believed to have arrived here almost around 400 years back from Medina. One can also take a city bus to arrive at this remarkable beach.

Tannirbavi Beach

Rightly known as Thaneeru Bavi, this beach is considered as the best one in the entire region of Dhakshina Kannad. People love to enjoy a beautiful sunset view here every evening. This beach is located at 12 kms away from the bus stand of Mangalore. This beach can be reached by road through Panambur or through ferry across the Gurupura river near Sultan battery. Beach lovers never miss their chance to hit this beach during warm summer days.

Malpe Beach

Exactly to the north of Mangalore at a distance of 66 kms there is the beautiful secluded beach called Malpe near Manipal that is prized for its quiet environment. From this place, one can travel to the St Mary’s island which can be reached by a one hour boat ride from Malpe where one can see some of the amazing geological structures that have been created by nature right into the sea.

Rivers in Mangalore

Another place to visit while in Mangalore is called Shashithlu which is a remarkable for its locational beauty. Just 26 kms from the city and you can be at a spot that is poetic to say the least.there is the island of Munda that has the Shambhave river and the Nandini rivers on the one side and the other side is the Arabian sea. It is indeed a splendid tourist spot that should be a must see in the itinerary of anyone coming to Mangalore for a holiday.

Other Popular Rivers in Mangalore

This article on Mangalore would not be complete without mentioning the two most important rivers of this city. It is the Netravati and the Gurupura rivers that seem to nestle the city of Mangalore in its fold and gives it a pictorial significance. The Netravti River has its origin in Kudremukh in Chikmaglur district of Karnataka. It flows into the Arabian sea to the south of this city and the bridge of the river forms the gateway to Mangalore. The Gurupura is one of the other famous and important rivers of Mangalore is, it flows to the south of the city, the name of the river is derived from a small village called Gurupura close to which this river emanates from.

Lakes in Mangalore

Pilikula Nisargadhama - A huge lake that is certainly noteworthy

While we have discussed many of the physical features of Mangalore the discussion would be incomplete without a look at one of the main water bodies in the region. This lake is called the Pilikula Nisargadhama, which is one of the major tourist spots in Mangalore. The word pilikula means the Tiger Pond and is said to have come about because once upon a time, Tigers would actually come to drink water from this place. After the original lake feel into disuse and was a dying water body from neglect the city municipal authorities have rebuilt it into a grand water body which is just perfect as a haunt for tourists and holiday revelers. Situated just 10 kms from the city this is now drawing a huge horde of people on a regular basis. The lake offers a wide range of recreational facilities and is a tourist place that you can’t afford to miss.

Mangalore - A must see place if you’re visiting south India

Today this city can boast to be one of the finest places that can be called a top draw among various tourists that come here from different parts of the world. If you’re looking for a place to take your family and enjoy a memorable and fun holiday, think no further, as for Mangalore it can be at any time of the year.