Lined by the elevated Western Ghats on the east and sanctified by the azure waters of the Arabian Sea on the west, the coastline of Karnataka is simply an ideal holiday destination for those who want natural means to lighten themselves from their busy work schedule. The coast is spotted with beaches encompassing unspoilt scenes, never-ending fascination, and silent seawaters along with some famous temples that never fail to attract the native people and tourists again and again from all over the world.
The naturally surrounded Arabian Sea openly casts the placid and ideal scenic world of mesmerizing, arrayed palm-canopied beaches to the visitors. Further augmenting your excitement, do not forget to experience the coastal folk and the mouth-watering cuisine as well. Considered as the adaptable and energetic beaches, the beaches leave you with the remarkable moments of joy and peace due to its cool seawaters, adventurous water sports, and leisure morning and evening walks. Lastly, to add to your thrilling experience, there are some unfound and unknown beaches and temples left for you.
Let’s take a look at the various beaches covering this long 320 km of the coastline in Karnataka.
Karwar Beach
Encompassing calm surfs, palm-fringed coast, miles of glittering sand, peaceful pathway, and bountiful bright green flora, this beach offers all features that anyone would like to choose as its holiday retreat from the hustle and bustle of busy routine. Start your expedition from Goa that is relatively a good point to begin with to discover the adventure of the sea, sand, and sun.
A breathtaking site surrounded with hard hilly ranges, fat woods, and inexplicably deep valleys, this natural heaven stimulated the great Indian ponder Rabindranath Tagore to take up a pen and write his life’s first play. After this great memorable event in the history of this town, even today the town keeps on stirring all types of visitors, whether local or foreigners.
Listed below are the impressive attractions here-
- The Sadashivgad Hill Fort with a Durga Temple
- The distinct Octagonal Church
- The 300-year-old Venkataramana Temple famous for ochre paintings
- The Naganatha Temple famous for its anthill worship
- Devbagh, a beautiful island among the other five islands on the Karwar coast where Anjidev Island is not open to public
Best time to visit: From September to mid-May.
Malpe Beach
A virgin beach that is famous as the picnic spot for the Keralites due to its unspoiled charm and tranquil surroundings is just a boat trip from the St Mary’s Island. This island is another enjoyable holiday spot from the Malpe Beach, which is famous for its awesome views of the sunset at dusk.
Located at the source of the Malpe River, some 6 km from Udupi, and around 386 km from Bangalore; the inborn harbor of Malpe adorns the coastline with its gifted beach. It is a perfect haunting area and a chief fishing centre. The never-ending heaps of glittering sand, congenially leaning palm trees, the lucid azure sky, and the roaring of the sea waves; together form an environment perfect for making your mood and day for an extraordinary feast here.
Listed below are the attractions here-
Activities:
- These include boating and bathing.
Darya Bahadurgarh:
- This is a cute island across the bay.
The Balarama Temple:
- This should not be missed at all for its architecture.
Malpe’s Oldest Tile Factory:
- The Basel Mission built this up.
Best time to visit: From August to March.
Maravanthe Beach
Considering its gorgeous view of this seaside town, the West Coast Highway lines along the Arabian Sea on one side and the River Souparnika flowing against the background of the scenic Kodachadri Hills on the other. Located at a distance of 50 km from Udupi, the never-ending miles of glittering sand, bending palm trees, apparent blue sky, and the calm waves all together attract innumerable tourists from all over the world.
The Maravanthe beach gets converted into a land of fairies when the sun is about to set at the horizon turning the sky crimson and sea and river water still welcoming the golden beams of the sun. This scenic beauty is just awesome and always occupies a place in hearts and minds of all visitors. Listed below are the attractions here.
Sightseeing Places and Activites
Water Sports:
- Assuring amusement for holidaymakers and promising waters for adventurous sports, this beautiful beach offers shallow waters at coast for swimming with mild tides.
Belekal Theertha Falls:
- This is a spectacular fall just ahead near Baindur.
Baindur:
- This is a settlement at 45 km hosting a beautiful beach. It is simple ideal to visit its splendid scenes of overhanging cliffs and sunset.
Best time to visit: From August to March.
Bhatkal Beach
A scenic site at a distance of 16 km from Bhatkal and 126 km from Karwar, the glistening blue seawaters and gently sloping majestic hills make the beach a popular holiday hangout. This place is also famous for the beautiful temple erected on a rocky hill along the seashore.
Situated at the southern most point, in the 16th century, Bhatkal was the primary port of the Vijayanagar Kingdom. It is the home of two small and fascinating temples among which the one is the Jain Chandranatha Basadi and the other is the 17th century Vijayanagar temple depicting animal carvings of the Vijayanagar style.
Best time to visit: From August to March.
Murudeshwar Beach
This is one more renowned beach of Karnataka located at a distance of 16 km from Bhatkal.
A popular belief holds for the site that the demon Ravana had thrown a piece of Pranalinga of Mahabaleshwar, which has sanctified the place. The tourist attractions that make it a renowned picnic spot are its gorgeous azure waters of the sea, magnificent mountains, breathtaking carvings and statues, the Murdeshwar temple, the Kanduka Giri, and the fort of Tipu Sultan.
This historic and lovely spot has not specific time for its visit, as it surroundings remain evergreen and attractive throughout the year.
Kurumgad Beach
A tortoise-shaped island at a distance of 4 km from the mainland of the Kurumgad town, this beach is popular for its hilltop Narasimha Temple. This temple attracts countless pious devotees at the time of the annual jatra (pilgrimage) to be done on Pushya Purnima in early January every year. The town has sharp history that is exhibited in the relics of a fort with cannon openings. Besides enjoying the panoramic view of the sea, sand, adjacent islands around this main island, and lazing, the beach offers many other activities. This include exploring water sports such as trekking, dolphin and seal-spotting, a boat trip to other close by islands, snorkeling, treasure hunts, diving, guided tours, or star-gazing.
Gokarna Beach
Comprising of narrow streets, customary houses, and worth visiting temples, the ordinary town of Gokarna is a hot favorite site of Hindu devotees, Sanskrit scholars, and beach enthusiasts. A popular belief holds among the locals that the town received its name from a miraculous event wherein Lord Shiva (perpetuator of truth) is believed to have come out from the ear of a cow. Exactly meaning ‘cow’s ear,’ the name of this village is further justified upon its formation by the junction of two rivers, which is, too, in ear-shaped.
The town is the home of some gorgeous beaches of the region. Among these, a spectacular one and among the five famed beaches, the Om beach is in the shape of ‘Om,’ which is the most spiritual symbol in Hindus. The remaining famous beaches, stuck between giant steep cliffs that project like fragile fingers into the sea, are Gokarna, Kudle, Half Moon, and Paradise.
Other thrilling experience is driving up the meandering path, which extends in a twisty way to take you to Gokarna. This driving is nothing but a picturesque amusement of stony mountains along with the Western Ghats lining one side and the Arabian Sea stretching on the other. On your way, you can take the opportunity to accept the world-fame hospitality of the Keralites through friendly welcome in local guesthouses run by native families. For adventurous visitors, bit of cliff-scrambling in awaiting them in Gokarna.
Anyone is welcomed at any time around the year in this coastal town.
Kaup Beach
Located at an expanse of 12 km south of Udupi on the coastal line passing through the West Coast National Highway, Kaup offers a beautiful beach that is an ideal holiday hangout in the company of silent sea and attractive site. Apart from this splendid coast, other attractions worth a visit at Kaup are a fort in ruins, an ancient lighthouse of 100 feet, two popular temples of Goddess Mariamma, and Jain Basadis in ruins.
Mangalore Beach
A nautical city famous as a lovely and suitable halt between Goa and Kerala, it has conserved its fame in the tourist circuit by its breathtaking features. Narrow twisted streets lined with swaying palms, old-fashioned homes characterized with terracotta-tiled roofs, attractive beaches, temples and churches, and the smell of spicy coconut curries have contributed to the evergreen beauty of the place.
A primary port and ship-building centre during the reign of Hyder Ali, today, it is a business and commercial hub that is a major exporter of coffee, spices and cashews via the old port.
Listed below are its other attractions-
The Someshwar Temple
- This is worth a visit that overlooks a rocky outcrop.
MangaladeviTemple
- Built in 10th century, this shrine is dedicated to the Goddess Mangala Devi.
The Kadri Manjunatha Temple
- Built in 11th century, it is famous for its fine bronze images of Lokeshwara.
Jumma Masjid in Bunder
- This is an extraordinary mosque built centuries ago by the Arabs.
Idgah Mosque at Lighthouse Hill
- This is a worth visiting mosque erected by Tipu Sultan at the end of the 18th century.
The St. Aloysius College Chapel
- This religious site is famous for its splendid Biblical frescoes ornamented on the walls and ceilings.
Shreemanthi Bai Memorial Government Museum
- This is an impressive museum and exhibits a wonderful collection of items of art, archaeology, ethnology, porcelain, and wooden carvings.
Pilikula Nisargadhama
- This is purely for nature enthusiasts. An extensive 300-acre park situated at a distance of 12 km from Mangalore, this is famous for boating facilities, wildlife safari, mini aquarium, and a science centre.