Beach travel
Beach Travel in India
Islands, cliff-backed coves, temple shores and long quiet sands: find the right beach, coast and season for your trip.
Beach travel in India
India has two long coastlines and two island groups. The west coast runs along the Arabian Sea from Gujarat through Maharashtra’s Konkan, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala; the east coast faces the Bay of Bengal from West Bengal through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Offshore lie the Andaman Islands, with India’s most beautiful beaches, and the coral atolls of Lakshadweep.
The coasts are very different. Goa has something for everyone; the Andamans and Lakshadweep have clear water and reefs; Kerala pairs beaches with backwaters and Ayurveda; the Konkan and Karnataka have quiet coves and sea forts; and the east coast mixes beaches with some of India’s great temples. Timing matters too: most beaches are best from November to March and closed to swimming in the monsoon.
Best beach destinations
Where to go
Start with the destination that suits your trip, then pick the beaches.
Best beach destinationsA guide to the best beach destinations in India, the places to base a beach holiday: Goa, the Andaman and Lakshadweep islands, Kerala's Varkala and Kovalam, Gokarna and the Udupi coast, the Konkan coast, Puducherry and Mahabalipuram, Puri, Vizag, Diu and Digha, compared by coast, season, budget and type of traveller.Read the guide →
Best beaches in IndiaA guide to India's standout individual beaches, coast by coast: Radhanagar and Elephant Beach in the Andamans, Bangaram in Lakshadweep, Palolem, Agonda and Vagator in Goa, Om and Kudle in Gokarna, Varkala and Kovalam in Kerala, Tarkarli and Kashid in Maharashtra, Shivrajpur and Nagoa on the Gujarat coast, and Rushikonda, Puri and Paradise Beach on the east coast, with India's Blue Flag beaches.Read the guide →
Offbeat beaches in IndiaA guide to offbeat beaches in India, quieter alternatives to the famous names: Guhagar, Velas and Devbagh on the Konkan, Galgibaga and Cola in Goa, Kasarkod, Maravanthe and Devbagh (Karwar) in Karnataka, Marari, Kappil and Muzhappilangad in Kerala, Tranquebar in Tamil Nadu, Yarada and Bheemili in Andhra, Talasari and Junput on the Bengal border, and remote island beaches.Read the guide →
Explore beaches by state
Beaches, coast by coast
Each guide compares the beaches in a state or island group, with the season, safety and links to the destination guides.
Best beaches in GoaA beach-by-beach guide to Goa's coast: the lively beaches of north Goa (Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Arambol), the quieter beaches of south Goa (Palolem, Agonda, Colva, Benaulim, Cavelossim), hidden coves, turtle-nesting beaches, the best season, monsoon rules and how to choose a base.Read the guide →
Best beaches in the AndamansA guide to the best beaches in the Andaman Islands: Radhanagar, Kalapathar, Elephant and Vijaynagar beaches on Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Laxmanpur, Bharatpur and Sitapur on Shaheed Dweep (Neil), Corbyn's Cove, Chidiya Tapu and Wandoor near Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), and remote beaches in North and Little Andaman, with seasons and safety.Read the guide →
Best beaches in KeralaA guide to the best beaches in Kerala, south to north: Kovalam, Poovar and Varkala near Thiruvananthapuram, Marari and Alappuzha near the backwaters, Cherai and Fort Kochi, Kappad near Kozhikode, and Muzhappilangad, Payyambalam, Chal and Bekal on the Malabar coast, with seasons and sea-safety rules.Read the guide →
Best beaches in KarnatakaA guide to the best beaches on Karnataka's 320-km coast: Gokarna's beach trek (Kudle, Om, Half Moon, Paradise), Murudeshwar and the Netrani dive trips, Udupi's Malpe, St Mary's Island, Kaup and Padubidri, the Maravanthe road, Karwar and Devbagh, and Mangaluru's beaches, with seasons and safety.Read the guide →
Best beaches in MaharashtraA guide to the best beaches on Maharashtra's Konkan coast, from Alibaug, Nagaon and Kashid near Mumbai to Murud-Janjira, Diveagar, Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar, the Blue Flag beaches of Guhagar and Ladghar, Velas and its turtles, Ganpatipule, and Tarkarli, Devbagh and Malvan in Sindhudurg, with seasons, access and safety.Read the guide →
Best beaches in LakshadweepA guide to the beaches of Lakshadweep, India's coral atolls in the Arabian Sea: the lagoons of Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat, Kavaratti and Minicoy, which islands visitors can reach, the entry permit, flights and ships from Kochi, the season and how to protect the reef.Read the guide →
Best beaches in Tamil NaduA guide to the best beaches on Tamil Nadu's long coast: Chennai's city beaches, Kovalam (Covelong) and Mahabalipuram on the East Coast Road, Tranquebar and Velankanni on the delta coast, Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, and Kanyakumari at India's southern tip, with the north-east monsoon, swimming rules and when to go.Read the guide →
Best beaches in PuducherryA guide to Puducherry's beaches: the Promenade (Rock Beach) in the French Quarter, Paradise Beach reached by boat from Chunnambar, Serenity Beach for surf lessons, Auroville's beaches and Eden beach at Chinna Veerampattinam, with which are for swimming and which for walks, and the best season.Read the guide →
Best beaches in OdishaA guide to the best beaches on Odisha's Bay of Bengal coast: Puri's Blue Flag Golden Beach and sand art, Chandrabhaga and Ramchandi near Konark, Gopalpur and Sunapur in Ganjam, Chandipur where the sea recedes at low tide, Talasari near the Bengal border, and the olive ridley nesting coast, with cyclone season and swimming advice.Read the guide →
Best beaches in Andhra PradeshA guide to the best beaches in Andhra Pradesh, focusing on Visakhapatnam: RK Beach, the Blue Flag beach at Rushikonda with water sports, Yarada below Dolphin's Nose, Bheemili at the Gosthani river mouth, and the coastal road between them, plus Suryalanka and other beaches down the coast, with cyclone season and safety.Read the guide →
Best beaches in West BengalA guide to West Bengal's beaches on the Bay of Bengal: Old and New Digha, Mandarmani's long beach, the fishing harbour at Shankarpur, quiet Tajpur and Junput, Bakkhali and Frasergunj near the Sundarbans, and Gangasagar, with travel times from Kolkata, the best season and sea-bathing restrictions.Read the guide →
Best beaches in GujaratA guide to the best beaches on Gujarat's long coast: Shivrajpur near Dwarka with Blue Flag certification and snorkelling, Mandvi in Kutch, the temple shores of Dwarka and Somnath, Chorwad, Ahmedpur Mandvi near Diu, Tithal and Dumas in south Gujarat, and the beaches of Diu and Daman just across the Union Territory border.Read the guide →
Beach activities and water sports
Things to do on the coast
Diving, snorkelling, surfing, kayaking, water sports and dolphin trips, with where and when to try each.
Water sports in IndiaA guide to water sports in India: parasailing, jet skiing and banana rides on Goa's beaches, sea walks and glass-bottom boats in the Andamans, Tarkarli and Malvan's water sports, lake sports at Tehri and Umiam, plus kayaking, surfing, snorkelling and diving, with seasons and safety checks.Read the guide →
Scuba diving in IndiaA guide to scuba diving in India: the Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep, Netrani Island off Karnataka, Grande Island in Goa, Tarkarli in Maharashtra and Puducherry, when to dive, how try dives and certification courses work, and dive safety.Read the guide →
Snorkelling in IndiaWhere to go snorkelling in India, from Andaman reefs such as Elephant Beach, North Bay and Jolly Buoy to the lagoons of Lakshadweep and the Konkan and Karnataka coasts, with the best months, how guided snorkelling works and how to protect the reef.Read the guide →
Surfing in IndiaA guide to surfing in India: the surf towns of Mulki in Karnataka, Kovalam and Mahabalipuram near Chennai, Puducherry, Varkala and Kovalam in Kerala, Gokarna and north Goa, with the surf season on each coast, how beginner lessons work and how to stay safe in the waves.Read the guide →
Kayaking in IndiaA guide to kayaking in India: calm-water paddling in the Andaman mangroves, Goa's backwaters and Kerala's canals, lake kayaking at Tehri and Umiam, clear-water trips on the Umngot in Meghalaya, and white-water kayaking courses on the Ganga at Rishikesh.Read the guide →
Scuba diving in the AndamansA guide to scuba diving in the Andaman Islands: where to dive around Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Shaheed Dweep (Neil) and Port Blair, how try dives and Open Water courses work, the diving season, how to plan the trip and dive safely.Read the guide →
Dolphin watching in IndiaA guide to dolphin watching in India: boat trips to see humpback dolphins off Goa (Sinquerim, Coco Beach, Palolem) and the Konkan (Tarkarli, Devbagh, Dapoli), Irrawaddy dolphins at Satapada on Chilika Lake, river dolphins in the Sundarbans and the Ganga, the best seasons, what to expect and how to choose a responsible operator.Read the guide →
Beach holidays by traveller
Couples, families, luxury and budget
Beach holidays for couples
Quiet bays, island stays and sunsets: the Andamans, Lakshadweep, south Goa and Varkala.
Beach honeymoon destinations →Family beach holidays
Calm, well-served beaches with lifeguards in season: south Goa, Kovalam, Diu, Udupi, Puri and Vizag.
Plan a family beach holiday →Luxury beach escapes
The widest choice of beach resorts and spas is in Goa, Kerala and the Andamans.
Luxury holidays →Budget beach trips
Beach huts and homestays in Gokarna, Arambol, Varkala, Diu, Puri and the Konkan coast.
Budget beach ideas →Offbeat beaches
Quieter coasts worth the detour
Guhagar and Velas on the Konkan, Galgibaga in south Goa, Kasarkod in Karnataka, Marari and Kappil in Kerala, Tranquebar, Bheemili and Talasari on the east coast.
Beach travel guides
Plan a better beach trip
Beach holidays in IndiaA planning guide to beach holidays in India: which coast suits couples, families, solo travellers and groups, luxury and budget beach holidays, the main types of beach trip (party, quiet, resort, island, heritage, active), how long to stay, what drives the cost, and packing.Read the guide →
Beach trips from Indian citiesA guide to short beach trips from India's big cities: Alibaug, Kashid and the Konkan from Mumbai and Pune, Gokarna, Udupi and Pondicherry from Bengaluru, Covelong, Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry from Chennai, Vizag from Hyderabad, Digha and Puri from Kolkata, Diu and Shivrajpur from Ahmedabad, and fly-in beach weekends from Delhi.Read the guide →
Beach tourism in IndiaAn explainer on beach tourism in India: what Blue Flag certification means and which beaches hold it, the government's BEAMS programme, how coastal regulation shapes beach shacks and resorts, monsoon bans and lifeguard services, protection for nesting turtles and coral reefs, plastic rules, and how visitors can travel responsibly.Read the guide →
Coastal tourism in IndiaA guide to coastal tourism in India beyond the beach: Kerala's backwaters, sea forts from Janjira to Sindhudurg and Bekal, lighthouses opened to visitors, mangrove forests such as the Sundarbans, Bhitarkanika and Pichavaram, fishing harbours and villages, coastal road trips, cruises, coastal cuisine and seasonal festivals.Read the guide →
Beach honeymoon destinationsA guide to beach honeymoons in India: why the Andaman Islands (Havelock and Neil) and Lakshadweep top the list, south Goa's quiet bays, Kerala's cliff, lighthouse and estuary beaches paired with the backwaters, Gokarna, Pondicherry, and quieter Konkan and Diu options, with seasons, trip lengths and planning tips.Read the guide →
Best time for beach holidaysA month-by-month guide to beach holidays in India: when the west coast, the east coast, the Andamans and Lakshadweep are at their best, what the south-west and north-east monsoons mean for swimming, where to go in December, January and February, summer beach options, turtle seasons and festivals.Read the guide →
Beach safety in IndiaA practical guide to beach safety in India: why swimming is riskier than it looks, how lifeguard flags work, how to spot and escape a rip current, monsoon and cyclone bathing bans, beaches where swimming is prohibited, tides, rocks and cliffs, jellyfish and marine life, crocodile warnings in the Andamans, water-sports safety, sun and alcohol, and what to do in an emergency.Read the guide →
Featured beach packages
Beach holidays, planned around you
Every Kudozz Club trip is customized. Start from a coast or a travel style, and we quote for your dates and group.
FAQs
Beach travel in India: FAQs
Which is the best beach destination in India?
Goa for variety and ease of travel, and the Andaman Islands for the most beautiful beaches and clearest water. Kerala pairs beaches with the backwaters.
What is the best time for a beach holiday in India?
November to March for most of the coast and the islands. The east coast is best from December, after its north-east monsoon.
Can you swim at Indian beaches in the monsoon?
No. Sea swimming and water sports are banned on most of the west coast from about June to September, and the east coast has bans in rough weather.
Which Indian beaches have Blue Flag certification?
About 18 beaches held Blue Flag certification in 2025, including Radhanagar, Shivrajpur, Rushikonda, Puri's Golden Beach, Kappad and five Maharashtra beaches. Certification is renewed every year.
Which beaches are best for families?
South Goa, Candolim, Kovalam, Diu, Udupi's Malpe, Puri and Rushikonda, which have calmer stretches and lifeguards in season.
Ready for your beach escape?
Tell us your destination, dates, budget and travel style, or ask us to suggest the right coast.