Overview

  • Features: Second-longest beach in India
  • Opening Times: Dawn to dusk, daily
  • Best Time to Visit: Early morning or after dusk
  • Duration: 2 to 3 hours
  • Travelled By: Train
  • Cost: Free
  • Address: Marina Beach, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Type: Beach

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Summary

Stretching for 13 km (8 miles), Marina Beach in Chennai is the second-longest beach in the world. It is best visited early in the morning around 6:00 am to watch the fishermen launch their fishing boats, or after dusk when the citizens of Chennai come out to play and enjoy the sea breezes after a sweltering hot day.

Marina Beach Chennai

 

 

Chennai’s seashore hosts one of India’s largest urban beaches, stretching for 13 km (8 miles) along the city’s eastern flank. The Marina, connecting Fort St George with Santhome Basilica almost 5 km (3 miles) away, was built by Mounstuart Elphinstone Grant-Duff, the governor between 1881 and 1886. Described by architectural historian Philip Davies as “one of the most beautiful marine promenades in the world”, it is a favourite place for Chennai’s citizens to escape the humid heat of the city and enjoy the sea breezes.

Until the harbour was built at the end of the 19th century the sea washed up close to the present line of Kamaraj Salai (South Beach Road). However, the north-drifting current has progressively widened Marina Beach, which now stands as one of the longest urban beaches in the world – a fact that fills Chennai with great pride, if little sense of urgency about keeping the beach itself clean.

The long expanse of Marina Beach made Chennai’s residents tragically vulnerable to the 2004 tsunami, which devastated this public land – the city’s cricket pitch, picnic ground and fishing shore. There’s no trace of the ferocity of the waves today, but here alone it took about 200 lives, most of them children.

 

 

The best time to visit Marina Beach is either early in the morning or in the evening; you’ll fry here at any other time. If you choose to come in the morning, head to the beach early enough (around 6:00 am) and you can watch the fishing boats being launched. At dusk, the scene is very different when it becomes a colourful pageant with boys playing cricket or flying kites, families enjoying the sea breeze after a sweltering hot day, vendors selling souvenirs, and food carts offering fast-food snacks.

 

 

Given that Marina Beach is India’s second-longest city beach you might want to concentrate your energies on the best area: the vicinity of Triplicane, along Kamaraj Road, walking towards South Beach Road is probably the best area to visit.

At whatever time of day you choose to visit, don’t swim here – strong rips make it dangerous.

 

Getting to & from Marina Beach

The most affordable way to get to Marina Beach is on a train; Chepauk MRTS or Thiruvallikeni are train stations close to the northern end of the beach. Alternatively, an auto rickshaw or taxi will get you there in comfort. Several buses also stop in front of Marina Beach.

 

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