List of Beaches in India – UPSC

• A beach is a landform along a body of water, made of loose particles such as sand and shingle.
• India’s beaches line both the eastern and western shores of the Peninsula and the two island groups. The coastline was long given as 7,517 km (7,516.6 km), and was re-assessed in 2025 to 11,098.81 km, with no change in the land itself.
• Why they matter:
  • They offer a vantage point for watching the sun set over the sea, and draw visitors to their golden sands.
  • They guard a rich cultural heritage, with temples, memorials and monuments along the shore.
  • Several are sites of adventure sports: skiing, scuba diving, parasailing and windsurfing.
  • The coast draws migratory birds and aquatic life to its shores.
  • Sandy beaches, coves, spits, lagoons and sea cliffs form the seascape side of tourism. It thrives on shores with mild waves and safe currents.

• Zones of a beach, from land to sea:
  • Backshore: above normal high tide, carrying the berms.
  • Foreshore: between high tide and low tide levels, with the beach face and swash zone.
  • Nearshore: the surf and breaker zones, with the longshore trough and longshore bar.
  • Offshore: beyond the breakers.

Blue Flag Beaches

• Blue Flag is an international eco-label of the Foundation for Environmental Education, Denmark, renewed every year.
• India’s count reached about 18 in the 2025–26 season, after the five Maharashtra beaches of October 2025.

West Coast Beaches in India

Gujarat

• Kachchh coast: Mandavi, Pingleshwar Mahadev.
• Saurashtra coast: Shivrajpur, Dwarka, Beyt Dwarka, Okha Madhi, Porbandar, Madhavpur, Chorwad, Ahmedpur Mandvi, Somnath, Veraval Chowpati, Sarkheswar.
• South Gujarat: Dumas, Hajira, Suvali, Ubhrat (Umbharat), Danti, Dandi, Tithal, Nargol, Umbergaon, Kotna, Dabhari.
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu: Diu, Ghoghla, Nagoa and Jampore.
• Chorwad and Ahmedpur Mandvi are known for their long stretches of golden sand. Dandi is the end point of Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March of 1930.

Maharashtra

• Mumbai and Palghar: Juhu, Aksa, Versova, Marve, Gorai, Manori, Shivaji Park, Vasai (Bassein), Kalamb, Kelwa, Dahanu, Bordi, Parnaka.
• Raigad: Alibaug, Mandwa, Kihim, Awas, Rewas, Nagaon, Revdanda, Kashid, Murud, Agardanda, Diveagar, Srivardhan, Harihareshwar, Varsoli.
• Ratnagiri: Harnai, Kelshi, Anjarle, Karde (Murud), Dapoli, Ladghar, Guhagar, Velneshwar, Ganpatipule, Bhandarpule, Ganeshgule, Aare Ware, Ratnagiri, Mandavi, Ambolgad, Bagmandla.
• Sindhudurg: Devgad, Kunkeshwar, Malvan, Tarkarli, Devbagh, Bhogave, Nivti, Kondura, Khavane, Vengurla, Shiroda.
• Also: Devghali, Sasawne.
• Juhu is the best known of the Mumbai beaches, and Tarkarli near Malvan is known for scuba diving. Ganpatipule is named after its shore temple of Ganesha.

Goa

• North Goa: Arambol, Querim, Mandrem, Ashvem, Morjim, Chapora, Vagator, Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim.
• Around Panaji: Miramar, Caranzalem, Dona Paula, Vainguinim, Bambolim, Siridao.
• Mormugao and Salcete: Bogmalo, Baina, Hansa, Hollant, Velsao, Cansaulim, Arossim, Utorda, Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Sernabatim, Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim, Mobor, Betul.
• Far south: Canaiguinim, Cabo de Rama, Cola, Agonda, Palolem, Patnem, Rajbag, Talpona, Polem, Kakolem, Dharvalem.
• Also: Mariposa Beach Grove, Kegdole, Kalacha.
• Goa has about 40 beaches on a coast of about 105 km, and tourism is central to its economy. Anjuna, Calangute, Colva, Vagator, Candolim, Betul and Palolem are among the best known.

Karnataka

• Uttara Kannada: Karwar, Devbagh, Gokarna, Kudle, Om, Half Moon, Paradise, Apsarakonda, Murudeshwara, Kasarkod.
• Udupi: Maravanthe, Kaup, Malpe, Padubidri, St Mary’s Island.
• Dakshina Kannada: Sasihithlu, Mukka, NITK, Panambur, Tannirubhavi, Someshwar, Ullal.
• Om Beach at Gokarna takes its name from its shape. Murudeshwara has a temple on the sea front, and Malpe is the gateway to St Mary’s Islands.

Keralam

• North Malabar: Bekal, Kanhangad, Azheekkal, Payyambalam, Kannur, Chal, Meenkunnu, Chootad, Muzhappilangad, Dharmadam.
• Kozhikode and Thrissur: Kappad, Saddam, Beypore, Chavakkad, Nattika, Snehatheeram.
• Kochi and Alappuzha: Cherai, Fort Kochi, Marari, Alappuzha (Alleppey), Haripad.
• Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram: Neendakara, Thirumullavaram, Thangassery, Kollam, Mundakkal, Kappil, Varkala (Papanasham), Thiruvambadi, Shangumughom, Kovalam, Vizhinjam.
• Kovalam has three bays: Hawa, Samudra and Lighthouse Beach.
• Varkala is known for the sea cliffs of the Tertiary Varkala rocks behind its beach, and for the holy shore of Papanasham.
• Kappad is linked with Vasco da Gama’s landing of 1498, and Muzhappilangad is a long beach on which vehicles can drive.

East Coast Beaches in India

Tamil Nadu

• Chennai and the north: Pulicat, Nettukuppam, Marina, Edward Elliot’s, Golden Beach, Muttukadu, Kovalam (Covelong), Mahabalipuram, Sadurangapatinam.
• Kaveri delta coast: Silver Beach, Poompuhar, Tharangambadi, Nagore, Velankanni, Kodikkarai.
• Rameswaram and the Gulf of Mannar: Olaikuda, Ariyaman, Kushi, Pamban, Dhanushkodi, Kunthukal, Kurusadai, Mandapam, Sangumal (Sengumal), Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur.
• Kanniyakumari coast: Kanniyakumari, Vattakotai, Sothavilai, Sanguthurai.
• Marina runs about 13 km (12 km in older accounts), from Chennai harbour to Santhome, and is often described as India’s longest natural urban beach.
• Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) was a Danish settlement, with Fort Dansborg on its shore. Velankanni is a Christian pilgrim centre, and Tiruchendur has a shore temple of Lord Murugan.

Andhra Pradesh

• North coast: Baruva, Kalingapatnam, Bheemunipatnam (Bheemili), Sagarnagar, Rushikonda, Tenneti Park, Ramakrishna, Yarada.
• Godavari coast: Uppada, Kakinada, Antarvedi, Perupalem.
• Krishna and Guntur coast: Manginapudi, Koduru, Suryalanka, Vodarevu.
• South coast: Rama Puram, Motupalle, Mypadu, Tupilipalem.
• Ramakrishna and Rushikonda lie close to Visakhapatnam.

Odisha

• Baleswar coast: Talsari, Dagara, Balighai, Chandipur-on-sea.
• Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur: Gahirmatha, Satabhaya, Pentha Sea Beach, Hukitola, Paradeep sea beach.
• Puri coast: Astaranga, Ramachandi, Chandrabhaga, Konark, Beleswar, Golden Beach (Puri), Baliharachandi, Satpada, Parikud.
• Ganjam coast: Malud, Ganjam, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Dhabaleshwar, Ramayapatnam, Aryapalli, Sonapur.
• Chandipur, about 16 km from Balasore town, has a “vanishing sea”: the water draws back up to about 5 km at low tide, on a very gentle slope.
• Gopalpur is backed by sand dunes, and Gahirmatha is an Olive Ridley turtle shore.

West Bengal

• Purba Medinipur coast: Digha Sea Beach, Udaypur Sea Beach, Shankarpur, Tajpur, Mandarmani, Junput, Bankiput Sea Beach.
• South 24 Parganas: Bakkhali sea beach, Frasergunj Sea Beach, Henry Island Beach, Gangasagar Sea Beach, Sagar Island, Diamond Harbour, Falta.
• Digha, near the mouth of the Ganga, is about 6 km long, with casuarina groves on a gently sloping shore.

Puducherry

• Puducherry town and nearby: Promenade, Paradise, Veerampattinam, Eden, Repos.
• Adjoining coast of Tamil Nadu: Serenity and Auroville.
• Other parts of the Union Territory: Karaikal, Yanam.

Island Territories

Beaches in Lakshadweep

• Bangaram, Kadmat, Agatti, Kalpeni, Kavaratti Island and Minicoy.
• Thundi beach on Minicoy holds the Blue Flag along with Kadmat.

Beaches in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Swaraj Dweep (Havelock): Radhanagar, Kala Patthar, Elephant Beach.
• Shaheed Dweep (Neil): Bharatpur, Laxmanpur.
• Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) and South Andaman: Corbyn’s, Wandoor.
• North and Middle Andaman: Ramnagar, Karmatang, Baratang Island.
• Radhanagar was named “Best Beach in Asia” by Time magazine in 2004, and it holds the Blue Flag.