CityDekho
South Andaman Island

South Andaman Island

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Most visitors spend the bulk of their time on this island without quite thinking of it as one.

State
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Type
Other

Most visitors spend the bulk of their time on this island without quite thinking of it as one. It is the southernmost of the Great Andaman group, it carries the majority of the archipelago's population, and Sri Vijaya Puram, capital of the union territory, stands on it. Where the people are is where the noise is, so plan on this being the base you keep returning to between boat trips rather than the quiet part of the holiday. Nothing here is remote in the way the rest of the chain is.

South Andaman Island is known for

Sri Vijaya PuramSouthernmost Great AndamanMost-populated island

South Andaman Island guide & itineraries

Been to South Andaman Island?

Write what you would tell a friend — where you stayed, what you would skip, the thing you wish somebody had mentioned before you went. We read every submission before it goes up.

Share your story

People also explored

Travellers viewing South Andaman Island also loved these

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Saddle Peak (Andaman Islands)

At 732 metres this is the top of the whole archipelago, which on an island means the walk up is modest by mainland standards and the view is not.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Elephant Beach (Havelock)

Reached by boat or a jungle trail on Swaraj Dweep, Elephant Beach is the Andamans' top spot for snorkelling, scuba diving and shallow-water coral.

More hidden gems

More places you'll love

Maharashtra

Devbagh & Tarkarli Sangam

Near Malvan, the Devbagh sandbar where the Karli River meets the sea has scuba diving, dolphin trips and the clearest water on the Konkan.

Leh & Ladakh

Zanskar Valley

Zanskar is one of the last genuinely difficult journeys left in India, and that is the whole appeal.

Jammu & Kashmir

Sonamarg

Sonamarg is eighty kilometres up from Srinagar and the last town before Zoji La and Ladakh.

Sikkim

Yuksom

Yuksom is a historical village in West Sikkim, the first capital of the old Sikkimese kingdom and the trailhead for the famed Goecha La and Dzongri treks…

West Bengal

Sundarbans National Park

The Sundarbans National Park is the largest continuous mangrove forest on earth — a vast estuarine delta in West Bengal formed where the Ganges and…

Odisha

Chilika & Rambha Coast

Where Asia's largest brackish lagoon, Chilika, meets the sea, this coast is famed for Irrawaddy dolphins, vast migratory birdlife and empty island beaches.

Puducherry

Paradise Beach (Pondicherry)

Reached by a short backwater boat ride from Chunnambar near Pondicherry, Paradise Beach is a clean golden sandbar between lagoon and sea, popular for day trips.

Kerala

Kappad Beach

The historic beach near Kozhikode where Vasco da Gama first landed in India in 1498, today a quiet rocky-and-sandy shore with a commemorative monument.

Karnataka

Hampi

Hampi is an archaeological site in the open air, spread along the boulder-strewn Tungabhadra in Vijayanagara district.

Kerala

Marari Beach

A fishing-village beach near Alleppey, Marari is prized for its palm-fringed calm, eco-resorts, ayurveda and an authentic slice of coastal Kerala life.

Goa

Galgibaga (Turtle) Beach

One of South Goa's quietest beaches, Galgibaga is a protected olive ridley turtle nesting site with casuarina-lined sands and almost no development.

Kerala

Alleppey (Backwaters)

The mistake in Alleppey is the day boat. A houseboat only becomes worth it once the day-trippers have gone home and the water goes quiet.

Trending in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Cellular Jail (Port Blair)

Cellular Jail (Port Blair)

The Cellular Jail in Port Blair, known as Kala Pani, is a colonial-era prison built by the British between 1896 and 1906 to hold Indian freedom fighters in solitary confinement. Its original seven wings radiated from a central tower like spokes; today the surviving structure is a national memorial to the independence movement.

Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)

Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)

Havelock Island, officially Swaraj Dweep, is the most popular island in the Andamans. Radhanagar Beach is the reason most people come — powdery white sand, and the sunsets it is known for — and there is serious scuba diving off the island as well. Turquoise water, coral reefs, kayaking through the mangroves and unhurried beach shacks fill out the rest of it. Elephant Beach is where the diving and snorkelling are done. Honeymooners, divers and backpackers all come for it.

Radhanagar Beach (Havelock)

Radhanagar Beach (Havelock)

Regularly rated among Asia's best beaches, Radhanagar on Swaraj Dweep is a flawless arc of white sand, turquoise water and west-facing sunsets. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.

Elephant Beach (Havelock)

Elephant Beach (Havelock)

Reached by boat or a jungle trail on Swaraj Dweep, Elephant Beach is the Andamans' top spot for snorkelling, scuba diving and shallow-water coral. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.

Where next?

More like South Andaman Island

Hidden Gems

Or a different kind of trip

Hill StationsBeachesHeritage

Everything in Andaman & Nicobar IslandsBrowse all destinations