CityDekho
St. Mary's Islands (Udupi)

St. Mary's Islands (Udupi)

beach · Karnataka

A cluster of islands off Malpe near Udupi, famed for unique hexagonal basalt rock columns, white-shell sands and clear water reached by a short boat ride.

State
Karnataka
Type
Beach
Best season
Winter
Things to do
1+

A cluster of islands off Malpe near Udupi, famed for unique hexagonal basalt rock columns, white-shell sands and clear water reached by a short boat ride. 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.

When to go

November to February is the beach season here; the June–September monsoon brings rough seas and most shacks come down.

Why visit

Islands of rare hexagonal basalt columns and shell beaches, a short boat ride from Malpe.

St. Mary's Islands (Udupi) guide & itineraries

Been to St. Mary's Islands (Udupi)?

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 St. Mary's Islands (Udupi) also loved these

Karnataka

Bangalore Fort

Bangalore Fort, located near Krishna Rajendra Market in Chamrajpet, Bengaluru, began as a mud fort and was later rebuilt in stone; today only the Delhi Gate…

More beaches & coast

More places you'll love

Gujarat

Positra Beach

A hidden gem in the Marine National Park area, surrounded by rich biodiversity and calm marine waters.

Gujarat

Okha Madhi Beach

An untouched, quiet beach located between Jamnagar and Dwarka, offering wide stretches of golden sand and clear water.

Gujarat

Suvali Beach

A secluded black-sand beach located away from city crowds, perfect for peaceful strolls and photography.

Gujarat

Pingleshwar Beach

A peaceful beach near Kori Creek featuring an ancient Shiv temple, sand dunes, and frequent visits from migratory birds.

Gujarat

Sarkheshwar Beach

An offbeat, serene beach known for white sand and gentle tides, ideal for a peaceful getaway.

Gujarat

Ubharat Beach

A popular weekend destination surrounded by palm groves, offering open sea views and local food vendors.

Gujarat

Narara Marine National Park Beach

A unique coastal area where low tide allows visitors to walk shallow waters and observe living corals, sea anemones, and crabs up close.

Gujarat

Miyani Beach

A rugged, scenic beach near Miyani village featuring rocky shores, clear water, and a tranquil atmosphere.

Daman & Diu

Ghoghla Beach

A clean, quiet Blue Flag beach on the Gujarat border offering gentle waves, golden sand, and parasailing.

Gujarat

Dandi Beach

A historic black-sand beach where Mahatma Gandhi concluded the famous 1930 Salt March, complete with a national memorial museum.

Gujarat

Tithal Beach

Famous for its unique black sand and vibrant promenade. It sits close to the Swaminarayan and Sai Baba temples, making it a popular spot for evening walks.

Gujarat

Shivrajpur Beach

A pristine Blue Flag-certified beach known for turquoise waters and fine white sand. It is ideal for swimming, scuba diving, and water sports.

Trending in Karnataka

Mysuru (Mysore Palace)

Mysuru (Mysore Palace)

Mysuru is a small, orderly, easy city, and it has the one palace in India that is worth seeing lit up. Mysore Palace switches its exterior lights on for a short window on Sunday evenings and through Dasara — around a hundred thousand bulbs on the outline of the building. Check the current timings locally, because they change, and be there before it happens rather than after. Inside, the Durbar Hall and the marriage pavilion are the rooms to slow down in. Photography is not allowed in the interior and shoes come off at the entrance. Chamundi Hill above the city is the standard sunset trip. The steps up — around a thousand of them — are a better way to arrive than the road, and the Nandi bull two-thirds of the way up is the reason to walk rather than drive. Devaraja Market is the working market: flowers by the kilo, sandalwood, bananas in a dozen varieties. Go in the morning while it is being restocked. Dasara in September or October is the city at full volume, with a caparisoned elephant procession. It is also when every room is booked. October to February otherwise.

Hampi

Hampi

Hampi is an archaeological site in the open air, spread along the boulder-strewn Tungabhadra in Vijayanagara district. It covers over 41 square kilometres, and all of it is the ruined imperial capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. There are palaces, military bastions, long straight bazaar streets and stone temples of great complexity. The carvings of the Hazara Rama Temple and the stone chariot at the Vittala complex are as fine as medieval South Indian sculpture gets. The whole landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Badami Fort

Badami Fort

Badami Fort sits atop a red sandstone hill about 2 km from Badami town in Bagalkot district, Karnataka. Badami (ancient Vatapi) was the capital of the Chalukya dynasty, and the fort overlooks the town's famous rock-cut cave temples, an artificial lake, and the Bhutanatha temple complex.

Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National Park, in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, is one of India's tiger reserves and part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Once a hunting ground of the Mysore maharajas, its teak and rosewood forests shelter tigers, leopards, elephants, gaur and dholes, and it forms a continuous wildlife corridor with Nagarhole, Mudumalai and Wayanad.

Where next?

More like St. Mary's Islands (Udupi)

BeachesHidden GemsAdventure

Everything in KarnatakaBrowse all destinations