There is no shortage of beautiful scenic beaches in Tamil Nadu State, in southern India, with its typical tropical climate. The beaches on this long coast line of the Deccan Peninsula vary from the crowded ?fun time? beaches in Chennai like the Marina and the Elliots beaches to those like Mahabalipuram, Kanyakumari, and Rameswaram beaches which are both popular tourist sites and places of historical importance also. Tamil Nadu also has beach resorts like the VGP Golden Beach which is an ideal ?fun spot? for the tiny tots and the family, and also a place where business conferences are conducted by large corporate houses. Tamil Nadu also enjoys the advantage of having an excellent infrastructure which makes travelling from one corner of the state to the other quite easy, with its air, rail, and road networks.



If we were to take Mahabalipuram, a beach with rock carvings dating back to the 6th century AD, it is just 1 hour's travel by car from the Chennai City Airport. The same applies to the VGP Golden Beach which is even closer and almost within the city. Most of the beaches in this state are picnic spots and typical family holidaying destinations.

Apart from the beaches, visiting India could in itself be an enriching experience with its rich cultural heritage. The local language spoken varies from one part of India to the other, but this need not be a constraint to the foreign visitor as English is freely spoken in the country, especially at tourist spots where foreigners are likely to gather. The Cholamandalam Artists Village is another example where you can see a beach which is still in its natural state, a typically undeveloped beach, so to say, while the chief tourist visitor attraction here is the Artists Village itself where many a foreigner gets to see and buy pieces of art which are unique to India and can be seen nowhere else in the world.

Likewise all the other major beaches in Tamil Nadu are located near urban centers or major cities which have other tourist attractions as well. Chennai or Madras as it was known formerly is the chief among the lot with its heritage buildings all along the Marina Beach coastline. The road from Chennai to the historical Mahabalipuram has other attractions like the Crocodile Bank, home to several thousand crocodiles and reptiles, and the Tiger Caves.

If you want to indulge in swimming and surfing, then Kovalam or Covelong, about 40 kms from Chennai is the ideal spot for you. This beach resort is along the Chennai to Mahabalipuram road. The coastal areas of Tamil Nadu are dotted with settlements of fisher folk, and one can always hope to go with them on their catamarans and get an idea of what fishing is like in this part of the world where fishing methods considered primitive in other parts of the modern world are still practiced.