Marina Beach

Marina runs about six kilometres along the Chennai seafront, from near Fort St. George to Foreshore Estate, and is unusually wide, several hundred metres of sand in places between the promenade and the water, which makes it one of the largest urban beaches anywhere. The promenade was laid out in 1884. Statues line the walkway, memorials to Tamil political figures stand at the northern end, and the beach fills in the evening with families, cricket, horse rides, vendors selling sundal and bajji, and fishing communities working boats at the northern end. The 2004 tsunami struck here and killed many along this shore.

History

Before the Madras harbour was built in 1881, the shore here was a strip of mud reaching close to the present road; the breakwaters of the harbour then made the coast to the south build up, and the north-drifting current widened the beach to its present size. Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, governor of Madras from 1881 to 1886, conceived the promenade, created in 1884, and the country's first aquarium followed here in 1909 (Wikipedia, Marina Beach).

Highlights

• The width - several hundred metres of sand between road and sea.
• The evening crowd - families, cricket, vendors and horse rides at dusk.
• The statues and memorials - the promenade line and the northern memorials.
• The fishing boats - working craft at the northern end near the harbour.

When to go

November to February for the coolest weather; evenings are when the beach is used. Cyclone season runs October to December. Summer is severely hot and humid.

What to expect

Swimming is prohibited and dangerous; the undertow is strong. Water quality is poor. The beach is littered in places despite cleaning drives. Vendors are persistent.

Nearby

Fort St George lies north; Kapaleeshwarar temple is west in Mylapore.

Key facts