St Mary's Islands

The islands off Malpe carry columnar basalt, lava that cooled slowly enough to crack into vertical hexagonal columns, the same process that produced the Giant's Causeway. The rock here is more than ninety million years old and is associated with volcanism from the period when the Indian plate was separating from Madagascar, which makes the site geologically significant to plate tectonics as well as visually striking. Coconut Island is the one open to visitors, with the columns exposed along the shore, sand between them and shells piled on the beach. Boats run from Malpe when the sea allows.

History

During the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India in 1498, Vasco da Gama landed on the islands, set up a cross and named one of them O Padrão de Santa Maria, "the pillar of St. Mary", before sailing on to Calicut. Locally they are known as Thonsepar, the "coconut islands", and in 1975 the Geological Survey of India declared them a National Geological Monument for their columnar lava (Wikipedia, St. Mary's Islands).

What's there

• The basalt columns - vertical hexagonal formations along the shore.
• The shell beach - sand thick with broken shell between the rocks.
• The boat crossing - a short run from Malpe harbour.
• The Madagascar link - rock formed as the plates separated.

When to go

October to May; boats do not run in the monsoon from June to September when the sea is rough. Mornings are calmer. Time on the island is limited by the boat schedule.

What to expect

Boats are cancelled at short notice in rough seas. There is no shade or facilities on the island and visits are capped at an hour or two. Litter has been a problem despite restrictions.

Nearby

Udupi lies east; Malpe beach is at the jetty.

Key facts