Chennai is situated on the Eastern
Coastal Plains of India and abutting the sea, Bay of Bengal.
The eastern edge of the city features a number of popular
beach fronts like Marina Beach, Elliot's Beach and Covelong.
The Marina Beach and Elliot's Beach are located within the
city premises where as Covelong lies further south and in
the satellite town of Mammalapuram. The beaches of Chennai
feature great many attractions and as such are visited by
a good number of foreign as well as domestic tourists.
The beaches of Chennai, Covelong and Marina are ideal for
surfing and swimming. These beaches are visited by all sorts
of people and primarily constitute the family beaches in Chennai.
The beach fronts are often inhabited by the fishermen community
whose presence sometimes adds color to the scene. The silhouette
appearance of the fishermen boats in the early hours of the
morning is a wonderful scene to capture. Elliot's Beach on
the other hand is sparsely inhabited and assures a good privacy.
These beaches are further provided with a number of attractions
in the form of monuments, memorials and popular sacred places.
Marina Beach
Marina is a beautiful laid out beach that lies along the eastern
coasts of Tamil Nadu. Marina Beach falls in the capital city
of the Tamil Nadu, that is Chennai. The beach has the distinction
of being the second largest beach in the world and the largest
in Asia. The beach territory is spread well over an entire
12 kms stretch and is well provided to inculcate various beach
activities. As a tourist destination, the beach offers ample
opportunities for swimming, wind surfing, fishing, sun bathing
and more. To add to all this, there are various memorials
and parks at Marina. It was Governor Grant Duff who initiated
the developmental works at the beach and named it Marina Beach.
From tourists perception the visit to Marina Beach is just
inevitable.
Attractions
Marina Beach hosts a number of activities. To start with we
have a long stretch of silver sand lining that abuts the Bay
of Bengal. A good number of beach tourists can be seen swimmimg,
surfing and playing beach volley ball along Marina. Kids making
sand castles, the silhoutted appearance of the fishermen boats,
horse rides, lantern lit shops and stalls, picturesque view
of old buildings and refreshing parks and of course the splendid
view of the sunset are some of the best features at Marina
Beach.
There is a park stroll (promenade) that seperates the sandy
beaches and the main road. The park is quite a popular place,
containing sculptures of some of some noted personalities
of the region and India. Some of the pioneers include Mahatma
Gandhi, B.G. Tilak, Bharathidasan, Tiruvalluvar, Kamaraj,
Swami Sivananda and Thanthai Periyar.
The famous Aquarium and Ice House also lie in the vicinity.
The beach drive houses some important establishments like
the University of Madras, Senate House, Chepauk Palace and
Presidency College.
Covelong Beach
Intro
Covelong Beach is located in between the city of Chennai and
the adjoining Mahabalipuram. The beach stretch lies about
40 kms away from the city. The beach is typically noted for
its serene beauty and beach activites. Covelong differs from
the rest of the beaches in that the precincts are not over
crowded and most of the pleasure is derived from the smooth
and peaceful environment. This fact makes it one of the most
sought after by people who want a little bit privacy, thrill
and solitude. The beach has witnessed some historical events
in the past era. It was Saadat Ali, the Nawab of Carnatic,
who built a port here in the year 1746. In the meantime, the
port area developed strategic importance and was subjected
to a number of attacks. The port was captured by the French
in 1752, under the commandship of General Laboudonnais. The
French troops were soon routed by the British General Clive.
Attractions
Covelong Beach is famous for its clear waters and serenity.
The beach is one of the best for people who likes a dip and
a dive. Swimmimg and wind surfing are popular activities of
the tourists. The beach environs are quite fruitful for those
who seek meditation. The beach houses the adorable fishing
settlement. There are other attractions of the bygone era
like an old old fort, church and a mosque. These attractions,
however, are secondary and most of the people enjoy either
the dip or basking in the sun.
Not very far from the beach is the tourist hotspot Mahabalipuram.
The tourists who come to Covelong Beach, generally makes to
the place of Mahabalipuram.
Elliot's Beach
Intro
Elliot's Beach is situated on the Eastern Coastal Plains of
India and in the state of Tamil Nadu. The beach lines up the
shores of the Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. The
famous Marina Beach in the Chennai city extends further south
and gives rise to the Elliot's Beach. The beach is provided
with many attractions that ensure frequent visits by tourists
as well the locals residing in the nearby regions. The place
makes up a good destiny for people who does not like the hue
and cry of the techno city.
Attractions
Elliot's Beach is known for the its serene atmosphere. The
beach as such is the cynosure for the youth as well the foreign
tourists looking for a bit of privacy. The beach is lined
with food stalls and small shops that cater to the beach visitors.
The northern part of the beach sees maximum concentration
of the visitors. The southern part, the one away from the
Marina Beach is a little filthy.
Besides the golden sands and the chill of the water, Elliot's
Beach also houses some popular shrines. The Velankani Church
and the Ashtalakshmi Temple make up the popular sites on the
beach. Ashtalakshmi temple, Hundreds of people pay homage
at these places. These pilgrim places are located on the northern
end of the beach.
The Schmidt Memorial dedicated to a Dutch sailor, who lost
his life while saving a drowning fellow, is one among the
many conspicuous landmarks on the famous beach
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