A natural port, a fishing harbour, a confluence point of the river with the sea
Add to that a fine sand beach buzzing with people trying water sports, kids enjoying playing in the sand and the waves and elderly taking a walk on the sea-walk!! Boats cruising to the nearby islands. Vendors selling mouth watering Indian snacks and tender coconut water. And colorful kites flying in the sky!! Able to paint the picture ? I bet if you do that, you can see the buzz and the energised beach that I am going to take you to today. Along with an everlasting list of things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi.
If you are looking for a fun, activity filled beach in the Mangalore – Udupi – Murudeshwar stretch then Malpe beach Udupi is definitely the answer!! We spend sometime on this beach while exploring Udupi for a day on our trip to coastal Karnataka . And I could easily and quickly see why the Malpe Beach Udupi is the most popular beach of Udupi. Located right besides the Udupi port. This is an action packed beach that offers a wide plethora of activities for it’s visitors of all ages. My time on this beach reminded me of the action packed beaches of Goa like the Anjuna beach or Palolem Beach. So, let me today take you on a few minutes of a virtual tour of the Malpe Beach Udupi.
Located on the coast of Udupi, Malpe beach makes of a major part of the coastline of this town. With fine sand and shallow waters, it makes for a perfect beach for several water activities. Which we will talk about shortly.
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Things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi
To be honest, there are so many things to do on Malpe Beach Udupi that you can spend one complete day at this beach itself. We could only spend a few hours here. So, we had to leave some of these activities out. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed our time here.
While you go through this list of things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi, I have arranged them in a systematic order. So that it is easy for you to try them in a sequence.
Take a ride to St. Mary’s Island Udupi
One of the most popular things to do in Udupi is a boat ride to St. Mary’s Island. It is an island built of basaltic rocks. Located just around 30km off the coast of Udupi. The “columnar joints” of the black rocks that you get to witness on St. Mary’s Island are very unique. And remind me of the well stacked columns at the Diamond Beach in Iceland. These rocks definitely were my main driving force to St. Mary’s Island. But there is also a lot of other things to do on this island off the coast of Udupi. Some of these include doing a picnic, exploring some of the off-beat beaches here and enjoying bird watching.
The tickets to St. Mary’s Island Udupi are available at the ferry point on Udupi beach. If like me, taking a ride to St. Mary’s Island Udupi is one of the top things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi on your bucket list. Then head straight to the ferry point and book your tickets as you reach the Malpe Beach. And finish this as the first activity on your chart. As the boats ply to the St. Mary’s Island only till 5:00pm in the evening. After enjoying your time on this island, when you head back to Malpe Beach, you can enjoy rest of the activities on the beach.
Enjoy a brief surfing lesson
The waves at Malpe Beach Udupi make for a perfect surfing spot. And for the same reasons, surfing is a very popular activity in Udupi. There are several surfing schools here. And some of them have their offices right on the Malpe Beach Udupi. As you walk along the beach, it is very usual that one or two of them will approach you and ask about your interest in learning surfing. They can train from beginner to pro level. These surfing classes start early in the morning. And you can practice till the evening. So, if you have ample time at hand, try surfing as one of the things to do at Malpe Beach Udupi.
Swim in the waters at Malpe Beach Udupi
The water at Malpe Beach Udupi is nice for swimming. Unlike some other beaches which I visited like the Kapu beach Udupi. Which was extremely beautiful. But had rough rocks. So, was not idle for swimming. But not at Malpe Beach. You can definitely get into the waters here and enjoy your time swimming in the sea.
Take a banana boat ride
Another popular one among things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi is to take a banana boat ride. As these boats are shaped like a banana, thus their name – “banana boat”. The fun and thrill of a banana boat ride lies in the way these boats swing up and down over the waves. Imagine a roller coaster train in an amusement park going up and down and sometimes even upside down 🙂 Thats what the banana boat ride exactly is with the waves being it’s rails on which the boat runs!! Try it out as it is one of the most popular water activities to try in Malpe Beach.
Enjoy Zorbing on Malpe beach
I have not seen zorbing on many beaches in India. Except maybe Palolem Beach. It is definitely a fun water activity. And one you can give a try when at Malpe Beach Udupi. Another water sport to add to your list of things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi.
Relax on the sea beach
After enjoying all the water sports, it definitely calls for a little relaxation at the beach. Lazying around on the beach with a refreshing glass of fresh juice and a book in hand is my perfect definition of a tropical holiday. You can definitely take some time out and try this activity next. Relax on the Malpe beach for a while before we embark on the next set of activities to do on Malpe Beach Udupi.
Fly a kite with your kid
On our trip to Coastal Karnataka, we enjoyed flying kites with our kids on the beach!! Something that we had not experienced before on our trip to multiple other beaches including the beaches of Pondicherry, the beaches of Goa and Mahabalipuram. It was really fun and we enjoyed it thoroughly while having perfect family time. So, this is one activity I highly recommend including in your list of things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi if you are traveling here with your kids.
Take some beautiful snaps in the Malpe Beach Park
I am not sure if there is a name to this park. Lying right besides the Malpe Beach, the way to the Sea Walk Malpe goes via this park. It is a small but beautifully done and well maintained area with some greenery, a small kids play area, an amphitheater that can sit a small crowd and a lot of instagram perfect spots to take pictures. My kids particularly enjoyed posing besides the big sea creatures like the colorful fish and the beautiful snail. And getting themselves captured on the camera 🙂 . This is one of those things to do at Malpe Beach Udupi which hardly takes any time. But creates a quick lifelong memory.
Let kids enjoy in the Malpe Beach Kids Play Area
The play area within the Malpe Beach Park consists of couple of slides and a sea-saw. In the evening, kids can definitely enjoy here. There is something about play areas that attracts kids like nails to magnet 😀 No matter if they are in a resort or besides a sea or in their own house, as soon as they spot a kids play area, they have got to go there. And it is a win win as it gives us a much needed relaxing time while they engage themselves in their play in the play area. I suggest, after all the fun, walking and water sports, take your kids here. And steal some me time for yourself while they explore the play area.
Walk the Malpe Sea Walk
After enjoying the Malpe Beach Park and kids play area, walk through the park to reach the Malpe Beach Sea Walk. Again, this is something very unique to Malpe Beach Udupi. Walking on this sea walk with the water on both sides gives you a feeling of walking right in the middle of the sea. And once you reach the end-point of the walk, it is like being surrounded by water on all three sides. Something I earlier experienced at Muninagara Dam near Bangalore on my day trip there. And the experience was so enthralling. So, I will definitely suggest trying a small walk on the Malpe Sea Walk as one of the things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi.
While talking the Malpe Sea Walk, you can observe the boats sailing around, the local fishermen catching fish, a glimpse of St. Mary’s Island and several other nearby islands, birds flying by and also a beautiful sunset!!
Observe the local fishermen going for their catch
Malpe Beach Udupi has been a natural fishing harbour since ages. While the buzz of the beach started in the recent past. The local community here for ages has thrived on their fishing and fish exports. As such, if you spend even a little time at Malpe beach Udupi, you will get to see some fishing activity for sure. You can spot from small boats to large vessels with humungous fishing nets sailing in the sea. Depending on the time of the day when you visit the Malpe Beach, you will either see them preparing for the days catch. Or, you will observe them winding their day. No matter which one you get to see, it’s always a fascinating experience to observe their skills and art.
Enjoy a beautiful sunset
No trip to a beach on the west coast of India can complete without observing a beautiful sunset. Same holds true of Malpe Beach Udupi as well. On clear days, the sunset at Malpe Beach Udupi is simply mesmerising. So, while you finish the rest of the activities on the beach, wait patiently for the sun to start setting. And I am sure you will have some of the sunset views of your life!! That is why I put enjoying a beautiful sunset as one of the things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi. And you can time it perfectly while taking a walk in the Malpe Sea Walk.
Enjoy a performance in the Malpe Beach Amphitheater
In the center of the same park, lies a small Amphitheater. Here, a lot of cultural activities and folk dance performances are held late in the evening. Now, this is something very unique to the Malpe Beach Udupi. And that is why I suggest it must be on your list of things to do in Malpe Beach Udupi. The only other beach where I have seen such performances getting organised was the Promenade beach on my trip to Pondicherry.
The performance stage itself is very dramatic with a statue of a man-Garuda at the centre of it. I can only imagine how charged and dramatic the performance will look happening at night, with colorful attires of the artists and the vibrant atmosphere around, at the foot of this statue!! However I wanted to, I couldn’t catch a live performance as we had to leave early from here. But, I strongly recommend you include one in your list of things to do in Malpe beach Udupi. As you return from Malpe Sea Walk after enjoying a beautiful sunset and watching the fishermen, it will make a perfect time for you to stop at the Malpe Beach Amphitheater for the cultural show.
Try some mouth watering street snack
The whole sea beach stretch as well as the area near the Malpe Beach Park is dotted with several shops. These shops and restaurants get abuzz with activity as the evening progresses. They sell mouthwatering Indian snacks like potato fritters, pakodas, sea food, soft drinks, fresh fruit juices and fruit bowls, tender coconut, roasted corn cobs or boiled sweet corn, Indian chaats and several others. It only makes sense to end your day enjoying some of these delicacies. Particularly after the huge number of things you accomplished on the Malpe Beach Udupi since your arrival here, isn’t it?
Facilities at Malpe Beach Udupi
- There is a paid parking available at Malpe Beach Udupi
- Public toilets are available at Malpe Beach
- You can take a ticket to the St. Mary’s Island from the office near ferry starting point at Malpe Beach Udupi
- There are ample food, water and snacks available
- Carry your own sunscreen, sunglasses, beach towels etc. to the beach
Best time to visit Malpe Beach Udupi
The best time to visit Malpe Beach Udupi will be in the morning hours and evening hours around 4pm. Also, winter months are the peak time to visit Udupi and Malpe beach. Monsoons also make for a good time when it’s not raining heavily. However, the access to St. Mary’s Island remains closed during the monsoon months from July till September. So that is one thing you will miss while visiting here. Avoid the peak summer months of March through May as the temperature in this area around this time gets uncomfortably hot.
General information on visiting Udupi
- For stay, there are many beach resorts and hotels near Malpe Beach Udupi. Which include the Paradise Isle Beach Resort, Providence Homestay etc. You can browse the complete list of places to stay in Udupi here.
- You can reach Udupi via train, take a flight to Mangalore and then a taxi to Udupi from there. Or, you can directly drive to Udupi like we did
- Udupi is better known as a religious hub of Karnataka owing to it’s famous Sri Krishna Temple and Matha and the story behind it. Do plan to visit this and few other old temples of Udupi when in town.
- We visited Udupi along with Mangalore and Murudeshwar on our Coastal Karnataka Road Trip. Here are other resources from this trip to help you plan a similar trip :
Sri Krishna Temple and Math Udupi
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