St. Mary - Mangalore

St. Mary, located in the Udupi district, at Manglore is a popular tourist destination renowned amongst tourists and water enthusiasts. The beach is situated 58 km north of Mangalore. The St. Mary Beach is perfect for visitors who are in search of moments spent in tranquility and peace away from the hustle- bustle of the city life. The major attraction of the St. Mary's Island beach is the unique formation of basalt rocks which have crystallized into columns and split into vertical hexagonal blocks. The extreme north of the island consists of about a square mile area and a width of not more than 250 yards. The coconut grove covering the island makes it the shadiest island of the group and embellishes it with a true South Sea color.

History
St Mary's group of islands was named by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama who travelled to these islands in the year 1498 before he reached Calicut. It was then that the great explorer named one of the islands "El Padron de Santa Maria".

Attractions
In contrast to the endless abundance of golden sand characterizing the other beaches, the St. Mary Beach has a rocky terrain that is not very favorable for swimming or strolling along the shores. The St. Mary Beach has a pagan and primitive beauty with peculiar and expansive rock formations strewn around the beach. The spectacle of the beach with waves rolling in and breaking over the rocky formations is a sight to behold and displays the primordial and elemental aspect of nature.

Contrary to other beaches with endless stretch of golden sand, St Mary's Island's rocky terrain does not encourage swimming or strolling along the shores. One can only gaze around and marvel at the idiosyncrasies of the expansive rock formations scattered around the beach.
Best Time To Visit
The weather in Udupi is pleasant all year around but the best time to visit is from December to March. It is rejuvenating to bask in the sunshine and take in the sight of the stormy waters from the unusual rock formation on the beach.

How To Reach
Udupi is the nearest railway station to the St. Mary Beach and tourists can avail the train services to get to the beach. The beach is located 6 km away from the Udupi town. This place is within easy reach of Bangalore and Mangalore in Karnataka. This group of islands is easily accessible by ferry from Malpe which is a major fishing harbor.

Local Currency
The Currency in India is the Indian Rupee. One US Dollar is equal to 44.87 Indian Rupees.