About 58 km north of Mangalore lies a small group of islands. On a ferry ride from Malpe, a major fishing harbor in Karnataka, you can visit the spectacular St. Mary’s Island. It is an uninhabited island, beautiful and pristine offering visitors an endless coastal line and a horizon that turns magnificently crimson at sundown.
St. Mary’s Island beach in Karnataka is unlike the usual beaches of Karnataka. With black rock like columns mushrooming along its coast, it offers a unique view to the visitors. It is not a beach to laze around neither is it a swimming beach but it holds great tourists attraction because of its columned beach view.
It is best to visit in the month of December when the weather is cool and you can enjoy the sun drenched beach of St. Mary’s Island. There are no accommodations in the island except some concrete tiles to sit. There is children’s park in the island. There guards around restricting visitors from frequenting the danger zones in the sea.
A part of the beach has sea shells scattered around. Since St. Mary’s island is a big fishing harbor you can catch a glimpse of the life of the fishermen. It is indeed great to watch the fishermen hauling fishes to baskets, covering them with crushed ice and repacking them for export. Fishermen are seen mending their finishing nets.
A unique experience for many, you will love to return to the island again and watch the crimson sun go down and splash in the cool water and revel in the long shadows that cast on the Island Beach effusing a cooling effect.
