Udupi in my mind had always been tied to spiritualism but it surprised me with its beautiful beaches and lush greenery. It all started with a plan to visit Goa as the Covid nos had drastically gone down. With local businesses opening up and the acceptance that we all had to adjust to the new normal, we decided to go road-tripping from Bengaluru to Goa. The plan was to drive through coastal Karnataka that we hadn’t had an opportunity to explore yet and take a few pitstops en route to Goa. One of our initial stops was Udupi and exploring Udupi with family turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip.
Exploring Udupi with family
Udupi is a well-known religious center famous for its beautifully carved temples like Sri Krishna temple, Anegudde Vinayaka temple and the Chandramoulishwar temple. And a day is enough timewise to visit the temples and observe the ancient culture and rituals. One of the unique rituals that I came to know here and is popular in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts is Nagamandala, the worship of the serpent god. Another famous festival is Laksha Deepotsava when the temples are lit by hundreds of earthen lamps.
Top Beaches in Udupi
The beaches in Udupi really charmed me in an unexpected way probably because I wasn’t really expecting them to be so scenic and naturally beautiful. The beaches reminded me of the Goan beaches before they got crowded. And as we all know, beaches are always a big hit with kids of any age. Based on recommendations from the locals, we also found some virgin beaches and deltas that were truly hidden paradise.
Malpe Beach
The first beach that we visited was Malpe beach and the sunset was beautiful. The beach shacks and the vibe reminded me of Calangute and Baga beaches in Goa, the first time we had visited Goa almost 15 years back. There are a lot of restaurants near the entrance to the public beach but despite the crowds, the beach is well maintained and clean. We could see people enjoying various water sports and the beach seemed to be a hit with the local crowd.
Mattu Beach
We stayed till the sunset at Malpe and then took the road from the beach connecting to Mattu beach, which was almost secluded. Apart from a few locals, there was no one for miles. We parked our car and walked down to the beach and stayed enjoying the calm till dusk.
St Mary’s Island
Malpe beach is also popular as there are regular ferries that run to St Mary’s island. These islands set in the Arabian sea about 20 mins away from Malpe beach are unique due to the basaltic rock formation of columnar rhyolitic lava. Offering beautiful views of the sea, the island does not have much to explore and an hour or so is enough to cover it. If you are visiting Udupi with family do check out this island if you have half a day free but make sure to avoid noontime.
Kapu beach
One of the most beautiful and peaceful beaches that we visited in Udupi was Kapu beach also known as the lighthouse beach. Quite evident by the name, there is a lighthouse on the beach which promises panoramic views of the sea, the beach and the neighbouring areas. Due to covid, the lighthouse was closed when we had visited and we couldn’t watch the sunset from up there. But nevertheless, the beach was beautiful and the water level seemed safe for kids to enjoy playing in the sea.
Kodi Bengre beach
My favorite beach in Udupi is the Kodi Bengre beach or Delta beach which is truly a hidden gem. We went early morning and had the whole beach to ourselves. Not a single soul in sight, can you believe it! The road to the beach is dotted with coconut trees, the sea on one side and the backwaters on the other. The end of the road is where you should stop and you will find the hidden beach surrounded by fishermen’s houses and rocks. As you climb up the rocks, you can see the confluence of Suvarna river with the sea. I have heard you can take a houseboat to explore the backwaters here too however we didn’t see anything other than a few fishermen’s boats.
Maravanthe beach
We drove by this long stretch of golden sand overlooking the crystal blue sea on one side and the scenic coconut groves and backwaters of river Suvarna on the other. Still away from the tourism trap, however, I wonder how long as there is a National Highway running through, the beach is really clean and serene even though it is not shaded by trees. We stopped there for a while having some coconut water and looking across the blue water. And I wondered how beautiful the beach would have been when it lay virgin untouched by commercialization.
After staying in Udupi with family for a couple of days, our next destination was Murudeshwar and Gokarna. Do wait for our next blog as we reveal our adventures during our road trip from Bangalore to Goa.
If you are looking for a luxurious hotel stay near Udupi, do read about our staycation at Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Manipal Udupi
