I lived in Bangalore for 2 years and didnt knwo that this place was just an overnight trip! St Mary's group of islands got their name courtesy Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama who descended on these islands in 1498 before he reached Calicut. ( Log Out / Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube. Considering the importance and rarity of such an occurrence, these islands were classified as a National Geological Monument in 2001 by the Geological Survey of India. Great read! Later studies had dated it at 93 Ma by the K-Ar dating technique. They are known for their distinctive geological formation of columnar rhyolitic lava (pictured). Here is our short video on St Marys Islands. St. Mary's Islands, also known as Coconut Island and Thonsepar, are a set of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi, Karnataka, India. It has a verdant green cover and we could see and hear different birds basking luxuriously in this green utopia. Thank you Stacey. St. Mary's Islands, also known as Coconut Island and Thonsepar, are a set of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi, Karnataka, India. The Management, however, has been catering equally to the basic education requirements of children of other communities as well. Since the last few yards of the approach to the island involves wading, it may be preferable to avoid wearing sneakers.[18]. A quaint island just off the coast of Udupi, St. Mary's Island is an island of white sand beaches, rock monoliths and great wildlife making it a mesmerizing place to be in. St. Mary's Island is a collection of small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi district. [1], Scientific studies indicate that the basalt of the St. Mary's Islands was formed by sub-aerial subvolcanic activity, because at that time Madagascar was attached to India. We too chanced upon it and do not regret the visit. St Mary's Island is a beautiful island near Malpe , Udupi. Learn how your comment data is processed. For advanced boating service visit malpe beach which is 5.8km from town udupi. We spent some time lying on the sand and letting the waves gently massage our feet and then we were on our way to explore the island. The island covers an area which is about 500 m (1,640.4 ft) in length with a width of 100 m (328.1 ft). There is no habitation on the islands. Sigh! There are plenty of beachside bungalows and offbeat homestays in the town which can be booked. There was no sign of the weather getting any better, in fact, it was getting worse! It sounds like a truly wonderful trip! Located just 4 miles off the coast of Karnataka in the Arabian Sea, St. Mary's Island is a geological treasure and hosts some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Crystal clear waters of the sea gently caressing your feet as you sit on the soft white sands of the beach underneath the shade of a swaying palm tree, and all you can hear is the gentle lap-lap of the waves and your own heart beating. We have put together a very useful travel resources page with best travel tips. There are 1 airports in Bangalore—Kempegowda International Airport. It has prominent coconut trees, its cover reflecting an azure south sea colour, and hence the island is also called Coconut Island. Airlines adjust prices for plane tickets based on the day and time that you book your flight. Change ). It is indeed a place straight out of one’s dreams! . We were determined to visit this place at the earliest and in spite of it being a rainy season we boarded a night bus from Bangalore to Udupi and reached there in the early morning and took an auto-rickshaw to Malpe which is about 6 kilometres away. Connectez-vous The four largest islands are Coconut Island, North Island, Daryabahadurgarh Island and South Island. Indeed it was the only smart way to go and enjoy the trip! Unique Rock Formations at St Marys Islands, Where to Stay When Visiting St. Mary’s Islands, Top 10 Things To Do in Udaipur in 48 hours, Indian food you should definitely try in your lifetime, Bayon Temple in Cambodia – Smile of Angkor, Parshwanath Jain Temple Ranakpur, Rajasthan, A road trip from Gangtok to Nathula at an altitude of 14,400 feet, The island has been classified as a National Geological monument because of the columnar basaltic lava found here which is very rare, The basaltic rock is believed to have been formed more than 80 million years ago at the time of the Madagascar rifting before this interestingly Madagascar was joined to India, St Mary’s Island is also known as Coconut Island as well as Thonespar and is actually a group of 4 islands, There is a regular ferry service that operates from Malpe harbour to St. Mary’s Island but again the service is dependent on weather conditions as well as the number of tourists, The ferry service to St.Mary’s Island generally operates from around 10 AM to 5.30 PM and is closed in the monsoon, St Marys Islands is about 7 kilometres from Malpe beach and is reached by a 30-minute boat ride, Malpe is a small seaside village at a distance of about 6 kilometres from the temple town of Udupi in Karnataka, The nearest airport is Mangalore International Airport at a distance of about 63 kilometres from Malpe, St. Mary’s Island is about 414 kilometres from Bangalore. One more for the travel ‘to do’ list! Wow, what a gorgeous place – those rocks!! This is so beautiful! The only way of getting to the islands is by boat. The island looked like it was worth all the trouble to get there. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! There are only covered pavilions with park benches on the shore and further inland. This island can be reached from the the Malpe harbour where the ferry ride to the island can be boarded. Thank you. Visitors have to carry drinking water and sun screens since the climate is usually hot. You can do a road trip from Mangalore or alternatively from Bangalore by self-drive car or cab or bus. So we had a quick discussion with the man behind the counter and agreed to pay the fare for 20 people and the boat would take us to the island. We then spent some time just strolling around the island allowing our senses to absorb the natural sights, sounds, and fragrances all around us. The actual prices will be shown at time of booking.). The boat anchored very near the shore and we gently stepped into the cool and clear water and walked across the clean sand to the island. We retraced our steps and were back in the hotel. Thank you. Oh my! Continue reading to know more about us. [1] The lava rocks form regular five, six or seven-sided pillars, called "laminar lava", and are found in varying heights in all the islands; the tallest of the columns is about 6 m (20 ft). We checked into the same hotel and again made our way to the port. Yes, agree. Those are my thoughts, it sounds amazing and your writing just takes me there! Travelers can easily visit the Island through ferry boat from Malpe Beach. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I am glad you liked it. . I will check out your blog soon. Were we dreaming? Do you want to know how to travel the world? How many airports are there in Bangalore? ( Log Out / This looks so dreamy! St. Mary's Island St. Mary's Island is located at a distance of 6 km from Udupi and 65 km north of Mangalore. toutes les destinations. The ferries start at 9 am and the last ferry leaves the island at 6 pm. Thank you. The gloomy weather did not bode well for us but our spirits were not dampened, excitedly we checked in to our hotel and after a hurried breakfast was again seated in an auto-rickshaw making our way to a shipbuilding yard or port from where we understood we would get a boat that would take us to St Mary’s Island. Tous droits réservés, reproduction des guides de voyage en ligne et de toutes les pages du site strictement interdite sans autorisation. Below are some common questions asked about this flight route: Trip.com is part of Trip.com Group Limited, one of the world's leading providers of travel services.