Why Malpe Beach Is A Hidden Gem You Need To Visit

Are you looking for a relaxing and refreshing getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life? Do you want to explore an unspoiled beach town with a fishing harbor, a sea walk, and four rocky islands?

If yes, then Malpe Beach in Udupi, Karnataka, India is the perfect destination for you. Malpe Beach is one of the most beautiful and serene beaches in India, with white sand, clear water, and pleasant weather. It offers various attractions and activities for travelers who love nature, adventure, culture, and food.

In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive travel guide and tips for visiting Malpe Beach and its surroundings. Read on to find out why Malpe Beach should be on your bucket list.

Reasons to Visit Malpe Beach

Malpe Beach is a hidden gem of Karnataka Tourism that has something for everyone. Here are some of the reasons why you should visit Malpe Beach:

- The beach itself is a sight to behold, with its white sand, clear water, and free wifi facilities. You can relax on the beach, enjoy the sun and breeze, or indulge in some water sports such as parasailing and banana boat rides.

- The sea walk is a unique attraction that lets you walk over rocks near the harbor and enjoy a panoramic view of the beach and the islands. It is the first of its kind in India and the second in Asia.

- The four rocky islands near the beach are St Mary’s Island, Daria Bahadurgad Island, Daria Gadara Kalluthe Island, and Kari Illada Kallu Island. They are accessible by boat from the beach and offer a different experience of nature and wildlife. St Mary’s Island is the most famous and popular among them, with its unique black rocks and coconut trees.

- The Vadabhandeshwara Balarama Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Balarama near the beach. It is believed that Lord Balarama visited this place during his pilgrimage and installed a Shivalinga here. The temple is also known for its annual chariot festival.

- The industries near the beach are shipbuilding, fisheries, tile making and coconut processing industries that showcase the local economy and livelihood of the people. You can visit these industries and learn more about their history and processes.

Places to Visit Near Malpe Beach

Malpe Beach is not only a destination in itself but also a gateway to many other places that can be visited along with it. Here are some of the nearby places that you can explore:

Udupi:

Udupi is a temple town famous for its Sri Krishna Temple and cuisine. It is located 5 kms from Malpe Beach and can be reached by bus or auto rickshaw. The Sri Krishna Temple is one of the most revered temples in India, where the idol of Lord Krishna is worshipped through a window called Kanakana Kindi. Udupi is also known for its delicious vegetarian food, especially the dosas, idlis, sambar, and chutneys.

Mangaluru:

Mangaluru is a city with more beaches, temples, and attractions. It is located 60 kms from Malpe Beach and can be reached by bus or train. Some of the places to visit in Mangaluru are Panambur Beach, Tannirbhavi Beach, Kadri Manjunath Temple, St Aloysius Chapel, Pilikula Nisargadhama etc.

Kapu Beach:

Kapu Beach is another beach with a lighthouse and a fort. It is located 20 kms from Malpe Beach and can be reached by bus or auto rickshaw. The lighthouse offers a stunning view of the Arabian Sea and the sunset. The fort was built by Tipu Sultan in the 18th century and is now in ruins.

Kadike Beach:

Kadike Beach is a lesser-known beach north of Malpe Beach. It is a secluded and peaceful beach with golden sand and blue water. It is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, or picnicking.

Padukere Beach:

Padukere Beach is another beach south of Malpe Beach. It is a clean and calm beach with greenery and coconut trees. It is suitable for relaxing, fishing, or boating.

Also read: Malpe - The Wonderful Beach of Karnataka

How to Reach Malpe Beach

Malpe Beach can be easily reached from different cities by road, rail, or air. Here are some of the ways to reach Malpe Beach:

By Road:

Malpe Beach is well connected by road to major cities such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru etc. You can take a bus or drive your own vehicle to reach Malpe Beach. The distance from Bengaluru to Malpe Beach is about 400 kms and it takes about 8 hours to reach by road. The distance from Mysuru to Malpe Beach is about 270 kms and it takes about 5 hours to reach by road. The distance from Mangaluru to Malpe Beach is about 60 kms and it takes about 1.5 hours to reach by road.

By Rail:

The nearest railway station to Malpe Beach is Udupi Railway Station, which is 5 kms from the beach. You can take a train from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru or other cities to Udupi Railway Station and then take a bus or auto rickshaw to Malpe Beach. The train journey from Bengaluru to Udupi takes about 10 hours, from Mysuru to Udupi takes about 7 hours, and from Mangaluru to Udupi takes about 1 hour.

By Air:

The nearest airport to Malpe Beach is Mangalore International Airport, which is 60 kms from the beach. You can take a flight from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi or other cities to Mangalore International Airport and then take a bus or taxi to Malpe Beach. The flight journey from Bengaluru to Mangalore takes about 1 hour, from Mumbai to Mangalore takes about 1.5 hours, and from Delhi to Mangalore takes about 3 hours.

Where to Stay Near Malpe Beach

Malpe Beach has various accommodation facilities such as resorts, hotels, lodges, homestays etc. that cater to different budgets and preferences. Here are some of the top hotel collections near Malpe Beach based on different criteria:

Budget:

If you are looking for a budget-friendly stay near Malpe Beach, you can choose from hotels such as Hotel Sri Ram Residency, Hotel Udupi Residency, Hotel Sri Krishna Residency etc. These hotels offer basic amenities such as AC rooms, TV, wifi, parking etc. at affordable rates.

Luxury:

If you are looking for a luxurious stay near Malpe Beach, you can choose from resorts such as Paradise Isle Beach Resort, Paradise Lagoon Resort, Sai Vishram Beach Resort etc. These resorts offer premium amenities such as swimming pool, spa, gym, restaurant, bar etc. at premium rates.

Beach-Front Cottages / Resorts:

If you are looking for a stay near the beach or the islands, you can choose from beach resorts such as Malpe Sea Front Cottage, St Mary’s Island Resort, Coconut Island Resort etc. These beach resorts offer scenic views of the sea and the islands along with comfortable amenities such as AC rooms, TV, wifi, balcony etc.

Homestay:

If you are looking for a homely stay near Malpe Beach, you can choose from homestays such as Thonse Nature Cure & Yoga Centre, Shri Krishna Ayurveda & Yoga Centre, Shri Krishna Heritage Home etc. These homestays offer a cozy and authentic experience of the local culture and cuisine along with amenities such as AC rooms, TV, wifi, kitchen etc.

What to Eat at Malpe Beach

Malpe Beach is not only a paradise for nature lovers but also for food lovers. You can enjoy a variety of dishes at Malpe Beach or nearby places that will satisfy your taste buds and appetite. Here are some of the dishes that you should try at Malpe Beach:

Fish Fry:

Fish fry is a must-try dish at Malpe Beach. You can choose from different types of fish such as pomfret, kingfish, mackerel etc. that are freshly caught and fried in spices and oil. You can enjoy the fish fry with rice or roti and chutney or curry.

Ghee Roast Chicken:

Ghee roast chicken is another popular dish at Malpe Beach. It is a spicy and tangy dish made with chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and spices and roasted in ghee (clarified butter). You can relish the ghee roast chicken with neer dosa (thin rice crepes) or appam (rice pancakes).

Neer Dosa:

Neer dosa is a staple dish of Udupi cuisine that goes well with any curry or chutney. It is a thin and soft crepe made with rice batter and water (neer means water in Kannada). You can have neer dosa with ghee roast chicken, fish curry, coconut chutney etc.

Ice Cream:

Ice cream is a sweet treat that you can enjoy at Malpe Beach. You can find many ice cream parlors near the beach that serve different flavors and varieties of ice cream such as kulfi (frozen milk dessert), falooda (cold dessert with vermicelli (cold dessert with vermicelli, milk, ice cream, and nuts), and gudbud (layered ice cream with fruits and nuts). You can try some of the famous ice cream parlors near Malpe Beach such as Diana Ice Cream, Ideal Ice Cream, Pabbas Ice Cream etc.

These are some of the dishes that you can savor at Malpe Beach. You can also find other cuisines such as Chinese, North Indian, South Indian etc. at various restaurants or food shacks near the beach. Some of the best restaurants or food shacks near Malpe Beach are Malpe Lunch Home, Hotel Karavali, Hotel Durga International etc.

Malpe Beach is a hidden gem of nature, adventure, and culture that awaits you in Udupi, Karnataka, India. It is an unexplored beach town with a fishing harbor, a sea walk, and four rocky islands. It offers various attractions and activities for travelers who love nature, adventure, culture, and food. You can also visit nearby places such as Udupi, Mangaluru, Kapu Beach etc.

If you are looking for a relaxing and refreshing getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life, then Malpe Beach is the perfect place for you. Plan your trip now and experience the beauty and charm of this unexplored beach town in Karnataka. You will not regret it!

Malpe Beach Reviews

Rahul Raghunath

224 Followers

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The food is local and remains true to it's history of fishing. We stumbled upon a restaurant that was serving sea food meals. The menu consisted of just starters and finger foods and all the customers eat rice and fish curry. The rice and curry costs about Rs. 50 and so do most of the other food. The local soft drink is of ginger, lemon, kokam and other flavors. Malpe beach has a number of food stalls that serve some of the freshest fish you'll ever get to eat. at prices that you won't believe. The people are some of the nicest I've ever come across. They're extremely cooperative and will try their best to help you even though you may not be aware of the local language, Konkani. The roads are clean and safe to stroll around at night. The beach is open thorough out the night but beware of crabs and other animals. Stray away from the main roads and walking through the villages is absolutely wonderful to experience the essence of the place. I've included more information about location wise journey in the itinerary. I would suggest that you stay continuously hydrated as it's quite hot. Use the local bus services. The routes are beautiful and the auto's might cheat you. There are plenty of lodges at Udupi and it's alright to just pick the first one that you see. There are also many resorts if you wish to stay in luxury. Try the local food and be nice to the locals. Make sure you do not litter as they are doing a wonderful job of staying clean. We have considered going back to Udupi for a couple more days. If i missed anything in this post, perhaps nicer places to stay or food tea eat of places to visit, do drop a comment! All in all, try to be a part of the culture and you'll have an incredible time! After a comfortable overnight bus journey from Bangalore, in lieu of excellent connecting highways, we reached the Udupi Central Bus Station at 4:30 a.m. The city was quiet and desolate. The street lights were on, the streets were clean and it was silent enough to faintly hear the sound of crashing waves in the distance. By the time we had our coffee at the station canteen, it was almost 5 a.m. and the city was beginning to stir awake. The sun was starting to rise in a cool orange glow. The streets and groves were coming alight with faint blue light. People were walking out of their house for a quick stroll or a cigarette or some tea. It was incredibly beautiful to watch the pace at which things grew, which was very different from the city back home. I fell in love instantly, with what the place had already offered - a sense of calm. We had a quick breakfast of Udupi's famous Masala Dosa, Idly vada, Kahara Baath and Masala vada with coffee a few hours after we reached the beach. It was better than I've ever had back home.

Bronwyn Joy

300 Followers

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Malpe Beach is a tourist destination, so the F&B market is well supplied. We loved the street vendors who peeled and cooked our food freshly and in front of us – always feels better when I can do the food safety inspection myself. P loved the BBQ’d corn and the freshly-squeezed juices. We also had drinks and Chinese fried rice at a beach side cafe, whose name I would probably be able to tell you if I was really a travel blogger. We also enjoyed ice creams from a cycling vendor along the beach (listen for the bell).We were offered accommodation several times, so I don’t think it’s too hard to find somewhere if you’re not fussy. If you are, I can’t help you – we didn’t stay overnight. Maybe ask Trip Adviser.Instead, we made use of the pay-to-use toilet and shower block which is near the main entrance to the beach, and well signposted. Toilet use costs 5 rupees per person per visit (you’ll have to pay two if you accompany a young child), shower use costs 10 rupees per person per visit, and probably includes a little sachet of shampoo only there was a bit of a crowd at the entrance when we got there so we missed that trick.Now, I say “shower” – in fact what you pay for is a little concrete cubicle with a cold water tap, a scoop and a bucket. Even if you’re not the kind of klutz who falls into the sea getting off a boat, you’ll still be thankful your things are in plastic bags if you’re bathing here – there’s few hooks and no benches. It’s not roomy for two people if you’re with a young child, but it’s good enough for a quick refresh and to rinse the sand out so you can return to civilisation with your head held high.

Suma Krishna

271 Followers

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When you live a busy and stuck up life the way I do,even if it's something you love doing, you need a let out. A random day you would get up in the morning and decide to take the first bus or train away from the routine. Well, that was my trip to Malpe beachin Udupi. I had heard a lot about it ,some good, mostly bad. The people I knew from the District told me the only memory they had of Malpe was the fish smell and dirt but yet an impulse is hard to resist and boy, was I glad I didn't resist. Malpe was far from anything dirty and the fish smell was only present on the route and not at the beach. It reminded of something out of an old hindi movie but I think that was mostly cause of the weirdly likable old soul music playing in the background that was heard all over the beach.The stalls just added an extra factor to the whole experience selling everything from ice candy, chaat, chinese to very typical coastal food and for those of you who have extra fuel in your impulse engine there's a tattoo shop right there that would cater to it,although I wouldn't exactly recommend that. Malpe welcomes you with a spectacular view of the sea meeting the horizon and if you're as lucky as I was you'll have a grand view of the sky reaching down and maybe even see one of the clouds drenching an island.It's a fantastic place for a weekend getaway with hotels and cottages right on the shore for very decent prices and a carnival every now and then. Like every beach however, the best part about this was submerging your feet into the cold waters,collecting shells and lying on the sand as if time froze just so I could enjoy those moments.

Ar Ankur Yadav

176 Followers

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We had been ignoring this one for a very long time. The name somehow never really convinced me. What could a town named after a cuisine has to offer? And to add to my apprehensions, i figured out that it is a pilgrimage spot. And thus, there it lay on hold, for a long time. But then finally one weekend we couldn't find any reservations to any other place but Udupi. So we decided to give it a try. An overnight journey in a sleeper bus from Bangalore, and behold, there we were. Udupi is miles apart from any other place we had been. At the very first sight, as you enter the town, it fails to load you with excitement. The town is a little sleepy, little dusty. But then, once you get comfortable, things change dramatically. Well, one distinct advantage here was that of finding a cheap and decent accommodation without much hassle. And that was a great relief, given the overnight journey through rough roads. The first thing we did right after bath was to visit the so famous Udupi Shri Krishna Matha. Well, i am not a very religious guy. But when a million reviews put it as the top things to do in Udupi, you've gotta give it a try. The temple was a surprise for me. Udupi is in Karnataka, yet the temple is built in Kerela styled architecture. And it was beautiful, cause i had never been to a south Indian temple and thus there was so much to explore and feed into my hungry brain.

Rahul Raghunath

224 Followers

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From Udupi, the beach was a brisk 5 km walk. The roads were thin and surrounded by coconut groves, fields and cow sheds. We made the walk at the right time as we witnessed the city waking up. We crosses bridges with back waters and ponds. We crossed modern and post modern architecture house holds, all the while with a faint smell of the ocean. The beach itself was clean and quiet, except from the roaring crashing of waves. The sand was clean and the water was cool. The shore line was riddled with with straw built hut like structures that we very local to the culture of the locality. The beach itself was devoid of people, as it was really early, but the sun was beginning to grow warmer and the water was still resisting the change. We could see fishing barges coming into the port at the distance and we made sure to add the harbor to our itinerary. The beach extends as far as the eye can see. On one side, there was small activity center that includes carnival rides and food stalls. At this point of time they were deserted, but we imagined it to be exiting and decided to come back to it in the evening. On the other side was the beach stretching and a short walk towards it showed us small coves and natural pools that were untouched and quiet. We spent the rest of the morning there before heading off to the harbor.