PONDY MARINA

Pondy Marina Beach in Pondicherry is a new attraction for tourists which is located near the new lighthouse. It has been developed under the theme-based beach program of the Government of Pondicherry and the “Pondi Marina” beach is based on a food-based theme. Pondy Marina Beach is located at Dubrayanpet, which is 1.5 km from White Town, Pondicherry. Unlike Rock Beach, where tourists rarely venture to the seashore, it has a reasonable length of sandy beach as the name suggests.

Attraction

It is not difficult for southerners to plan a trip to Pondy and give themselves a weekend to relax and rejuvenate. Pondy Marina offers a variety of activities for children including horse riding, mini boating, and a children’s arcade. In the near future, ATV riding, parasailing, beach volleyball, and other adventure sports are being planned. On weekends and festivals and holidays, many cultural programs, martial arts exhibitions, and other types of shows are organized. Additionally, the Pondicherry government is planning theme-based beaches at three locations. Chinna Veerampattinam Beach will focus on leisure, the old Greco-Roman location of Arikamedu Beach will offer boating, and Chunnambar Beach will focus on water sports.

History

PONDY MARINA The Puducherry government has decided to develop the Vambakirappalayam beach near the lighthouse as a tourist spot and named it ‘Pondi Marina’. Lt Governor Kiran Bedi who visited the beach on Sunday as part of the ‘Clean Puducherry’ mission, unveiled the name board on the beach. The beach should be converted into a marina beach like Chennai, he said. It’s needed for The beach to be transformed into a place where people can come with their families and spend their evenings. Buses should run on the beach and tourists can be taken for free for a week and later fix the ticket fare,” the governor said. Even with the presence of the lighthouse, the fishing village of Vambakirappalayam is a ‘not so popular’ destination for most tourists. Although the government started some initiatives including dredging work, it failed to attract a large number of tourists here.

Inside/Outside Views

PONDY MARINA Locals and visitors to Pondicherry have enjoyed the promenade and rocky beaches for years, but there is little access to the water and shore. The recently constructed Marina Beach offers ample length of sandy beach. Focusing on the theme of food, the sprawling 34 outlets serve everything from kulfi and ice cream to burgers and biryani. Don’t miss the Bamboo Biryani, Basant Aloo, and a variety of Kulfi. The man-made beach is lovely to walk and hang out in the evenings. The sand is not as sticky as other beaches, resulting in less mess. The waves are pleasant in the morning, but the tides rise towards night, making swimming unsafe.

How to Reach

By Air: Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport. It is 135 km away. Chennai is well connected to many cities in India some of them are Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Hyderabad, etc. One can hire a taxi from the airport to reach Pondy Marina.

By Rail: Villupuram, Central Railway It, 35 km. Villupuram is with Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, and Chennai by State Railway. The hospital is available from Villupuram to Puducherry. One can hire a taxi from the airport to reach Pondy Marina.

By Road: Pondicherry is best accessible by road, bus, or taxi. Private tourist buses from Chennai, Madurai, and Bangalore ply to Pondicherry. Buses connect Pondicherry with Thanjavur, Trichy, Chidambaram, and Coimbatore. There are frequent buses from Koyambedu in Chennai about every 15 minutes. One can hire taxis from the bus stand to reach his desired place.

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