St Mary’s Islands are a group of four small uninhabited islands in the Arabian Sea, near Udupi in Karnataka state, India. It is situated off the coast of Malpe. These islands are also known as Coconut Island and Thonsepar which can also be spelt as Tonsepar.  These islands are unique in their geological formation of Basalt Columns of lava or rock columns.

St Mary’s Islands

It is believed that  Vasco da Gama landed at St. Mary’s Islands in 1498, guided by Gujarati Seafarer ‘Kanji Malam’. Vasco da Gams visited this island en route on his maiden trip to Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut) by sea, on his voyage from Portugal. He has named these islands O Padrão de Santa Maria, a dedication to Saint Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. It is in Portuguese which means St Mary’s and thus got its current name.

Coconut Island, North Island, Daryabahadurgarh Island, and South Island are the four islands that is commonly known as St. Mary’s Islands. They are located close to each other.

St Mary’s islands are among the 26 Geological Monuments of India. Coconut Island and Thonsepar Islands are considered essential sites for Geo Tourism.

These islands are not crowded and are very neat.  You can explore these islands by walking. Swimming is not allowed, as there are rocks around the beach. Security guards are there on these islands to prevent tourists from Swimming.

There is not much sand on the beaches. The western coast of beaches has many seashells of different sizes and shapes.

There are no permanent buildings. Animals are also not there on these islands.

St Mary’s Islands were formed due to the sub-aerial sub-volcanic activity, which might have occurred around 60-88 million years ago, during the rifting of Madagascar from the Indian subcontinent.

Hexagonal rock formations are the characteristics of the northernmost island and are unique rock formations in  India. The island measures around 500 meters X 100 meters with many coconut trees. Hence, the island got its name, Coconut Island.

These islands are also known as Parashurama Dweepa, as per the tweet below.

Vadabhandeshwara Temple is situated near to the Malpe Beach. Jet skiing, parasailing, banana boat ride, etc, are the main activities in and around Malpe Beach.

How Do I Go to St Mary’s Islands?

Malpe Beach is around five kilometers from Udupi town, the administrative headquarters. Frequent bus services are available up to the Malpe bus stand. You may hire an auto-rickshaw or walk from the Malpe bus stand to the ferry station.

Boats start only when there is a  minimum of 30 passengers are there. On working days, the starting time gets delayed up to 10.30 am or a little later, due to this. On holidays, boats may start at around 9 or 9.30 a.m. The last boat to the mainland from the islands is at 5 p.m. The cost for the round trip is around Rs. 250.

It takes around 15-20 minutes to travel by boat from St Mary’s Island Boating Office at Malpe Beach. These islands are approximately six kilometers from the mainland. You need to wade through the water, once you reach the islands. i.e., Boats can not go to the islands due to the rocks.

I was told there are other boat services from Malpe Beach,  which start at 8.30 a.m. and cost anywhere between Rs. 150 – 300. These boats seem to be operated by private people.  These boats go even with ten people. Return journey for this boat is available up to 5.30 p.m. Please confirm this with the locals.

Udupi railway station with station code UD is the nearest railway station to Coconut Island and Tonsepar Islands.

Mangalore is at a distance of around 60 kilometers from Malpe Beach. The nearest airport is Mangalore.

Tips for Coconut Island Tourists

There are no restaurants or hotels on these islands. Tourists are not allowed to stay on the islands. There is a small shop selling juice, snacks, water, etc. It may not open on certain weekdays or is opened late.