Chennai Marina Beach is a 13-kilometer-long beach that extends from  Fort St. George (Tamilnadu State Legislative head office and Secretariat) to Adayar Beasant Nagar.

Chennai Marina Beach is the longest urban beach in India and the second-longest in the world.  Chennai Marina Beach is the most crowded beach, attracting 20,000 visitors on an average per day and almost double this number on weekends.

Opposite Chennai Marina Beach, there are many prominent public places. Madras University,   Presidency College, Chepauk Cricket Stadium, Vivekananda House, Inspector General of Police Office, Queen Mary’s College, All India Radio, Mylapore Santhome Church, Chennai Beasant Nagar Annai Velankanni Church, etc., are to name a few, other than Fort St. George and Chennai Port Trust.

There is a swimming pool and jogging track at this Beach. The road along the Chennai Marina Beach has statues of many prominent personalities.

UNESCO World Heritage site Mahabalipuram is around 56 kilometers from Mariana Beach at Chennai.

Memorial of Former Chief Ministers at Beach

Chennai Beach has the Memorial or ‘Samadhi’  of four former Chief Ministers of Tamilnadu: Late Annadurai (Arignar Anna) and Late M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), J. Jayalalitha and K. Karunanidhi; Anna Samadhi,  MGR Samadhi, Jayalalitha Samadhi, and Karunanidhi Samadhi.

How Do I Go to Marina Beach in Chennai?

Chennai Marina Beach is easily accessible by road, train, and air. Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport to Marina. Chennai Central Station and Chennai Beach Stations are the nearest major railway stations to Chennai Beach.

What’s special about the local food at Marina Beach?

Bajjy, especially Fish bajjy,  is the unique local food of this beach. Fish bajjy is available at a few makeshift eatery shops on the beachfront. Fish bajjy usually is not available elsewhere.

Bajjy is made by frying the respective item (like fish or chilly) in oil after covering it with a paste made of cornflour, salt, red chilly powder, etc.

Banana buggy, mulaka bajjy (long green chili bajjy), potato bajjy, and onion bajjy are also available at this beach. These bajjies (except fish bajjy) are available across other eateries spread across the state of Tamilnadu. Cauliflower bajjy and bread bajjy are other buggies available in Chennai but are hard to find at Marina Beach.

Robot Selling Hot Groundnuts on the Marina Beach

There is a robot on a small vehicle, that sells groundnuts at the Marina beach, Chennai. You need to scan the QR code on the vehicle using any UPI mobile app to open the tray containing the groundnuts. Take whatever number of hot groundnut packets you want, and pay using the UPI mobile app. Cool!