Beaches of Chennai/Travel Diaries

Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in the city of Chennai, India, along the Bay of Bengal.The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south, a distance of 6.45 km (4.01 mi),making it the longest natural urban beach in the country and one of the world's longest beach ranking with 1.The Marina is primarily sandy, unlike the short, rocky formations that make up the Juhu Beach in Mumbai. The average width of the beach is 300 m (980 ft)and the width at the widest stretch is 437 m (1,434 ft). Bathing and swimming at the Marina Beach are legally prohibited because of the dangers, as the undercurrent is very turbulent. It is one of the most crowded beaches in the country and attracts about 30,000 visitors a day during weekdays and 50,000 visitors a day during the weekends and on holidays. During summer months, about 15,000 to 20,000 people visit the beach daily.