What to expect
Highlights
- The beach promenade, shacks and water sports.
- The boat jetty for St Mary’s Islands.
- Fresh seafood and the fishing harbour.
Malpe Beach
Malpe, about 5 km west of Udupi, is both a busy fishing harbour and a clean, lively beach with a promenade, shacks and water sports. It is one of the best-known beaches on the Karnataka coast.
Practical guide
Plan Malpe Beach
Who's going?Tailor Malpe Beach to your trip
Typebeach
Nearest baseMalpe
DistrictUdupi
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed1 to 2 hours (more with the island trip)
EntryFree
Places to visit2→It is above all the gateway to St Mary’s Islands, with boats running out to the basalt-pillar islets, and a fine place for a seafood meal by the sea.
Getting there
How to visit
- ~5 km from Udupi; reach it by auto, bus or taxi.
- Swim in the safer, flagged areas; buy the St Mary’s Islands boat ticket at the official counter and note the last return boat.
Distance by road
- Mangaluru60 km
- Shivamogga145 km
- Chikkamagaluru145 km
- Karwar175 km
- Bengaluru400 km
Road km to Udupi; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; the sea is calmest and boats to the islands run more reliably.
Weather in Malpe BeachSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Malpe Beach
Sunrise6:20 am
Sunset6:42 pm
Golden hour best light5:42 pm–6:42 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:42 pm–7:07 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 278°
Moon tonight🌖 Waning gibbous · 64%
South-west monsoon. June to September is monsoon season: the sea gets rough, swimming is often unsafe and boat services can be suspended. Follow lifeguard and local warnings, and expect changeable conditions.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- Swim only where it is safe and flagged; use only the official island boats and wear the life jacket.
Photos
Malpe Beach in pictures
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Malpe Beach
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Malpe Beach — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
Verified inventory is being added here.
Verified places are being added. The category filters will fill in as approved stays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and nature listings go live.
List your placeRoampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Malpe Beach? List it and it appears here once verified.
Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Malpe Beach — at a glance
TimingsDaylight; boats in season and daylight
Best timeOctober to February; calm sea
Entry: Free (activities/boat charged)
Getting here
How to reach Malpe Beach
~5 km from Udupi; auto/bus/taxi
Getting back
Work out your return before you settle in for the sunset. Public transport here thins out sharply in the evening, and Malpe Beach is easier to reach than to leave. We do not publish departure times: there is no official live feed we are permitted to republish, and a wrong time here would strand you. Check the operator directly on the day.
- KSRTC — the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries. Online booking.
- Indian Railways — live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Malpe Beach
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Malpe Beach
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Malpe Beach
On the map
Where Malpe Beach is
Good to know
Malpe Beach — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Malpe Beach?
October to February; the sea is calmest and boats to the islands run more reliably.
What are the entry fee and timings at Malpe Beach?
Entry: Free (activities/boat charged). Timings: Daylight; boats in season and daylight.
How do I reach Malpe Beach?
~5 km from Udupi; reach it by auto, bus or taxi. Swim in the safer, flagged areas; buy the St Mary’s Islands boat ticket at the official counter and note the last return boat.
How much time do I need for Malpe Beach?
1 to 2 hours (more with the island trip).
What else is near Malpe Beach?
Nearby you can pair St Mary's Islands (3.3 km), Kemmannu Hanging Bridge (4.5 km), Anantheshwara Temple, Udupi (6.3 km), Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi (6.3 km).
Read before you go
Malpe Beach guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Malpe Beach itself yet. These cover Malpe, the town it sits in, and the wider district.
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Image credits
Photographs: Raghavan2010, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), Ananya Rao Katpadi (CC BY-SA 4.0), Vaikoovery (CC BY 3.0), Shravan Kamath94 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.