Tannirbhavi beach - Pine trees, beach huts and a glimpse of fishing

With the divine temple tour of Kateel, we felt blessed and bright in hearts. The clock ticked 2 pm, the sun was high and we had to depart from Kateel. Beach and Mangalore are so analogous in Karnataka. Visiting Mangalore without stepping into a beach doesn't sound good. On checking beaches nearby, I found Panambur beach and Tannirbhavi beach Mangalore. Panambur beach is famous and attracts a major crowd on weekends. We wanted to spend some peaceful time away from the chaos of people. So we chose to visit Tannirbhavi beach and a watch tower called Sultan battery which is closely located.

The drive

Tannirbahvi beach is one of the secluded beaches of Mangalore. It is notable for white silvery sand and spectacular sunsets. From Kateel, We took Bajpe road and en route to Kuloor bridge road to reach Tannirbhavi beach. Though the road adjacent to Gurupura river is narrow, it offered good views of the river as we drove.

[caption id="attachment_6152" align="alignnone" width="800"] The drive along Gurupura river[/caption]

The first sight

It took us 30 minutes drive and we finally reached Tannirbhavi beach at 2:30pm. We parked the car at the well maintained paid parking lot. The sea and blue sky looked glorious from the road. The afternoon sunshine appeared like glitters on the seawater.  Colorful beach huts here and there looked cosy and beautiful. Concrete wooden benches on the shack facing the sea were ideal to relax and watch the sea waves throughout the day.

[caption id="attachment_6159" align="alignnone" width="800"] The first sight of the beach - beach huts and shining sand[/caption]

The beach sand and waves

The white silvery sand was soft and clean. There were many tiny sand coloured crabs!! We also saw few jelly-like rounded creatures. The beach is much deserted and less crowded. So, it is apt for those who would love to enjoy the solitude of nature.

[caption id="attachment_6157" align="alignnone" width="800"] The white silvery sand and colourful benches[/caption]

Unfortunately, due to strong waves and water depth, we were not allowed to enter the beach. We could literally feel the high waves from the roar of the sea. There were lifeguards stationed at the beach who warn you to not venture into the deep sea. The guards did their job diligently, they had a rope tied so that, none would cross the line. However, the sea view was great and we relaxed on the benches to watch them calmly.

[caption id="attachment_6150" align="alignnone" width="800"] Strong waves encroaching[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_6149" align="alignnone" width="800"] Tannirbhavi beach waves[/caption]

A lunch at the beach

Not sooner, we were hungry and it was already late afternoon. Aunty had packed Neer dose and saagu in the hot box. So, instead of searching for other places, we thought to have the lunch on the beach shack while we watch the waves. We served the food ourselves and enjoyed it completely with the sea view.

[caption id="attachment_6155" align="alignnone" width="800"] The sea view[/caption]

An experience with fishermen

After some time, we saw a small crowd at a distance. We walked to see what's happening. There were fishermen with the fishing reel. Hurray, I was curious as it was the first time I got a chance to see fishing. It was a nice experience to converse with a few of them.

[caption id="attachment_6156" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The fisherman - 3 fishes at a time :O[/caption]

''He hooked small pieces of flesh with pins on the fishing reel - the equipment. Gets ready with a sigh. Takes quick steps to swing the reel high in the sea. The tip of the reel reaches far as much as it can. He then runs back with the waves to the seabed. Waits till a force drags him. . . . The force calls. He rolls the reel and sees a small fish caught struggling for a breath or probably a victim for his trick. I was confused whether to feel good or bad. Thoughts on the dead fish or his daily bread. A way of life, I consoled myself!'' 

[caption id="attachment_6158" align="aligncenter" width="647"] Fishes caught :|[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_6153" align="aligncenter" width="450"] When the fisherman gave me the reel and clicked my picture[/caption]

The new Tannirbhavi beach

It was 3:30 pm and we had very little time to visit the Sultan battery. So we drove further and to our surprise, there was another board of the new Tannirbhavi beach :O. And right opposite to it is the road to Sultan battery. (One can reach the beach from Sultan battery by ferry ride). We were really confused :| As we were running out of time, we just had two minutes to peek in.

[caption id="attachment_6151" align="alignnone" width="800"] The new Tannirbhavi beach entrance[/caption]

This is when we realised there were actually two beaches. The previous one was deeper and slightly restricted. This new beach has tall pine trees along the stretch of the coastline, which added beauty to the beach. This place was more lively with families and better crowd. There were stalls here serving churmuri, roasted corn, chai and icecreams.

[caption id="attachment_6166" align="aligncenter" width="768"] The pine trees (Credits - wikipedia)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_6154" align="alignnone" width="800"] The pine trees along the coastline[/caption]

You could spend hours at the beach since it is very serene. Overall a very pleasant refreshing moment at the beach. That place is better if you visit during evenings and are just there to enjoy the sunset. We strolled to explore Sultan battery. Stay tuned for the next posts.

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Visiting tips:

1. Where? - Tannirbhavi beach is located 350km from Bangalore and 10 km from Mangalore.


2. How to reach? - It can be reached either by land near Kuloor Bridge or by ferry via Gurupura river from Sultan battery.


3. When to visit? - The evening is the best time for beautiful sunsets.


4. Facilities? - Tannirbhavi beach has some basic facilities like lifeguards, proper toilets, a parking lot, a couple of small eateries and concrete benches.


5. Watersports? - I heard that recently adventure sports have also been introduced to entertain the visitors.


6. Nearby places? - We missed out to visit Tannirbhavi Tree park which is set up in an area of 15 hectares. Please do check out, it's worth it.