Popular Beaches of India by Dr.

Gaurav Garg

‘Blue Flag’ certification

● The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary eco-labels awarded to beaches,
marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.
● In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria
must be met and maintained.
● There are nearly 33 criteria that must be met to qualify for a Blue Flag certification, such as the water meets certain
quality standards, having waste disposal facilities, being disabled-friendly, have first aid equipment etc.
● The Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas is run by the international, non-governmental, non-profit
organisation FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education).
● This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark” based on
33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e.
✓ Environmental Education and Information
✓ Bathing Water Quality
✓ Environment Management
✓ Conservation and Safety and Services in the beaches.
● Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395, respectively.
● To help Indian beaches meet these criteria, the Ministry has allowed structures such container toilet blocks, change
rooms, shower panels, mini greywater treatment plants in an enclosed structure, mini solid waste recycling plants and
off-grid solar photovoltaic panels, provided they are a minimum 10 metres from the high tide line.

13 Most Important Beaches in India (Govt is planning to get Blue Flag certification for these beaches)
● Ghoghala Beach (Diu) ● Eden beach (Puducherry)
● Shivrajpur beach (Gujarat) ● Rushikonda beach (Andhra Pradesh)
● Bhogave (Maharashtra) ● Miramar beach (Goa)
● Padubidri and Kasargod (Karnataka) ● Golden beach (Odisha)
● Kappad beach (Kerala) ● Radhanagar beach (Andaman & Nicobar Islands)
● Kovalam beach (Kerala) ● Bangaram beach (Lakshadweep)
**The Chandrabhaga beach on the Konark coast of Odisha is the first in India to get the Blue Flag certification.

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High Tide Line: means the line on the land up to which the highest water line reaches during the tide.
Low Tide Line: Similarly, it means the line on the land up to which the lowest water line reaches during the tide.

World’s most famous beaches

● Eighty Mile Beach – Australia.
● Cox Bazar Beach – Bangladesh.
● The South Beach – Miami, USA.
● Bond-I Beach – Sydney, Australia.
● Santa Monica Beach, California, USA.
● Maya Bay – Thailand.
● Whitehaven Beach – Australia.
● Waikiki – Honolulu, Hawaii.
● Navagio Beach - Greece.

Gulf & Bay

✓ Bay - A bay is a water body surrounded by land from three sides and has a wider opening than the total length.
✓ Gulf - A gulf is the water body surrounded by land from three sides and has a larger length and narrower opening.
✓ Strait - A strait is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

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The Persian Gulf
● Some countries in the Middle East are known as Gulf Countries because these are situated around Persian Gulf (as
shown in figure). Gulf Countries are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait.
● The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important ways of Oil Transport.

Hudson Bay
● Hudson Bay opens in the Arctic Ocean.

Gulf of Mexico
● Gulf of Mexico opens in the Caribbean Sea.

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Gulf of Alaska
● Gulf of Alaska opens in the Pacific Ocean.

Gulf of Guinea
● Gulf of Guinea opens in the Atlantic Ocean.

Gulf of Cadiz
● Gulf of Cadiz opens in the Atlantic Ocean.
● The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

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Gulf of Suez & Gulf of Aqaba
● Peninsula - It is a piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides and connected to the mainland on one side.
● Sinai Peninsula is part of Asia and Rest of Egypt is in Africa.
● Gulf of Suez is in between Egypt and Sinai Peninsula.
● Gulf of Aqaba is in between Sinai Peninsula and Israel, Jordan & Saudi Arabia.
● Both open in the Red Sea.

Bohai & Korea Bay

● Both open in the Yellow Sea.

Gulf of Tonkin
● Gulf of Tonkin opens in the South China Sea.

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Gulf of Thailand
● Gulf of Thailand opens in the South China Sea.

Gulf of Aden
● Gulf of Aden opens in the Arabian Sea.

Gulf of Carpentaria
● Gulf of Carpentaria opens in the Arafura Sea (Part of
Pacific Ocean).

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Gwadar Bay
● It is located at the Pakistan-Iran Border.

Gulf of Mannar
● The Gulf of Mannar lies between southeastern India and
western Sri Lanka.
● The port of Tuticorin is on the Indian coast.
● It is also a Biosphere Reserve, The gulf is noted for its
pearl banks and sea cow (Dugong).
● Palk Strait is a narrow strait that connects the Bay of
Bengal to the Indian Ocean.

Gulf of Khambhat (also known as the Gulf of

Cambay)
● Gulf of Khambhat lies between South
Gujarat and the Kathiawar Peninsula.
● The gulf receives many rivers, including
the Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada and Tapti.
● Gulf of Kuchchh lies between Kuchchh
region of Gujarat and Kathiawar Peninsula.

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Most famous beaches of Gujarat
● Tithal Beach – Valsad ● Dandi Beach – Navsari
● Dwarka Beach - Dwarka ● Sivrajpur Beach – Jamnagar
● Ahmedpur Mandvi, Junagadh ● Dumas Beach – Surat
● Chorwad Beach, Junagadh ● Ubharat Beach - Surat
● Okha-Madhi Beach, Dwarka ● Ghogla Beach (Diu)

Most famous beaches of Maharashtra

● Ganapatipule Beach ● Karde Beach
● Juhu Beach, Mumbai ● Shrivardhan Beach
● Madh Island Beach, Mumbai ● Harihareshwar Beach
● Marine Drive, Mumbai ● Dahanu Beach (Vadhavan Port is near this beach)
● Kunkeshwar Beach ● Gorai Beach, Mumbai
● Tarkarli Beach

Most famous beaches of Goa

● Miramar Beach ● Candolim Beach
● Palolem Beach ● Colva Beach
● Anjuna Beach ● Benaulim Beach
● Vagator Beach ● Sinquerim Beach
● Calangute Beach ● Dona-Paula Beach
● Baga Beach

Most famous beaches of Karnataka

● Om Beach, Gokarna ● Karwar Beach
● Panambur Beach, Mangalore ● Maravanthe Beach, Udupi
● Kudle Beach, Gokarna ● Kaup Beach
● Murudeshwar Beach (near Murudeshwar Temple, Lord ● Malpe Beach, Udupi
Shiva temple) ● Ullal Beach

Most famous beaches of Kerala

● Kovalam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram ● Thottada Beach, Kannur
● Varkala Beach, Thiruvananthapuram ● Kappad Beach, Kozhikode
● Bekal Beach

Most famous beaches of Tamil Nadu

● Marina Beach, Chennai – Longest in India ● Kanyakumari Beach
● Dhanushkodi Beach ● Mahabalipuram Beach
● Elliot’s Beach, Chennai ● Poompuhar Beach
● Covelong Beach

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Most famous beaches of Andhra Pradesh
● Yarada Beach
● Rishikonda Beach, Visakhapatnam
● Bheemunipatnam Beach, Visakhapatnam
● Machilipatnam Beach
● Dolphin’s nose beach, Visakhapatnam
● Gangavaram Beach, Gangavaram Beach
● Lawson’s Bay Beach
● Ramakrishna Beach, Ramakrishna Beach
● Bhavani Island Beach

Most famous beaches of Odisha

● Konark Beach, Puri ● Aryapalli Beach
● Chandrabhaga Beach, Puri (Only Blue Flag ● Gopalpur Beach
Certification Beach in India) ● Swargadwar Beach, Puri
● Puri Beach ● Astaranga Beach, Puri
● Gahirmatha Beach (Olive Ridley Turtles are found ● Bhitarkanika Beach
here) ● Ramchandi Beach
● Rushikulya Beach (Olive Ridley Turtles are found
here)

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Most famous beaches of West Bengal
● Digha Beach
● Frazerganj Beach
● Shankarpur Beach
● Bakkhali Beach
● Sagardwip Beach
● Diamond harbour Beach
● Mandarmani Beach
● Tajpur Beach
● Gangasagar Beach

Most famous beaches of Andaman & Nicobar

● Radhanagar Beach ● Corbyn’s cove
● Laxmanpur Beach ● Diglipur Beach
● Elephant Beach ● Kalapathar Beach
● Wandoor Beach ● Bharatpur Beach

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