Top 10 Beaches in India

10. Corbyn’s Cove, Port Blair — Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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Corbyn’s Cove, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands USP: Surrounded on one side by coconut trees and a calm sea on the other, this beach is popular for jet-skiing, scuba diving and swimming. Who goes: While it is ideal for water sport enthusiasts, this beach also appeals to those who want to simply sunbathe and swim. Getting there: Located four kilometres east of Port Blair airport and seven kilometres from the main town area, the best way to get here is by car. Stay at: Peerless Sarovar Portico Port Blair with its gorgeous Sea View rooms. 

09. Kondakarla Ava beach — Vishakhapatnam

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Kondakarla Ava beach, Vishakhapatnam USP: While the fresh water Kondakarla Lake and the Kondakarla bird sanctuary are the main draws, beach activities like kayaking and boat riding also make this beach popular on the east coast.  Who goes: Families tend to flock here for the weekend. Getting there: The beach is 60km from Vishakhapatnam, so hiring a car is the easiest way to get here. Stay at: Private guest houses, as there are no proper hotels or resorts in the village except paying guest rooms provided by the locals.

08. Muzhappilangad — Kerala

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Muzhappilangad, Kerala USP: Located seven kilometres from Thalessery, this is the only drive-in beach in the country. Who goes: The occasional foreigner and Indians who are aware of its existence. Getting there: The nearest airport is at Kozhikode, which is 100km away. Closer to the beach are the railway stations at Kannur (15km) and Thalessery. Stay at: Kairali Heritage, Kannur, whose 24 air-conditioned cottages facing the banks of the Kattampaly river.

07. Devbagh — Karnataka

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 Devbagh, Karnataka USP: Devbagh is an island off the Karwar Coast, where the River Kali meets the sea. Closer to Goa, the beach has beautiful backwaters and thick jungles. Who goes: Beach lovers, nature enthusiasts, and adventure junkies. Getting there: Dabolim Airport in Goa is 90km from Devbagh. Stay at: Emerald bay, Karwar by Sterling Holidays with its spectacular backwater and sea views. 

06. Arambol — Goa

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 Arambol, Goa USP: At a visible distance near the shore of the beach is a scenic freshwater pond whose sand is known to have medicinal values and is great for your skin. Keep in mind that the sand at the source of the stream, which is up a hill, is purer.  Who goes: Tourists looking for less-crowded beaches. Getting there: The beach cannot be accessed directly by car but is a 10-minute walk through a narrow road dotted with vendors selling food and trinkets. Stay at: The boutique resort, Rococco @ Ashvem, which  has luxurious lodges, an Ayurvedic spa and a restaurant serving Mediterranean, Indian and Japanese cuisine.

05. Calangute — Goa

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Calangute, Goa USP: From sailing to surfing, Goa’s Calangute beach is famous for water sports . There are many famous shopping and eating places nearby too, like Pousada by the Beach. Who goes: Throngs of tourists. Calangute is immensely popular and is always buzzing with people from all over the world. Getting there: Dabolim airport is 42km from Calangute and there are plenty of cabs available for hire. Stay at: The 150-room Neelams The Grand with its yoga center and ayurvedic center. 

04. Akshi Beach, Alibaug — Maharashtra

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Akshi Beach, Alibaug, Maharashtra USP: The beach is lined with suru trees, and various exotic birds are frequent visitors here. The beach also has cleaner waters than other popular Alibaug beaches. Who goes: Fishermen, bird-watchers, nature enthusiasts and swimmers. Getting there: The closest airport is 93km away in Mumbai, while the closest station is 28km away at Pen. Stay at: Tropicana Resort in Alibaug with its pretty offers one bedroom deluxe cottages.

03. Diveagar — Maharashtra

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Diveagar, Maharashtra USP: Located on the Konkan coast, Diveagar is pristine and has a migratory sea-gull sanctuary. Who goes: The beach is frequented by fishermen and is a favourite weekend picnic spot for people from Mumbai. Getting there: Driving from Mumbai is the shortest and easiest way there. Stay at: Exotica, The Beach Resort offers air-conditioned cottages and the rate includes buffet dinner and breakfast. 

02. Kashid — Maharashtra

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Kashid, Maharashtra USP: White sand and clear waters, this beach is almost like a private beach, untouched by commercialisation—if you walk over to the far side that is. Who goes: Frequented by village locals and tourists. Getting there: Kashid is 140km from the airport in Mumbai. The best option is to drive here. Stay at: Prakruti Resorts offers villas, rooms, a spa and a tennis lawn.

01. Kutch-Mandvi — Gujarat

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Kutch-Mandvi, Gujarat USP: Privately owned by the Maharaos of Kutch, this beach is isolated and perfect for a quiet relaxed holiday, near the grand Vijay Vilas Palace. Who goes: Other than tourists who stay at the palace beach camp, the locals also frequent the beach on weekends. Getting there: Bhuj, located 60km from the beach is the closest airport with daily flights from Mumbai. Stay at: The Beach at Mandvi Palace, a beach camp with air-conditioned tents and modern amenities.

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Top 10 Famous Sea Stacks From Around the World

A stack or sea stack is a rock formation made up of a steep or upright column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast. They are formed when part of a headland is eroded by water crashing against the rock or as a result of wind erosion. These impressive formations are intricately created by nature only through time, tide and wind. Here are 10 famous sea stack formations from around the World.

01. Dun Briste, Ireland

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 Dun Briste, a spectacular sea-stack, estimated to be approximately 50 metres (165ft) in height, stands 80 metres (260ft) off Downpatrick Head, in the town-land of Knockaun, east of Ballycastle, Ireland. Downpatrick Head is where the Atlantic has gouged a huge bay from the mighty cliffs and their summits scoured of all vegetation except grass by the ceaseless ocean winds.

Each year, Downpatrick is frequented by birdwatchers, who come to observe and record the many different species which take up positions on the stratified face of the stack as the seasons change. In May and early June, the headland itself is a blaze of colour when the sea-pink comes into bloom. Link Map

02. Sail Rock, Russia

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Sail Rock is a natural sandstone monolith located on the shore of the Black Sea, in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It resembles the outline of a ship’s sail, hence its name. The monolith lies 17 km (10.5mi) to the southeast of Gelendzhik, near the village of Praskoveyevka (which is about 500 meters (1,650ft) from the coast) and the farmstead of Dzhankhot (approximately twice that distance from the coast).

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Sail Rock has a sheer vertical slope confronting the shore of sea, isolated from the mass of basic rock by geological forces. It is more than three-fourths revealed by the tide and lies perpendicular to the coast. What is most remarkable about this landmark is its proportions. While the cliff is only a little more than a meter (3ft) thick, its height is about 25 meters (82ft) and its length about 20 (66ft). Thus, the form of the cliff is described as resembling the outline of a quadrangular sail. Link Map

03. Old Man of Hoy, Scotland, UK

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The Old Man of Hoy is a 449 feet (137m) sea stack on the island of Hoy. It is a distinctive landmark from the Thurso to Stromness ferry and was first climbed in 1966. This stack is an red sandstone stack, perched on a plinth of basalt rock. It stands close to Rackwick Bay on the west coast of the island of Hoy, in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.

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The stack is probably less than 400 years old and may not get much older, as there are indications that it may soon collapse. On maps drawn between 1600 and 1750, the area appears as a headland with no sea stack. William Daniell, a landscape painter, sketched the sea stack in 1817 as a wider column with a smaller top section and an arch at the base, from which it derived its name. A print of this drawing is still available in local museums. Sometime in the early 19th century, a storm washed away one of the legs leaving it much as it is today, although erosion continues. Link Map

04. Risin og Kellingin, Faroe Islands

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Risin og Kellingin (Risin and Kellingin) are two sea stacks just off the northern coast of the island of Eysturoy in the Faroe Islands close to the town of Eiði. The name Risin og Kellingin means The Giant and the Witch and relates to an old legend about their origins. The Giant (Risin) is the 71m (233ft) stack further from the coast, and the witch (Kellingin) is the 68m (223ft) pointed stack nearer land, standing with her legs apart.

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The stacks can be viewed by walking north from Eiði then turning east towards the coast and following the low cliffs for a short way. Other good views can be had on a clear day from Tjørnuvík on the island of Streymoy. Faroese geologists predict that Kellingin, which currently stands on two legs, will fall into the sea sometime in the next few decades during the winter storms. Already part of the stack broke off at the beginning of the twentieth century. Link Map

05. Ko Tapu, Thailand

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Ko Tapu is a limestone rock about 20 metres (66 ft) tall with the diameter increasing from about 4 metres (13 ft) near the water level to about 8 metres (26 ft) at the top. It lies about 40 metres (130 ft) to the west from the northern part of Khao Phing Kan (a pair of islands on the west coast of Thailand).

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A scientific version of the Ko Tapu formation says that the area was a barrier reef. Then, upon tectonic movements, it ruptured, and its parts were dispersed over the area and flooded by the rising ocean. Wind, waves, water currents and tides gradually eroded the islands thus formed, sometimes producing peculiar shapes, such as Ko Tapu. Tide-related erosion is visible at the bottom of the rock. Link Map

06. Ball’s Pyramid, Australia

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Ball's Pyramid is 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is 562 metres (1,844 ft) high, while measuring only 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) in length and 300 metres (980 ft) across, making it the tallest volcanic stack in the world.  Ball's Pyramid is part of the Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

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In 2001, a large species of insect commonly known as a tree lobster or Lord Howe Island stick insect was discovered clinging to the stack eighty years after it was believed to have gone extinct. Rats introduced to the larger islands are to blame for the six-inch insect’s demise. Scientists captured several insects to breed, which they finally did successfully, and may be introduced to the mainland. Link 1 2 Map

07. Kicker Rock, Galapagos, Ecuador

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Kicker Rock, also called the Sleeping Lion is a rocky formation and popular dive destination on the western side of Isla San Cristobal, the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago.

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This gigantic rock raises 500 feet (152m) straight from the ocean and represents the remains of a lava cone, now split in two. There is a mild current that passes through the two rocks, which attracts hammerhead and Galápagos sharks. Kicker Rock is also home to a large colony of sea birds. Link Map

08. Old Harry Rocks, UK

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The Old Harry Rocks are two chalk stacks located on the Dorset coast in the south of England. The rocks mark the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast. The cliffs here are mainly made up of chalk, with some bands of flint within them.

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The sea stacks are continuously being eroded by the sea and are therefore an ever-changing feature. In the 18th century, people could still walk from the mainland to Old Harry, which is the stack at the end nearest to the sea. Link Map. Link Map

09. The Twelve Apostles, Australia

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The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction.

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Tourism activities (including helicopter tours) are conducted from a visitor centre, situated on the inland side of the Great Ocean Road; with parking and viewing areas. Parks Victoria classifies the structure as nationally significant, with the area being one of Victoria's major tourist features; attracting approximately two million visitors a year. Parks Victoria was responsible for the construction of board-walks, tracks, and viewing areas.  Link Map

10. Tri Brata, Russia

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At the entrance of Avacha Bay lies Tri Brata, a trio of scenic stacks which is considered a symbol of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the main city of Kamchatka Krai, Russia.

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The name is Russian which literally means "Three Brothers". Legend has it that three brothers who went to defend a town from a tsunami turned into pillars of stone. Link Map