St. Mary's Island beach is situated near north Mangalore. The picturesque beach attracts numerous tourists every year. Like every other beach in Karnataka this too is perfect for people who want to spend time in tranquility. The exceptional feature of St. Mary's Island is that the islands are formed out of basalt rocks which., in turn, have crystallized into columns and then split into vertical hexagonal blocks. The clusters of islands are accessible by small boats from Malpe.
The island at St. Mary differs from the other popular beaches of Karnataka. Here the golden sands are missing. On the contrary the landscape is rugged. Such a landscape does not allow swimming or other common beach side activity.
St. Mary's Island, Karnataka has historical significance attached to it. It is said that it was the Portuguese voyager Vasco da Gama who named one of these islands "El Padron de Santa Maria."
Located in the district of Udupi St. Mary's Island, Karnataka can be accessible from Bangalore and Mangalore. The railway station will be Udupi in case the travelers are availing the train services.
