The beach has been called Madras Marina since 1884 when the promenade along it was first created.

Runs for about 6 Km and is one of the most crowded beaches in the country, attracting 30K-60K visitors every day.

Contains numerous iconic statues such as a Gandhi statue, The Triumph of Labour statue and statues of Tamil literature icons (Thiruvalluvar, Avvaiyar, etc.).

Decorated burial site of major political figures in Tamilnadu such as M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa.

It was fairly exclusive only to white people during the Colonial era.

Contains a monument to a Danish sailor who saved an English girl from getting drowned in 1930.

Preferred by some people for being quieter and more relaxed than Marina, it is a favourite hotspot among locals.

One among 12 Indian beaches with a blue flag certificate (awarded by a Denmark-based organization) to recognize excellence in maintenance of high quality standards.

The blue flag certified part of the beach extends for only about 400 meters (out of a total of 3 Km).

The beach is also named as ‘Covelong beach’, a name given by the British who could not pronounce ‘Kovalam’.

India’s first surfing village with numerous surfing schools.