Beach harbour for St Mary's Island
Why this weekend?
The day-by-day plan
Day 1 · The beach town
- Ferry crossing
- Island walk
- Beach hour
- Seafood stop
- Return
Geography & terrain
Malpe lies in the Udupi district of Karnataka on the Arabian Sea, 8 km from Udupi and 350 km from Bangalore — the beach town of the region, its St. Mary's Island, the ferry and the seafood set on the coast's golden edge.
History & culture
The town's story runs with the coast's trade and the tourism — the port town of the Konkan's west and the landing of the 1498 Portuguese (the Vasco da Gama's stop), with the town's modern role as the ferry point of the St. Mary's Island and the beach stop of the Udupi circuit; the town's history of the island's discovery and the fishing life, gives Malpe its beach-town character.
Where to stay
Budget
₹1,200–2,800/night
Mid-range
₹2,800–6,000/night
Comfort
₹6,000+/night
Things to do
- Gold beach
- Island ferry
- Basalt columns
- Fishing docks
- Sunset sea
Eat & drink
- Bisi bele bath
- Ragi mudde
- Mysore masala dosa
- Coorg pandi curry
- Mangalorean fish curry
Getting there
- Fly
- Bengaluru (BLR) / Mangaluru (IXE) / Hubballi (HBX)
- Train
- Bengaluru City / Mysuru / Mangaluru junctions
- Road from Bengaluru
- varies by district — 50–500 km
- Getting around
- Autos, metro in Bengaluru, KSRTC buses
Budget snapshot
- Total
- ₹3,500–9,500 (1 days)
- Per day · Stay
- ₹1,200–6,000/night
- Per day · Food
- ₹600–1,000
- Per day · Transport
- ₹800–1,200
- Per day · Activities
- ₹800–1,200
Month by month
- Jan · Best
- 20–31°C · None rain
- Feb · Best
- 21–33°C · None rain
- Mar · Hot
- 23–35°C · None rain
- Apr · Hot
- 25–36°C · Moderate rain
- May · Pre-monsoon
- 26–35°C · Moderate rain
- Jun · Monsoon
- 24–32°C · Heavy rain
- Jul · Monsoon
- 23–31°C · Heavy rain
- Aug · Monsoon
- 23–31°C · Heavy rain
- Sep · Monsoon tail
- 24–32°C · Heavy rain
- Oct · Good
- 24–33°C · Moderate rain
- Nov · Best
- 22–32°C · Light rain
- Dec · Best
- 20–31°C · None rain
Practical info
- Language: Kannada (English understood in tourist spots)
- Best window: Oct–Mar
- Connectivity: good 4G in towns
- UPI/cards widely accepted; keep small cash for hill and market stops
Practical tips
- The season (Oct–Mar) holds the sea's calm
- The island ferry asks the ticket queues
- Pairs with Udupi for the coast circuit
Frequently asked questions
What is Malpe?
The beach town of the St. Mary's Island.
What is there to do?
The island, the beach and the seafood.
How long is the visit?
A full day.
Beach harbour for St Mary's Island
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