Kodiyakarai Beach

Kodiyakarai Beach is a sandy coastal stretch at Kodiyakarai (Point Calimere) in Vedaranyam taluk, Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu, at the southeastern tip of the state where the Bay of Bengal meets the Palk Strait. Notable for its relatively undisturbed shoreline, proximity to the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary and the historic Kodiyakarai Lighthouse, the beach is known for calm waters, fishing activity, migratory birds and wide open views.

Visitors can expect a long, flat sandy shoreline with relatively calm waters, fishing boats and nets along the coast, and open views of the Palk Strait and Bay of Bengal. The beach is quiet and largely undeveloped, bordered by coastal vegetation and sand dunes. Nearby, visitors can see the Kodiyakarai Lighthouse and access areas of the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary. There are no beach shacks or water sports infrastructure; the setting is natural and suited to walking, photography and birdwatching.

Kodiyakarai, historically known as Point Calimere, has been noted as a coastal landmark since the Chola period and appears on early navigational charts. The Kodiyakarai Lighthouse, first established in 1890 and later rebuilt, served as an important navigational aid for vessels in the Palk Strait. The area is also associated with traditional maritime and fishing history of the Nagapattinam coast.

The beach is part of a traditional fishing village landscape where local fishing communities maintain daily fishing practices. It lies near the pilgrimage town of Vedaranyam and is visited as part of coastal and nature tourism circuits that include the Point Calimere sanctuary and nearby temples.