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Tourist Spots in Mangalore

Mangalore is an important port city in South India. The city is famous as a holiday spot for many tourists who visit it at least once a year and enjoy the greenery in the city and its laid back attitude which makes them feel rejuvenated after months of busy city life. If you are a first time vacationer you would be mesmerized by the little red tiled cottages which are popularly known as Mangalore tiles and are made from the red clay easily available in Mangalore. Most homes in Mangalore are made from a soft rock known as laterite.

These soft rocks are cut into small sizes and houses are made from them. Mangalore is filled with vibrant colors of culture and heritage and tourists vacationing in Mangalore enjoy its various tourists’ attractions which are in the form of Museums, natural sea beaches and various other popular sites. These tourist attractions keep the tourist busy with city and adjourning area sightseeing for a few days.

Tourist Attractions in Mangalore 

Mangaladevi Temple

The Mangaladevi temple has an important position in the history of Mangalore city. The temple was built by the Ballal family who were from Attavar and the temple was dedicated to a princess of Kerala. The city name Mangalore is derived from it and the Mangaladevi temple is located around three km from the main city of Mangalore. Mangalore finds first mention in history chronicles during the reign of King Chettian the Pandyan King when the city was known as Mangalapuram. From the chronicle writings of Ibn Batuta, an Arabian traveler in the 14th century we come to know about the city of Mangalore which is known as Manjarur.

Mangala devi temple
Car festival held at Mangaladevi temple is celebrated with great enthusiasm by locals and tourists

Mahatma Gandhi Museum

This museum is open to its visitors on any weekdays from the time 9:30AM to 12:30PM in the morning and after lunch hours from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM. The museum remains close on Sundays and other National holidays. There is an entry fee that needs to be paid and pets are not allowed into the museum. The museum is situated near the Canara High School. This museum showcases arts, coins and sculptures of bygone era and also different types of art and craft. Certain specimens of anthropology and zoology are also complied and showcased here. Mahatma Gandhi Museum was founded in 1930 and sometimes informative film shows and lectures are held here for the benefit of the visitors.

BEJAI Museum

This museum is opened for its visitors daily from 9AM to 6PM. The visitor has to pay a minimum entry fee and the Bejai Museum is situated in the middle of Mangalore city. This museum is famous for providing a link between the histories of Modern India with Mangalore’s 16th century history. There is very good collection of coins which are Indian and foreign in nature. There are also different types of paintings in the Bejai museum and this provides a peek into the rich history and culture of India’s glorious past. The museum was named after an officer named Seemathi Bai. There is a copper inscription from 16th century which is a must visit spot for most museum visitors. Another unique collection which the Bejai museum has is collections of teapots and lamp stand from Kashmir and other areas of the continent.
 

Someshwara Beach

This beach is situated in the rocky area of Kanara region which is 9 km from Mangalore. You can take a bus from Mangalore and travel to the Bus Stand which is situated ½ km away from the main beach. When visiting the beach you would see large rocks which are known as “Rudra Shile”. This beach has the beauty of a paradise, even though the sea is very rough here. Tourists are requested, not to swim in the sea because of its violent nature.

Ullal Beach

This beach is situated 12 lm away from Mangalore. The scenery of the beach looks like a picture with the swaying of the coconut trees and the small fisherman village which is present along the coast. Near the Ullal beach there is also two other attractions mainly the 16th century Jain temples and Abbakka Devi’s old fort. Around this area there is a religious dargah, the Dargah of Sayed Mohammed Shereful Madani. It is said the saint visited Mangalore from Madina and a dargah now rest there in his name. Many of his followers visit the area. There are various buses from Mangalore city which would help you visit this beautiful beach in Mangalore.

Panambur Beach

This beach is very popular among tourists and attracts a large tourist population in the summers. Panambur Beach is situated on the Udipi highway and is around thirteen km away from the main city. This beautiful beach runs all along to Surathkal where one can view the splendid Light House and the ships sailing in the Arabian Sea.

Tourist Spot in Mangalore
Enjoy a romantic sunset at the Surathkal Beach in Mangalore

The Beach in Surathkal

This beach is situated more towards Udupi and is around twenty km from Mangalore. It is one of the cleanest beaches among beaches in Bangalore. When visiting this beach do not forget to visit the lighthouse at NITK, and the beautiful temple of Sadashiva.

Other Top Rated Must Visit Places for Tourists

Apart from the museums and the sand kissed beaches, Mangalore also offers other tourist spots to its tourists who visit it from other parts of India and abroad also. Some of the other tourist spots in Mangalore are discussed below.

Sightseeing in Mangalore
Enjoy a pleasant boat ride in the scenic location of Pilikula Nisargadhama

This is a great picnic spot which is situated near Vamanjoor area in Mangalore. Pilikula means tiger lake in the language spoken by Tulu. There are stories that tigers roamed the area and drank water from the lake. Thus the lake name became famous as Pilikula. The Mangalore local corporation has worked hard and developed the area into a tourist hot spot where the tourist visiting the area finds great peace and calmness to his stressed out senses. Pilikula’s beauty gets more enhanced when beautiful swans and duck swim in its water and sometimes even walk freely in the garden. Such beautiful moments mesmerize the traveler visiting Pilikula. Pilikula also has a beautiful golf course which adds to its charm.

St Mary’s Islands

The other names for this island are Thonespar and Coconut Island. St Mary’s Island consists of small four islands which is situated near Malpe in Udipi. This area is famous for its special formations of balsaltic lava which are in columns. Geologists are of the opinion that this lava was formed due to various small volcanic activities in ancient times before the continent started drifting and Madagascar Island was a part of the continent. This area is an important part of Geo Tourism.

Kadri Hill Park

This hill is located near the Kadri Gudde area which means hill in the local Tullu area. Kadri Hill Park is around five kilometer from the main city and is one of the biggest parks in Mangalore. Many tourists who travel with their families enjoy the beauty of the gardens; the children love the toy train ride there and enjoy the snake park in the area.

Sultan Battery 

Tipu Sultan the great king of Mysore built the Sultan Battery in the Boloor area. This area is six km from Mangalore and the Sultan Battery was built to prevent foreign warships from entering the Grurupur River. The Sultan Battery has weathered in the hands of time and only a few structures stand tall and mighty telling the simple tourists of majestic days that they had witnessed during the reign of Tipu Sultan. The Sultan Battery is a watch tower and now days there are many water sports that can be enjoyed in the area. There are banana boat rides, speed boats can be undertaken by a group of five people for five minutes, solo kayaking can be undertaken for thirty minutes and solo wind surfing can be undergone for 30 minutes. Due to these water sports activities Sultan Battery always has a large young crowd around it and is full especially during the cool winter seasons.

Historical Place in Mangalore
The majestic Sultan Battery built by ancient ruler of Mangalore, Tipu Sultan

Waterfalls in Hanuman Gundi

If you love the scenic beauty of waterfall, then you should visit the Hanuman Gundi waterfalls which are situated around seventy eight km away from the busy Mangalore city. This is a great tourist attraction for tourists visiting Mangalore. The waterfalls are also known as Suthanabbi falls and are located in the area between Karkala and Lakya Dam.

The waterfall falls from hundred feet and takes the breath away of any tourist visiting it by its majestic beauty which still portrays the power of nature over man. The best time to visit the place is between October to March and most people visiting the area enjoy a refreshing bath in its cools water. Most people need to walk or trek into the surrounding area of Hanuman Gundi waterfalls and you would need to pay a small fee when entering the waters of Hanuman Gundi waterfalls.

Water and Amusement Park in Manasa

After visiting the various tourists’ attraction, if you have a single day left, you can visit the Manasa Park which is an amusement park and the whole family can enjoy some great quality hours together in fun and frolic. This amusement park is situated around twelve km from the main Mangalore city and is crowded throughout the year. You and your family would enjoy the various different rides and glides in the Manasa Park. The young crowd can enjoy various rides but the elderly have special area dedicated to them from where they can rest and watch the young members of the family at play. There is also an area where you can shop, buy souvenirs and enjoy a hearty meal after you have played hard for few hours. In case of emergencies there is a doctor on call and the park is open on all week days from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Visitors are not allowed to bring food from outside in this amusement park.

The Light House in Surathkal

The lighthouse in Surathkal is situated on the National Highway-7 and is around twelve km away from Mangalore. This entire area was part of Mysore state before Indian independence. The construction of the lighthouse in Surathkal was started in 1969 and completed by 1972. The main light of the lighthouse was provided by a metal lamp which was halide in nature. This lighthouse is now part of National Institute of Technology Karnataka campus which is an important technology learning city in South India.

Someshwara Wild Life Sanctuary

The Sahyadri area is famous for its beautiful fauna and flora varieties. This sanctuary is located a little away from Mangalore but most tourists take a day out to visit the beach, Udipi city and the wildlife sanctuary. When visiting the sanctuary you would be amazed at the collection of unusual birds and animals and plants which have medicinal value when visiting there. The sanctuary was established in 1974 and is spread over eighty eight km with lush green forests.

The Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is open from 6:00 AM to 6:00PM in the evening. In the sanctuary you would get to see different types of animals like big cats, Langur and Gaur. Some of their rare breeds of animals are barking deer, spotted deer and wild dogs. Different varieties of Macaque birds are also found in this wild sanctuary. Among reptile species you would see the monitor lizards, king cobra and python.

Best time to visit Mangalore

Mangalore is a city which enjoys tropical climate. This type of climate is characterized by hot and very humid summer season and followed by comfortable cool winters. Mangalore witnesses most vacationers during the month of October to March every year. It is advisable to carry light woolen wear in winters and light cotton clothing during summers.

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