Beaches In India

Tamilnadu Portonova Beach

The Portonova Beach, Parankipatai is one of the lesser known beaches of Tamil Nadu but is just as beautiful as the others. The sun kissed shore, the explicit landscape and the clean waters are some of the charismatic features of this beach.

The beach gets its name from the Portuguese words Porto Nova meaning New Port. The Portuguese gave the town its name after they arrived in the region and set it up as one of their biggest trading hubs. Parankipatai has long been one of India's most important trading centers owing to its location on the Coromandel Coast. With passing years, the town has evolved into a developed region boosting a wide range of healthcare facilities, educational institutes and most of all major tourist attractions like the Portonova Beach.

The town was known as 'Muthukrishna puri' during the reign of the Nayakkars and 'Mohammed banthar' when the Mughal Empire ruled. There are many Muslims living in this area. They speak Tamil, which is the local language there, but it is highly influenced by Arabic and Urdu.

The Portonova Beach is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Parankipatai. It draws crowds to the town all through the year, though it continues to remain one of the less popular beaches of the state.

Location

Parankipatai is located approximately 30 kilometers away from Cuddalore and lies on the north bank of the Vellar River. The town can be reached in approximately within an hour and 15 minutes by road from Cuddalore. The drive from Cuddalore to Parankipatai is said to be extremely beautiful, Mesmerizing landscapes, beautiful weather and good roads make the journey more memorable.

How To Reach

The best way of reaching Parankipatai is through Cuddalore. There are buses and trains that pass by.

By Air

Unfortunately, Cuddalore doesn’t have an airport. The nearest airport is a civil airport that doesn’t cater to passenger flights. Hence, getting to this place via air is not an option. Tourists will have to take a flight to Chennai airport and then travel to Cuddalore which is a 25 km ride.

By Road

Tamil Nadu State buses run from most major cities of the state to Cuddalore. The buses operate daily and make a comfortable ride. There also many private bus service providers operating in the region. Ticket prices vary between service providers.

By Rail

Luckily, there are many trains that pass by Cuddalore and Parankipatai. However, some trains don’t have a stop at Parankipatai. Therefore it is best to get down at Cuddalore and take a connecting inter-city train.

Temperature And Weather

Parankipatai enjoys sub tropical climate and hence the temperatures are moderate throughout the year. Like the rest of the state, Parankipatai too has three main seasons – summer, monsoon and winter, though the winters are not very cold. The best time to visit the town is during its winter months.

Summer

Parankipatai experiences summer in the months of April, May and June.  Temperatures are high and the atmosphere is humid and sticky. The minimum temperature during these months is 31 degree Celsius and the maximum goes up to 37 degrees Celsius.  This is not the best time to visit the town, though many people continue to visit Parankipatai at this time of the year as it is less crowded.

Monsoons

Monsoon sets in during the months of July, August and September, characterized by heavy rainfall and gloomy weather for days.  Many tourist activities are suspended during this time because of the heavy rainfall the town receives.

Winter

November to January is the winter months for Parankipatai. This is the best time to visit the town as temperatures are very low.  The maximum temperature during the day in winter is 26 degrees Celsius.

Attractions

Portonova Lighthouse is the first lighthouse of the region, built during 1979-81. The site on which the lighthouse was built was initially a temporary camp for the French East India Company. This is where the company put up before moving to Pondicherry.

Pichavaram mangrove forest is located near Chidambaram in Cuddalore District and is another very famous tourist attraction. It lies between the Vellar estuary and Coleroon estuary.

There are also many temples in the region that bear historical importance. Some of the popular ones include Padaleeshwar Temple, Nataraja Temple, Bhuvaraha Swami Temple and Devanatha Swami Temple.

Nearby Hotels

December and January are the months when the city receives most of its tourists. This is when Margazhi is celebrated. During this festival, thousands of people from all over the world flock to this area to be a part of the celebration.

The most common form of accommodation here is lodges. One can get the cheapest accommodation in about INR 200. Some of the better hotels are located in Chidambaram, from where there is direct transport to other parts of the state. Budgeted hotels would cost approximately INR 500 per night.

Deluxe and luxury hotels are priced between INR 800 to INR 1,500 per night.

Restaurants

Owing to the large number of Muslims living in the region and the town’s Arabic influence, Biryani and Kababs are some of the specialties of the region. However, there are quite a few vegetarian restaurants in the area too that serve authentic Tamil cuisine.

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