Total Number of Beaches in India
India has approximately 7,517 km of mainland coastline and an estimated 300–400 named, accessible beaches along the coast. When you include the island territories (Andaman & Nicobar Islands with 572 islands, and Lakshadweep with 36 atolls), the number of island beaches runs into the thousands — most unnamed and reachable only by boat. The Ministry of Earth Sciences lists 667 officially recognised coastal stretches across the country. Of these, around 300+ have sufficient tourist infrastructure — road access, accommodation, or regular ferry service — to qualify as "visitable beaches." India ranks among the top 10 countries worldwide by mainland coastline length, behind Australia, Norway, Russia, and Canada but ahead of the United States mainland coast.
State-Wise Beach Count in India
Goa: 40+ named beaches along 105 km of coastline — highest density of tourist beaches in India. Kerala: 590 km of coastline, 80+ beaches including the famous Kovalam, Varkala, Cherai, Marari, Bekal, and Kappad. Maharashtra: 720 km of coastline (longest mainland state coastline), 50+ beaches including Alibag, Kashid, Murud, Tarkarli, Ganpatipule. Tamil Nadu: 1,076 km coastline (longest state shoreline), 200+ coastal stretches including Marina, Mahabalipuram, Rameswaram, Tranquebar. Andhra Pradesh: 975 km coastline, 30+ named beaches — Rushikonda, Rishikonda, Mypadu, Suryalanka. Karnataka: 320 km coastline, 30+ beaches — Gokarna, Murudeshwar, Kapu, Maravanthe. Odisha: 485 km coastline, 20+ beaches — Puri, Konark, Chilika Lake. West Bengal: 158 km shoreline, 10+ beaches — Digha, Mandarmani, Bakkhali. Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 572 islands, hundreds of beaches — Radhanagar, Elephant Beach, Neil Island beaches, Barren Island. Lakshadweep: 36 coral atolls, dozens of lagoon beaches — Bangaram, Agatti, Kavaratti.
Longest Beaches in India
1. Marina Beach, Chennai (Tamil Nadu): 13 km — world's second longest urban beach. 2. Dhanushkodi Beach, Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu): 18 km of isolated spit — technically India's longest continuous beach. 3. Puri Beach (Odisha): 35 km of contiguous Bay of Bengal shoreline. 4. Chandipur Beach (Odisha): 30 km — famous for the receding tide (sea retreats 5 km at low tide). 5. Muzhappilangad Drive-In Beach (Kerala): 4 km — India's longest drive-in beach, cars permitted on the hard sand. 6. Guhagar Beach (Maharashtra): 6 km of largely undeveloped Konkan coastline. 7. Havelock Island Beach 7 / Radhanagar (Andaman): 2 km — Asia's most beautiful.
Which State Has the Most Beaches?
Tamil Nadu has the longest state coastline (1,076 km) and the most numbered coastal stretches. However, Goa has the highest density of tourist-accessible named beaches relative to its coastline length (105 km, 40+ named beaches). The Andaman & Nicobar Islands have the most total beaches by island count when including remote and uninhabited island shores. For accessible, developed beaches that tourists can readily visit, Goa and Kerala offer the widest selection of quality beach experiences in India.
How Many Blue Flag Beaches Does India Have?
India has 12 Blue Flag certified beaches as of 2026 — Blue Flag is an international eco-label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) for beaches meeting standards in water quality, environmental management, safety, and services. India's Blue Flag beaches include: Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Ghoghla (Daman & Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden Beach (Odisha), Radhanagar (Andaman), Mipad Beach (Andhra Pradesh), Tambolam (Andaman), Eden Beach (Pondicherry), Kovalam (Tamil Nadu). India aims to certify 100 Blue Flag beaches by 2030.