Located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, the port city of Mangalore or Mangaluru is known for its swaying coconut palms, beautiful beaches and temple architecture. It is also an important industrial, commercial, educational and healthcare hub of the state of Karnataka.

Despite the growing commercialisation, it provides a quick and soothing getaway from the city bustle and yet preserves just the right amount of the urban glitter. It offers a pleasant ambience and is close to perfect with its shopping attractions with large malls with all the global brands and vibrant seafood dishes. Tasting the Mangalorean cuisine is a must-try once in the city. 

Major tourist attractions in Mangalore are the beautiful beaches and the temples, churches and mosques. The Kudroli Temple, Mangaladevi temple, Someshwara beach, Panambur beach, Tannirbavi Beach and Pilikula Nisargadhama are some of the places one might want to visit. Yaksha Gana, the folk dance of Mangalore is the perfect visual treat to add colour to your trip and cast a spell on you as you witness the beautiful culture that it sustains and glorifies.

Places to Visit

Panambur Beach

Panambur Beach is located at a distance of 13 km from Mangalore to the south of Mangalore port. Every year it is visited by hordes of tourists and locals as it hosts several events like boat racing, kite festival and sand sculptures competitions. Despite a massive footfall, it is one of the cleanest beaches one can come across in the Western coastline of India. The name of the beach has been derived from ‘Panam’ meaning money and ‘ur’ meaning place. 

It is the first beach in the country which is wholly owned by a private enterprise, i.e. the Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project. The motive is to educate the masses about the efficiency of keeping beaches clean. Owing to its excellent maintenance, the Panambur Beach has been awarded the cleanest and best-maintained beaches in India. Moreover, the beautiful beach is open to several events, promotional programmes, weddings, parties, etc. 

The International Kite Festival is organised every two years at the Panambur Beach which is attended by tourists from all across the country. Also, a carnival of more local kite festivals is held at the beach during the last week of April. The beach is an essential landmark to the location of Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Factory and Kudremukh Iron Ore Factory.

St.Aloysius Chapel

St Aloysius Chapel is a Catholic Church and a famous attraction set atop the Lighthouse Hill and has a regal look which is breathtaking right from the entrance. The unique wall paintings of St. Aloysius Chapel are stunning and attract visitors in quite a large number. These paintings were painted in 1899 by Antonio Moscheni, an Italian Jesuit when he visited Mangalore on a mission in 1878. What we get to see are mostly restored paintings that have suffered damage over time but the charm and authenticity of St Aloysius Chapel is still very well maintained.  This is Mangalore’s very own Sistine Chapel and offers a serene atmosphere to calm a troubled mind. The view of the Arabian Sea from the campus is worth the trip if one wishes to capture a part of the history and the natural landscape of this part of the city. 

Kadri Manjunatha Temple

Built in 1068, this temple has a Buddhist architectural influence on the basic Vijaynagri style. It is situated at the base of the Kadri hills, the chief deity being Manjunatha.

Sultan Battery

Tipu Sultan constructed this watchtower to keep a lookout for the entry of warships into the Gurpur River. The battery, made from black stones had been given the look of a miniature fortress. Not having withstood the test of time and extreme weather, this tower stands in ruins today. 

Kadri Hill Park

Housing a wide variety of wild animals, this is the largest garden in Mangalore. Rare species of birds, anteaters and various other animals are seen in the animal conservatory. Also, eight tanks of water here can cure skin diseases as per local beliefs.

Pilikula Park & Golf Course

Literally translating into the ‘pond of tigers’, this one park, can keep everyone busy with a lake with boating facilities, a zoo, an amusement park, a sprawling golf course, a biological park, a science centre, a heritage village and more.

Tannirbhavi Beach

Tannirbhavi Beach is one of the popular beaches in the city. The coastline with golden sand and cool, fresh air is rejuvenating, and people are drawn to the natural beauty of the location. Proper seats and other facilities make the beach a frequently visited attraction, and it is crowded often on weekends and public holidays. Entering the sea is not advisable, but one can try their hand at one of the water sports at the beach. There are lifeguards to keep an eye and rescue in case of an accident, however, visitors are advised to be careful while entering the water. Nevertheless, it is one attraction that is a soothing respite from the race that we humans are running to reach nowhere.

New Mangalore Port

The New Mangalore Port situated in Panambur, Mangalore in the state of Karnataka is run and governed by the new Mangalore trust. It is one of the most major ports located in Karnataka and is the seventh largest port in the country. It was inaugurated on 4th May 1974 by the then prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi. The port lies in Panambur that is, the west coast of India. It lies to the north of Phalguni River to the Arabian Sea. 

New Mangalore Port is a remote area of all the coasts located in Karnataka and Kerala. Being the seventh largest port in the country, it is a place where some of the most primary commodities are imported as well as exported. 

Some of the major products which are exported include pellets, iron ore fines and concentrates, coffee, cashew, manganese, granite stones and containerized cargo. Some of the commodities which are majorly imported include LPG, crude, petroleum products, wood pulp, logs of timber, fertilisers, liquid ammonia, liquid chemicals, containerized cargo and numerous other products. All the projects associated with the port were started in 1962.

Rosario Cathedral

Rosario Cathedral is a 16th-century Roman Catholic church, also called Church of Our Lady of Rosary of Mangalore. It is a magnificent structure with a beautiful interior and one of the few places in Mangalore where one can find peace and tranquillity away from the chaotic city life. The magnificent cross and the dome on the Cathedral are said to be prominent features which are easily visible to the ships approaching the Mangalore Harbour. The Cross is lit every evening and serves as guiding light for fishermen and seamen.

Kudroli Gorakhnath Temple

This temple was built by Sri Narayana Guru for the Billava community, who were prohibited entry into any other temple in the area. The deity in this temple is Gokarnanatheshwara, Lord Shiva.

The surrounding temples and the main temple itself are built in Tamil Nadu style, decorated with murals showing various mythological legends.

Must Try Food in Mangalore

1. Machali

2. Girimanja’s

3. Pallkhi Restaurant

4. Sagar Ratna

5. Kudla Family Restaurant

6. Maharaja Family Restaurant

7. Shetty Lunch Home

8. Hotel Narayana

9. Diesel Cafe

10. Sizzler Ranch

How To Get Here

Mangalore is easily accessible by road, rail and air. Being such a popular holiday destination, there are various alternative commute options to reach here. Mangalore has an international airport that has flights from many middle eastern countries and domestic flights to all the major cities in India. The Mangaluru Railway Station is well connected to all the major cities in India too. Direct buses are also available to Mangalore from Mumbai, Pune, many cities in Karnataka and Kerala too. 

By Air

Mangalore has an International Airport located 18 km from the city in the Bajpe area. There are international flights that go to many Gulf countries and all the major domestic airlines operate from here as well.  

Nearest Airport: Mangalore International Airport (IXE) 

By Road

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from Mysore, Bangalore, Goa and Mumbai connect to Mangalore. Private buses too, operate at competitive rates.

By Train

Mangalore is connected to the Indian Railways network via Bangalore, connecting it to most South Indian cities as well as many other cities like Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, etc.