Karnataka · Beaches
Malpe tour packages from Kerala
A clean coastal stop with an island of basalt columns offshore
- Best time to visit
- October to February. The ferry to St Mary's Island does not run in rough seas, so the monsoon months from June to September are unreliable for the main attraction.
- Typical trip length
- Most itineraries run 1–2 nights.
- Getting there
- Approx. 600 km from Kottayam, around 10–12 hours by road. Usually combined with Murudeshwar, Gokarna or Chikkamagaluru.
About Malpe
Malpe is the beach town on the coastal Karnataka run, a few minutes from Udupi. The draw is St Mary's Island just offshore — a formation of hexagonal basalt columns reached by a short ferry — paired with one of the better-maintained beaches on this coast. It pairs naturally with Udupi's Krishna temple and works well as a stop on a longer coastal itinerary rather than as a destination on its own.
What you'll see in Malpe
- St Mary's IslandHexagonal basalt columns, a national geological monument, reached by ferry
- Malpe BeachClean, wide and well-kept, with water sports in season
- Udupi Sri Krishna Temple13th-century temple 6 km away, and the home of Udupi cuisine
- Kaup LighthouseClimbable lighthouse with a long view down the coast
- Delta BeachWhere the Swarna river meets the sea, quieter than the main beach
Trips we plan to Malpe
Every trip is quoted against your own dates and group size — there is no fixed package price. These are the kinds of trip Malpe works best for.
Family & Group Tours
Comfortable, well-paced itineraries built around families and friend groups.
EnquireSchool & College Tours
Safe, supervised educational trips with group rates and teacher coordination.
EnquireSouth India Tours
Kerala backwaters, Tamil Nadu hills, Goa beaches and coastal Karnataka.
EnquireMalpe — common questions
Can you visit St Mary's Island year-round?
No. The island is reached by a short ferry from Malpe, and the service is suspended when the sea is rough — which means most of the monsoon, roughly June to September. If St Mary's Island is the reason for the trip, plan it between October and February.
Is Malpe worth a trip on its own?
Usually not. It is a one or two night stop, and it works best as part of a coastal Karnataka route with Udupi, Murudeshwar or Gokarna, or on the way to Chikkamagaluru. We normally plan it that way rather than as a standalone destination.
Planning a trip to Malpe?
Tell us your dates and how many people are travelling and we'll come back with an itinerary and a price — transport only, or everything arranged end to end.
