sine qua non place in a tourist's list

Marina, which is one of the longest beaches, is a major attraction for tourists from all over the world. The Bay of Bengal extends for a long distance along the east coast of Tamil Nadu , it is called by different names at different parts of the city as well as the state.
Along the shores of Marina adorn the statues of eminent personalities who made a mark in the Tamil as well as Indian culture
In Chennai Marina beach and Elliot’s beach in Beasant nagar are the most popular ones where the city crowd usually throngs..

One of the famous aspect in case of these beaches is the street food .. The most popular ones are sundal ( bolied pulses with a little garnishing and topped with slices of mango ) , Raw mango sliced and topped with salt and chilli powder , Roasted as well as boiled corn , Bajji (vegetables dipped in flour and deep fried) and a variety of savouries like Muruku , thatai ..
Apart from this there are also a variety of north Indian Chaat available, the most popular ones being Bhel puri (puffed rice, carrot, onion, potato, namkeen mixed with tangy sauce garnished with coriander leaves) Pani puri , Pav Bhaji .. But, these food are not prepared under very hygienic conditions. So, if your not used to eating street food its better you avoid them. But you can also find some branded ice cream kiosks which are quite reliable like Kwality walls, Arun ice creams, Amul etc..

Apart from the food stalls there are many stalls selling fish and other sea food in the morning from the early morning catch. In the evenings and especially during weekends you can find a lot of small shops selling toys , shells, kites and few other artistic work and these stuff are usually not very expensive.

In the early morning you can usually find a lot of physical activity taking place with people taking their day’s walk, exercising and practising other martial arts.

The games which are usually played are beach volley ball, cricket(along the lanes adjoining the beach) , Frisbee , kite flying.

Horse riding is another popular attraction in the Marina beach , where you will be taken along the beach for a ride with the horse keeper accompanying you.

These beaches are open to the public without any entry fee and the people are usually expected to leave the beaches by around 10 pm for safety reasons..

Adjacent to Besant nagar beach is the Planet Yum food court which serves various cuisines , it also has a play area for children .

Beasant nagar beach is more like a youth hang out , nevertheless its also a place where families spend a breezy evening along the sea shore .

In case you wanna enjoy the beach in a more relaxed and quite environment you can head to the East Coast Road (ECR), a stretch along the Bay of Bengal which is around one hour drive from the city .. This scenic stretch has many resorts with private beaches which are usually not very crowded .. In most of the resorts the beach is accessible to anybody.. But certain resorts provide access to the beach only if you reside in the resort ..The beaches which are accessible through resorts are clean unlike Marina and Elliot’s beach . Certain resorts also have an option for a catamaran ride in the sea..

The most popular resorts are Fishermen’s cove (Taj Group) , GRT Temple Bay, MGM Beach Resort etc..