Many a time I have been asked, ” What is a Blue Fag certification?” That led to the idea of creating a more or less exhaustive blog to quench the thirst for knowledge seekers. Also, this does provide me with a window of opportunity to showcase the Indian beaches that have qualified for this certification. Apart from this now I have a mission to visit the ones I haven’t been to yet!

Blue Fag is a certification issued by the Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark (FEE) to eco-friendly destinations. The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

There are a total of 4831 beaches, marinas and tourism boats across 50 Countries that is accredited with this certification. For more details, one can visit the website: Blue Fag Website

I was first enlightened about this certification by my colleague Jalpan Raja and that intrigued me to know more. However, this blog is dedicated to the beaches of India that are accredited with this certificate. Currently, India has 10 beaches that have Blue Fag certification. The Eden beach at Puducherry and the Kovalam beach at Tamil Nadu are the latest entrants as of Oct 2021

Worldwide there is a huge focus on promoting sustainable tourism, and it is a matter of pride for India that these 10 beaches have qualified. Thus we should also contribute by visiting these places to help the local economy in and around these destinations. Don’t you agree? So, let us get on the ride of these 10 wonderful and magical locations

Padubidri beach: ( Karnataka)

The Padubidri beach is located in the Udupi district of Karnataka. It is a quiet town that is wonderful for a stroll in the evening to catch the sunset. In recent times there are provisions for water sports and adventure rides for the fun-seekers. Padubidri has clean and well-maintained washrooms, food stalls, and even lifeguards that keep a watch on the tourists on Padubidri beach.

Padubidri has another beach that should not be mistaken as the Blue fag beach. The beach that we are discussing is approximately 1.5 kms south of Padubidri beach and can easily be identified due to excellent landscaped park and gardens

Rushikonda Beach ( Andhra Pradesh)

Located 8kms from Visakhapatnam city, Rushikonda Beach is loved by one and all for its golden sands and waves. It is surrounded by green plants and thus attracts a lot of nature lovers. There are provisions for various water sports, water skiing and surfing here. The are many cottages and restaurants around the beach built and run by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism department

Radhanagar Beach ( Andaman & Nicobar Islands)

Radhanagar Beach is probably one of the most beautiful beaches in India. Time Magazine however went a step ahead and declared it as the best beach in Asia and the 7th best in the world. If one takes a picture from a drone the entire beach can be seen surrounded by Coconut trees and tropical jungle and thus the emerald blue water has a greenish hue to it.

Radhanagar Beach is equally famous for its extravagant sunset in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. There are plenty of huts, benches, and chairs all around the beach for tourists to find their own space and peace. This is the only beach in the world that does not allow food and water inside.

Kasarkod Beach ( Karnataka)

When I first read about this beach in Karnataka I was quite confused because I have always known Kasargod town in the state of Kerala. However, this particular beach is located very close to Kumta or Murudeshwar of Karnataka.

The Kasarkod Beach was developed by Karnataka’s forest and tourism departments to encourage eco-tourism in the state. The beach is almost 5 kilometres covered in white sand. It’s the least crowded beach, as compared to the other popular beaches in Karnataka. While public transport is not available to this beach, a taxi service is.

Ghoghla Beach (Diu)

  • Nearest Airport: Diu Airport– 11 Kms
  • Nearest Railway station: Delvada Railway station though it remains underdeveloped: 10 Kms The other railway station that has some sort of connectivity is Una railway station– 16 Kms from the beach
  • Nearest Bus Stop: Better connectivity from Una

The Ghoghla Beach is 15kms from Diu and is the largest beach in UT. It has golden sands and clear water throughout the year. Ghoghla offers ergonomically designed bio-toilet blocks, changing rooms and recreational amenities such as an open gymnasium, and parks for children. Parasailing, surfing, banana boat rides and water scooters are the most popular adventure activities at the beach.

Kappad Beach (Kerala)

If you visit Kozhikode, it’s unlikely for you to return without a visit to Kappad Beach, which is 16kms away from the city. It’s believed that over 500 years ago, in 1498, 170 men led by Vasco- da-Gama first stepped onto Kerala on this shore. A walk around the place gives you an idea of its historical relevance.

One can take a boat ride, swim in the backwaters or play beach games with friends or family. Taking a houseboat cruise down the river to Kappad adds charm to your beach tour. The beach is seldom visited by tourists in Kozhikode and thus remains quiet and peaceful.

Shivrajpur Beach (Gujarat)

  • Nearest Airport: Jamnagar Airport ( also called Mithapur airstrip)- 13Kms
  • Nearest Railway station: Dwarka Railway station: 16 Kms
  • Nearest Bus Stop: Shivrajpur has a bus station, however, the connectivity is best from Dwarka
  • Website: https://shivrajpurbeach.com/

Located almost 12kms from Dwarka, Shivrajpur Beach is ideal for a long walk. This Blue Flag certified beach is the best location to spend a weekend with family and kids. You can spot a dolphin or some beautiful birds, too.

There are 2 other places near Dwarka that should not be missed at any cost. The first is is Okha Madhi beach located 37 Kms away from Shivrajpur beach and is famous for fine sands. The other one is Positara Marine National park ( 30 Kms from Shivrajpur beach) has beautiful coral reefs and marine life and is a perfect destination for diving and snorkelling.

Golden Beach (Odisha)

The Puri Beach aka Golden Beach is located in Puri, Odisha and I always rate it as the best beach in India. I do not think there is any other beach in India that is better suited to taking a bath. Please note I said bath and not a swim! This is something only my Indian friends would understand and especially my Bengali friends who throng this beach every year without fail.

The best time to visit is during the Puri Beach Festival, which is well promoted by the authorities. The outstanding sand art especially by award-winning sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik will make any soul stand and take note. The name Golden Beach was thought of due to a stretch of fine golden sand, dotted with stalls selling seafood and snacks. Surfing enthusiasts should try surfing here as the waves are firm and large to have a great session of surfing

Once at Puri the Hindus should make an effort to visit and have a darshan at the Jagannath Temple. The non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple and thus can appreciate the architecture of the temple from the outside. There are some Pandas inside the temple who do promise fast darshan and special privileges and ideally should be avoided. Otherwise, if someone feels cheated it is at their own expense and peril. One cannot be a part of the corruption and expect to remain clean. The pathway to the temple is filled with a beggar who doubles up as money changers. Again my humble request would be to focus on the task on hand rather than the noise around.

Kovalam Beach (Tamil Nadu)

Kovalam Beach should not be confused with the beach in Kerala that is equally beautiful. This Kovalam beach is located 40 Kms from Chennai city on the Coromandel coast and is in close proximity to the town of Mahabalipuram. Locally it is known as Covelong Beach, and tourists who have driven past the East coast road would not have missed the Taj Fisherman Cove property. The Taj property is also present on the Covelong beach

This is a perfect beach to indulge in water sports and sunbathe. People flock here to view the inspiring waves dashing on the silver sand. Tourists not only can marvel at the lonely shoreline but also visit the ruins of the Dutch Fort and a Catholic Church in the vicinity

Covelong Beach is located along the coastline of the Bay of Bengal near the village of Covelong. It was initially established as a port by the Saadat Ali for Carnatic Nawabs which was later occupied by the French in 1746 and ruined by Britishers in 1752.

Covelong beach is renowned for being the first surfing village in the country. Ocean delight and Covelong Point Social Surf School are well known across the country and globe. The waves of Covelong Beach are gentle and calm, making it an ideal destination for surfers.

Eden Beach (Puducherry)

The Eden beach is the latest addition to Puducherry and thus is not known to even one of the frequent travellers to Puducherry. Thus it has managed to stay one of the hidden gems of the east coast. It got a Blue Flag certification in 2019 and is located in between two tourist spots – The Arts and Crafts Village and Paradise beach.

The sunset at this beach is not to be missed as nature displays its skills with colours in the sky. The constant colour-changing sky, cleanliness and the pristine blue Bay of Bengal were a surreal combination. Some of the attractions of the beach include sit-out umbrella huts, watchtower, amphitheatre, scuba diving, children’s play area, fitness equipment, and backwaters.

I would recommend tourists to try and drive from Chennai on the East coast road beside the magnificent expanse of the Bay of Bengal all the way to Puducherry. This drive is extremely enjoyable for the wonderful and picturesque road and I have never gotten bored of it.

Name of the
State/ Union Territory		Number of
Blue Fag certified beach
Karnataka2
Tamil Nadu1
Puducherry1
Andhra Pradesh1
Andaman and Nicobar Islands1
Diu1
Odisha1
Kerala1
Gujarat1
Leaderboard for Blue Fag Ranking of the Indian States

India has over 7500 Km of coastline and thus clearly it does not represent the true opportunity we have in hand. I was actually surprised that Gopalpur by the Sea is not eligible and it gives me a sense that there are low hanging fruits like this that can quickly get certified. Hopefully, the locals and the administration take note as the hard dollar coming through tourism can change the dynamics of job creation to a large level. Let us hope for the best!

Special Appreciation and token of Thanks

  1. Sheetal Navekar for sharing her pictures of Ghoghla beach
  2. Aparna Umbarje for sharing pictures of Radhanagr beach
  3. Siddesh Borkar for sharing pictures of Radhanagar beach
  4. Sreejith for sharing our pictures of the “Great Epic tour”- YouTube link: @MeTrotter Needless to say, please Like and Subscribe to my channel.

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