Surf the waves in India: Auroville Beach, Pondicherry

Located about 12 km north of Pondicherry is the Auroville Beach. This is more commonly known as Auro Beach to the local people. Auroville Beach attracts a huge amount of crowd since it is located in close proximity to the Auroville Ashram.

Auroville Beach

To reach Auroville Beach take the same route required to reach the town of Auroville, but at the main junction rather than turning left and going west which leads to the town take a right and head east. Auroville Beach is about a seven minute walk from the junction.The beach is easy to find since there are sign boards all along the way.

Auroville Beach on any given day attracts a huge amount of tourist since the beach is located in close proximity to Auroville Ashram and hence a lot of tourists prefer to spend the first half of the day visiting the ashram and the second half at the beach. Auroville Beach just like the ashram tends to get very crowded on weekends and public holidays so it is better to avoid these days.

The beach during the morning is pretty deserted with only a few fishermen seen around the beach mainly because of the heat, but during the late afternoon this place burst into life with boat rides and jet skies. Being a beach there are plenty of people who jump into the water for a swim, but always heed the advice of the life-guards at the beach.

There are plenty of foreigners who make this beach their home since it is close by to the ashram and is also a good place to chill in the evenings. These foreign travellers generally stay at the beach shacks or near Auroville town and make this place their home for weeks together it not months.

Auroville Beach is one of the few beaches in India where surfing is possible, and every year from the end of October to mid-February a surfing school is run. This surfing school is run by two Spanish brothers who have been riding these waves since the mid 90’s. Trying your hand at surfing is a must do thing for any adrenaline junkie who is visiting Pondicherry.

On the beach the eating options are limited to chaat, raw mango (kaire), ice creams and coconut water. There are no stalls of any kind selling eatables, but plenty of street hawkers who come around selling these eatables.

Accommodation is available on Auroville Beach in the form of make shift shacks and huts, but the sad part is that most of the shack owners avoid renting out their shacks to Indians and prefer only renting it out to foreign travellers. The reason being the foreign travellers pay more.

The best season to visit Auroville Beach is during the winter months of November to March when the weather is a lot more bearable as compared to the rest of the year.

Auroville Beach is a must visit place for everyone who visit Auroville town. This beach is a good place to relax, unwind and have a fun evening watching the sun set on the Bay of Bengal after a long day around the town of Auroville.

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