MAHABALIPURAM BEACH :
At a distance of 2 Kms from Mahabalipuram Bus Station (near The Shore Temple), the golden sandy Mamallapuram Beach is a picturesque place bounded by the shimmering sea and rolling hills.
Identified as the most pristine beaches of Tamil Nadu, the beach attracts thousands of tourists throughout the year.
On request, the local fisher folk can arrange sea cruises in the country crafts. Angling can also be done with the help of the fishermen. The deep-sea angling is also famous here.
There is a wide choice of resorts along the beach. Fisherman's Cove, a private beach resort offers water sports apart from its magnificent beach area. Some resorts are also having beachfront restaurants.
KRISHNA'S BUTTER BALL :
At a distance of 0.5 Km from Mahabalipuram Bus Station (on Mada Koil Street), Krishna's Butter Ball is a huge boulder near the Ganesha Ratha.
It rests precariously on a narrow rock base. Legend has it that several Pallava Kings attempted to move it, but all the kings and their elephants could not shift the boulder even by an inch.
SHORE TEMPLE :
The Shore Temple (built in 700–728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal.It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD.
At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty.As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples of South India.
Shore temple is a complex of temples and shrines.
GANESHA RATHA :
At a distance of nearly 0.5 Km from Mahabalipuram Bus Station, Ganesh Ratha Temple is located towards the north of the Arjuna's Penance.
It is a temple carved out from a rock to resemble a chariot and is built in Dravidian style of temple architecture. It was once dedicated to Lord Shiva.
But when the original lingam was removed, the temple came to be known as the temple of Lord Ganesh.
It has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of 'Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram'.
SADRAS BEACH RESORT :
At a distance of 13 kms from Mahabalipuram (towards South) and 68 Kms from Chennai, Sadras is an outstanding beach resort that takes advantage of the beautiful landscape.
This is one of the popular tourist places to visit around Chennai.
The beaches that surround Mahabalipuram are encompassed by beautiful, green casuarinas groves. The contrast of the vibrant green with the sparkling white beaches is breathtaking, and a sight that numerous tourists want to experience.
There is an old ruined Dutch Fort and a Dutch cemetery with finely carved headstones at Sadras as well.