Kakinada
A working port on a sheltered bay, with a quiet beach and Dutch-era roots
A Kakinada tour covers a busy port, a bay sheltered by Hope Island, a quiet beach, a museum of 400 antiquities and the Coringa mangroves 8 km away.
Overview
Kakinada is the headquarters of Kakinada district on Andhra Pradesh's Bay of Bengal coast, with about 384,000 residents at the 2011 census. A Kakinada tour mixes sea, seafood and a few small collections rather than big monuments, and it works as a quiet coastal base between Visakhapatnam and the Godavari delta. November to February is the most comfortable stretch.
The city's character comes from its harbour. Its deep-water port is the second largest in the state after Visakhapatnam, and a natural shelter helps explain why: Hope Island, a tadpole-shaped strip of sand about 5 km off the coast, encloses Kakinada Bay, a body of water of roughly 146 sq km. The island built up from silt carried down a Godavari distributary in the late 18th century and still has two small fishing hamlets.
On shore, Kakinada Beach is plain and unhurried, with soft sand, gentle waves and sunset views. Fishermen bring in their catch there, and small stalls sell freshly cooked seafood. The A.S.P. Government Museum and Research Institute, founded in 1973, holds around 400 antiquities, among them palm-leaf manuscripts, Buddhist sculpture, copper plate inscriptions, coins and weapons.
History here has a European layer. The town was known as Cocanada under British rule, and a Dutch trading post was set up in 1734. Older still is the Bhavanarayana Swamy temple at Sarpavaram, a state-protected monument that carries inscriptions from several dynasties. The Kukkuteswara Swamy temple is another shrine named on the national tourism listing for the city.
Two places nearby extend a stay. The Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, a mangrove reserve, begins about 8 km from the city, and Annavaram's hill temple is about 51 km away; both have their own pages. For arrivals, Kakinada Town is the railway station, and the nearest airports are Rajahmundry at about 55 km, with Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada also listed. The coolest month is January at 18 to 20 C, May and June reach 38 to 42 C, and annual rain is about 110 to 115 cm.
Known for
Soft sand, gentle waves, sunsets and fresh seafood stalls
Quick facts
Coolest in January at about 18 to 20 C, hottest in late May and June at 38 to 42 C, with 110 to 115 cm of rain a year.
Rajahmundry Airport (RJA), about 55 km away. Visakhapatnam (VTZ) and Vijayawada (VGA) airports are also listed for the area (distances to be supplied).
Kakinada Town railway station (code CCT) in the city
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is about 8 km from the city and Annavaram about 51 km. Drive times (to be supplied).
Avoid April to June, when daytime heat is above 38 C, and plan beach visits for mornings or evenings
Eat the freshly caught fish from the small beach vendors, as seafood is the local speciality
When reading about the town's colonial history, look for the old name Cocanada, which appears in records from British rule
Location
Packages that visit Kakinada
All packages →Godavari River Journey from Rajahmundry
A Godavari river tour from Rajahmundry: bridges, the Dowleswaram Barrage and a Papi Hills boat day, then Kakinada's beach and mangroves. Four private days.
Rajahmundry → KakinadaBackwaters & Houseboats
4D / 3NKakinada Coast and Visakhapatnam
A Kakinada to Visakhapatnam coastal tour in four days: Kakinada's beach and Coringa mangroves, then Kailasagiri, RK Beach and Simhachalam in Vizag.
Kakinada → Visakhapatnam (Vizag)Beaches & Coastline6D / 5NGodavari to Vizag Coast Road
A Godavari to Vizag road trip in six days: Rajahmundry's bridges, Kakinada's beach, Visakhapatnam's hills and sea, then a night in Araku Valley by private car.
Rajahmundry → Kakinada → Visakhapatnam (Vizag) → Araku ValleyBeaches & CoastlinePlan a trip to Kakinada
Tell us your dates and we will shape the route.