Best Places to visit in Chirala. For someone who lived in Bangalore, visiting Chirala in Andhra Pradesh was a huge climate difference to face when I got off the train.
Chirala, to those who don’t know, is a small town 100 km from Vijayawada on the East coast of Andhra Pradesh. It’s well-known for its textile industry and its beaches – Ramapuram and Vodarevu.
While some sites tell you how clear the beaches are, it’s not what we experienced. Some areas are clean, some aren’t. There’s more to know about it all on this list of places to visit in Chirala.
Best Places to Visit in Chirala: How to Get Around in Chirala
How to get around Chirala? Apart from the Suryalanka beach on the list, all the spots aren’t far from one another. So it shouldn’t be a trouble getting around.
For transport, there aren’t many options here. It’s best to have your bike or car to travel here. In case you don’t, the best public transport to use in Chirala is the auto-rickshaw.
No online services like Ola work here. The same goes for payment – mobile payments and cards aren’t commonly used. Only a few large shops and restaurants have online payment options. So it’s better to keep cash handy with you.
With Chirala tourism still growing, there aren’t many stays here. There are a handful of accommodations to choose from and even fewer resorts.
Where to Stay in Chirala?
There is quite a handful of accommodation picks to choose from in Chirala. If you’re from around Andhra Pradesh, it’s easy to get around and get your stay. But for an outsider, MakeMyTrip and Booking.com are some options to pick an accommodation.
Some popular resorts by the beach here are the Seabreeze Beach Resorts, Riviera, and Palm Coast. With Chirala small in tourism, HostelWorld-type dormitory accommodation isn’t available here for backpackers.
There are cheap rooms from sites like Booking.com and MakeMyTrip but I’ve stayed at one and it was terrible. So I’d recommend picking a resort here.
All these stays are close to one another by the shore with the Riviera Beach resorts towards the end standing right before its beachfront.
Since we were visiting along with our friend, we stayed for two nights in a budget hotel opposite Chirala’s railway station and another night in his house. After all, we’re still not making money – we were on tight budgets!
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Best Places to Visit in Chirala
Most tourists come here for its beaches. That makes up most of the places to visit in Chirala. Apart from the beaches, there’s more to check out here for travel enthusiasts.
Some of them are visiting the St. Mark Lutheran Church, checking out Chirala’s well-known drink with cashew nuts, and Chirala’s market. Let’s get right into it!
1. Ramapuram Beach
All the resorts start to pop up right after this beach. It’s located in front of the Palm Coast Resorts. Spread over a vast area, we had no issues finding ourselves a private spot to enjoy.
It’s great to visit this beach in the evening. With its fewer crowds, some come here for photoshoots. There was a wedding photoshoot going on nearby when we visited!
However, it isn’t as clean as some sites glorify it. While the waters look great to plunge in, there’s plastic and other waste washed up on the shores too.
Another blog for you to read: 11 Best Places to Visit in Dharwad
2. Vodarevu Beach
The Vodaveru beach is also called the Chirala beach. Or at least they’re both in the same spot on the maps. We didn’t visit this beach during the day as it was crowded.
When you come from the main road, this is the first beach you’ll see. As many people come here, you’ll find many food carts selling a variety of snacks like panipuri.
We visited it just before it got dark and got ourselves a round of panipuri. While the breeze by the sea here was something to experience, it was disappointing as we left.
Most of these stalls that sell street food items to tourists don’t have a waste disposal system in place. After eating, there was no place to throw the waste cups but on the sands on the beach.
Another blog for you to read: Wayanad Travel Blog – Joy amidst Leas
3. Suryalanka Beach
This beach, also known as the Bapatla Beach, isn’t in Chirala, but it’s close by in the Guntur district. It takes almost an hour to reach the beach from Chirala.
This beach being 100 kilometers away from Vijayawada – one of Andhra’s hotspots of tourism, is usually crowded with tourists. We visited it in the evening when all the fishing boats were already ashore. However, the temporary stalls were still around with music and bright lights late in the evening.
While walking by the shores, we came across individual chalet-type accommodations. The Suryalanka Haritha Beach Resorts. These weren’t anywhere in Chirala but here – and they looked fine as hell!
Another blog for you to check out: Manali Travel Blog: Taste of the Spirited Peaks
4. Muntha Vari Center (For the Katora Drink)
The pink drink with cashew nuts in it is a must-try when you visit Chirala. I’ve always wanted to go to a native and try their authentic specialties in food as a traveler. And this was my first one!
I asked my friend from Chirala, “Is there any special drink that Chirala has to offer?”
“Katrikous,” he answered and took us there right away! I looked around for this drink, and it’s called many names by the locals. It’s called Katrikous, Katora, or Katrigonlu.
Now, about its whereabouts, it’s found on the streets of Munta Vari Center locality at Kotla Bazar in Chirala. When you see a hustling corner shop with a lot of people sipping cool drinks from their long white cups in the hot afternoons, go get yourself one too!
5. Chirala Markets
Chirala is known for its growing handloom industry. It’s one of India’s most popular handloom hubs and stands out for its uniqueness in cloth weaving. They’re known to specialize in making traditional sarees from cotton and khadi.
As a result, the Chirala markets offer high-quality textile products at cheaper rates here. Be it curtains, furniture, bedspreads, variety of bodywear, they’re all available.
Now speaking of where these shops and handlooms are, they’re spread across the marketplace. However, they’re all close by. The Mahatma Gandhi Cloths, Shri Balaji, Soundarya Silks, and all these popular shops here are steps away from one another.
Another blog post for you to check out: Nandi Hills Travel Guide: Best 1-Day Trip from Bangalore!
Places to Visit in Chirala: Things to Know Before Visiting
To those who are looking forward to a vacation by the beach, Chirala is a great spot to consider. Despite the heat and the offbeat location, I’d recommend visiting this place to any traveler out there.
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The real question is why’d I visit Chirala in the first place? Well, a friend of mine lives in Chirala. Without him, I wouldn’t have ever known the town. So I, along with another friend, tagged along, and the three of us made an 8-hour train journey to visit this vibrant small town.
Based on my experience, here are all the things to know about Chirala before you visit.
Best Time to Visit Chirala
The best time to visit Chirala is ANY TIME of the year. As the town is on the coastal line, it’s humid all year round. So don’t worry about it.
One thing to consider is the peak season. The popular resorts get more crowded on the holidays. But as Chirala is an offbeat place, it shouldn’t make a difference even with the peak seasons.
Another blog for you to read: Goa Travel Blog: Stories by the Coast
How to Get to Chirala
The fastest way to get to Chirala is through Vijayawada. Land at the Vijayawada airport and then take a train/bus to Chirala. It’s a 2-3 hour drive from Vijayawada to Chirala.
For budget travelers, a train or bus is also available at this spot. From Bangalore to Chirala, it’s around an 11-hour trip by train or bus. I’d recommend taking the bus. We took the train – and we deeply regret it. Here’s why:
The train takes a longer route to reach making it a long strainful journey. To add to it, the timings aren’t favorable for travel at all. Most trains have odd day timings.
We opted for the 10:00 am to 9:00 pm route, and we did enjoy some epic mountain views on our train’s day journey. But sitting for eleven whole hours in a congested train with a family that sat beside us with a crying baby? A big NO from me!
- Go for the bus from Bangalore to Chirala when budget traveling. It’s expensive compared to the train, but it’s more comfortable and takes less time to reach.
Another article for you to read: 8 Things to Know about Bangalore
Bring someone along
As far as I’ve been around Chirala, people are hospitable here. However, that isn’t enough to understand what they say. Like most of Andhra Pradesh, understanding the language can be challenging. Unless you know Telugu yourself, I recommend getting someone who knows Telugu.
Since we had our friend from Chirala, it wasn’t tough to get around, buy food, or even learn about some places we could check out.
For most of Chirala, be it the local street vendors or restaurants, it’s tough to communicate. However, staying at a resort shouldn’t be a problem where they facilitate its staff to speak English as well.
What to Pack
I brought along some denim jeans and other full pants and I deeply regretted that. Chirala, being in the coastal region, is extreme with its heat. So stick to nothing more than light clothes.
Some things to pack for Chirala:
- Shorts and swimwear
- Hats and sun lotion
- Light clothes
- Flip-flops (yep, don’t get shoes!)
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That should be it to know about all the basics, now let’s get to the fun part. The best places to visit in Chirala!
Other Places to Visit in Chirala
Here, tourism isn’t a major revenue contributor to the town. The main income here is from the textile industry, fishing, and farmlands. But with more people visiting over time, it’s on its way.
If you’ve visited all the beaches and markets, some other things to look into are the temples, churches, and cashew manufacturing places. We didn’t visit it ourselves, but that’s something Chirala’s known for too – growing cashews.
For the places of worship, some places to visit in Chirala are the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and Sri Veera Raghavaswamy Temple.
Tailpiece
What I love most about Chirala is its vibrant nature. The bridge over the railway track, and the buildings, they’re all vibrant and give off a lively vibe at all times.
Its people are equally vibrant – people with large hearts. We took an autorickshaw and fell short of some money. But the driver didn’t mind and let us go without asking further. I doubt this would ever happen in a metropolitan city.
Throughout the whole town, I couldn’t find a single traffic signal pole and yet everyone managed fine. I couldn’t find a single accident either.
There’s a lot more to this town than just beaches and clothing industries. I’ll talk about it some other time.
For now, this concludes this piece on places to visit in Chirala :)
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Is this post helpful? Help me out and pin this for later. Thanks in advance! :)
Hey bro, I decided to travel for a weekend getaway and googled for places to see in chirala and I came across your post. I covered all the places mentioned in this post, this post really helped me narrow down my plan and I must this say This is a well written Blog. Thank you so much writing this and cheers to you.
Thank you for writing such a beautiful piece and giving a glimpse into what one must expect and experience. I came to Chirala yesterday and I am here for 2 days. Your post is going to be very helpful.
And keep writing. You are very good at it.
Thanks a lot Aakarsh!
Hey Manas
The katora drink is available in kotla bazar which is next to Muntavari center.
There is also a famous shop pullaiah bajji..you can add it too.
Thank you for writing about our place 😊
And the royal Enfield pic is from our very own St.Anns school.
Hello Sravya,
Thank you for your kind comment! I shall be sure to put your input in some time. And yes, I remember now the St. Anns school! Thanks again :)
Manas
Hi everyone,
I am from chirala. I am very glad to read this article.If you want local information please to reach out me.i will help you.
Hi what’s the best budget stay in chirala for one night
Hi Manas! Chirala is not a village,it’s a town.Everthing else you wrote is ok.I had been to Chirala many times as I was a student at Bapatla Engineering College and later on,on family business work.
Wishes for a bright future to you.
Hi Sudheer, thank you for your kind comment!
I did mention Chirala as a town in other parts of my article as I find the terms ‘village’ and ‘town’ synonymous. Either way, Chirala’s a beautiful place to visit! However, some of you did request to make the change so I’ve made the necessary changes.
I hope you have a great day :)
Regards,
Manas
Hi…I could say that it’s A very well documentation on the places to visit, people,what not..covered about everything in chirala….i m from Chirala and I literally got goosebumps by reading the explanation u gave on the people of chirala..A big thanks to you from the people of chirala ..
I would like to bring ur attention on the small correction in ur blog,u mentioned in the starting of the blog as Chirala is a small village..ideally it’s a TOWN…if u correct it,I would be the most happiest person😊
Hello Sony,
Since some of you requested, I shall make the tiny change. To me, I find the terms ‘village’ and ‘town’ similar, and moreover, Chirala’s a wonderful place to visit be it a village or a town – in fact, the more offbeat, the more beautiful a spot gets.
Kind regards,
Manas
Hi could you tell me how’s the internet there at the resort/hotel incase someone had to do an zoom meeting etc?
Hello Alex, living in India myself, the internet was never an obstacle for me, so I’m unaware of it here. But if it’s really necessary, I’d recommend purchasing an Airtel sim card as they have great network coverage in most parts of India. I had no issues with Airtel while visiting Chirala as well.