Overview
About Corbyn's Cove Beach
Corbyn's Cove is the beach Port Blair actually uses. It is a short curve of grey-gold sand backed by a dense line of coconut palms, reached by a coastal road that is a pleasant drive in itself, and it fills up every evening with local families, couples and travellers killing the hours before a night flight or a morning ferry.
It is not the Andamans of the brochures — the sand is coarser than Havelock's and the water is harbour water rather than the glass you get further out. Set that aside and it earns its place: it is safe, shallow, lifeguarded at the busy end, and it is the only proper beach you can reach in ten minutes from a Port Blair hotel.
There is a small strip of activity here. Jet skis and speedboats run off the middle of the beach, a couple of sea-facing cafés and shacks do fried fish, cold drinks and coconut water, and the old wartime Japanese bunkers sit just behind the treeline at the northern end — small concrete domes most people walk past without noticing.
The classic Port Blair first day ends here: Cellular Jail in the morning, the museums after lunch, Corbyn's Cove at four, back for the Light & Sound show.
Why people come here
- Closest swimmable beach to Port Blair town and the airport
- Jet ski, speedboat and banana rides off the sand
- Sea-facing cafés and fried-fish shacks along the road
- Japanese wartime bunkers behind the northern treeline
- The coastal drive out from town, which is half the pleasure
Things to do
What to do here
Swim and laze
The middle stretch is shallow and gently shelving. Late afternoon, when the sun comes off the water, is the good hour.
Jet ski and speedboat
Short rides with an instructor, sold from counters on the sand. Bargain the bundle rather than buying items singly.
Walk to the bunkers
Concrete Japanese gun emplacements from the 1942–45 occupation sit in the trees at the north end, five minutes along the sand.
Eat by the water
The shacks along the road do fresh fried fish, momos and tender coconut. Simple, cheap and consistently good.
Getting there
How to reach
From Port Blair town
15 minutes by auto from Aberdeen Bazaar; cabs run all day and evening.
From the airport
About 4 km — the easiest thing to do with a long layover before a night departure.
On a city tour
Standard closing stop on the Port Blair half-day sightseeing circuit.
Best time to visit · Year round · 4 pm to sunset
Midday is hot and shadeless outside the palm line. The beach stays usable through the monsoon, though water sports stop when the sea gets up.
Good to know
Travel tips
- Weekends and holiday evenings get genuinely crowded with local visitors — go on a weekday if you want the sand.
- Alcohol is not permitted on the beach.
- Keep valuables with you; there are no lockers.
- This is harbour water — do not expect Havelock clarity, and it is not a snorkelling beach.
- It is the only real beach within reach of the airport, which makes it perfect for a departure day.
Gallery
Corbyn's Cove Beach in pictures
Port Blair (South Andaman)
Combine it with
Tour packages
