Joggers at dawn… Fishing boats putting out to sea… Family groups dipping their feet in the waves every evening…Children squealing with delight as they ride horseback…the swirling beam of the lighthouse at night… Lantern-lit shops selling trinkets, shells and fast-food… and the soft splash of sea waves. That is what makes Marina beach more than a mere reprieve from the city's heat.

Between the beach and the road is a promenade created by Governor Grant-Duff, who gave Marina its name in 1884. A series of statues line the promenade. The most impressive of these being the Triumph of Labour by Debiprasad Roy Choudhry. Also on the promenade are memorials to former Chief Ministers of the State - Annadurai and M G Ramachandran.
On the other side of the road is the familiar Chennai skyline - Senate House of Madras University, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College and Vivekananda Illam (Vivekananda House).

Despite being one of the longest beaches in the world, Marina does tend to get crowded on weekends and public holidays.

ELLIOT'S BEACH

Located in Besant Nagar, Elliot's Beach is the preferred destination for those with a clean atmosphere in mind. This beach, lined with fast food joints, small stores, and a few shrines, is a popular hangout for the younger generation today.

Affectionately nicknamed "Bessie", Elliot's Beach plays host to crowds right through the day. At one end of the beach is the Church of Our Lady of Health, Madonna, which greets people of all faiths. There is also the Ashtalakshmi Temple, dedicated to the eight manifestations of Goddess Mahalakshmi. The Schmidt Memorial is an immediately recognisable landmark on this picturesque beach. Four decades ago, Elliot's beach was the favourite haunt of foreigners seeking a secluded beach to sun bathe at.