Kollam Beach, Beach in Kollam district, India

Kollam Beach, also called Mahatma Gandhi Beach, is a broad stretch of golden-brown sand on the Arabian Sea in Kollam, Kerala. Wet sand at the waterline reflects the sky, and small waves break into white foam along the shore. The beach curves gently, and in the distance a long low structure and the slender Tangasseri Lighthouse stand on the hazy shoreline.

Kollam was a favoured settlement of the Portuguese, Dutch and English in succession before Indian independence. Ruins of Portuguese and Dutch forts and 18th-century churches stand near the port as remains of that rule. The port, protected by the Tangasseri breakwater running about 1.8 km south-south-east of Tangasseri Point, was long a centre of the international cashew trade on the Malabar Coast.

Kollam Beach is Kerala's first designated beach wedding destination, a role that draws couples to the shore for ceremonies. The beach also hosts the President's Trophy Boat Race and Kollam Pooram, events that bring the city's residents to the waterfront.

The beach is accessible from 6 AM to 6 PM with lifeguards on duty and changing rooms near the main entrance. Visitors should pay attention to local conditions and follow guidance from beach staff.

Kollam Beach is Kerala's first designated beach wedding destination, a status the state's tourism authorities gave it. Couples can hold ceremonies on the sand facing the Arabian Sea, and the beach's setting near the port and backwaters made it the state's first pick for this role.