Pulicat

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Location: Thiruvalluvar District

Distance: 60 km from Chennai

Main Attraction: Backwaters, Fort, etc

Pulicat is regarded as an ideal picnic spot offering something for everyone. Be it a serene and un-spoilt beach, a rich variety of aquatic life or the wide variety of resident and migratory birds or even historical monuments, Pulicat offers it all and more. Situated at a distance of 60 km from Chennai, this is a fascination picnic & excursion spot from the capital of Tamil Nadu.

One of its chief attractions is the Dutch cemetery built during the year 1609. The idea was to have a comfortable stay along the Coromandel Coast. The fort was finally occupied by the British in 1825 who owned it until India’s independence. A church built by the Dutch also exists here though mostly in ruins. An ancient cemetery also exist here which is now looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Pulicat Lake also exists here which owing to its close proximity with the Bay of Bengal has become the second largest lagoon of India.

Owing to its rich population of animals, aquatic and terrestrial birds and fish, the lagoon has been preserved as a Wildlife Sanctuary. Apart from mammals and reptiles, several migratory birds also reside here. Around 15,000 flamingoes constituting the star attraction visit the area every year apart from Kingfishers, Pelicans, Painted Storks, Herons and Spoonbills. All of these factors combine to make Pulicat an excellent excursion and picnic destination for visitors.