10 Best Things To Do In Digha, India

1. Digha Cashew Garden - a must for cashew lovers

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

If you enjoy nature, one of the best spots to visit in this resort town is Digha Cashew Garden. The botanical garden promotes cashew nuts plantation and is an initiative of the West Bengal government. Here, you will witness first-hand how these delicious snacks are made. If you’re looking for a quick way to pass the time in Digha, this sure is a great place to be. There’s not much to see but plenty of cashew trees and more greeneries!

Digha Cashew Garden

Address: Ratanpur, Digha, West Bengal 721428, India

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 5:30pm (closed on Sat & Sun)

2. New Digha Beach – Digha’s main attraction

One of the most famous beaches in Digha is New Digha Sea Beach, just 2 km (1.2 miles) away from Old Digha Beach. People from across the states of West Bengal and Orissa prefer this location for spending weekend holidays and even tourists from several parts of India come here to attune with the tranquil beauty of nature. You will also find some vacant places lined with casuarina trees where you can sit and relax your mind. The soft sand at the beach makes the place very pleasant in almost all seasons.

Fascinating sunrise and sunset are also famous at the New Digha Beach. Always keep your camera ready to capture those alluring moments, especially when the golden rays of the sun make a reflection on the sea waves. In simple words, those moments are completely beyond explanations. It is always better to choose a hotel nearby the sea so that you don’t miss the sunrise.

During the daytime, you will get to see local retailers selling fried fish, beer, coconut water, grilled or roasted chicken etc. In some places, you will get to see rocks on which sea water hits at a fast speed. Hence, it is always better to avoid those places as numerous accidents have taken place in the past.

3. Shankarpur Beach – a less crowded destination perfect for you

Just 15 minutes away (east) from New Digha Beach, Shankarpur Beach is a regular fishing harbor. If you can manage to rise early, firstly you will see the natural beauty of the morning sun reflecting on the sea wave. Secondly, you will get to see how the fishermen haul their huge net out of the sea to catch fish. For people who don’t like the crowd and want to rest on an isolated beach, this is a good place for them. Fewer people know about this place but you will still get all sorts of facilities here.

Shankarpur Beach

Address: Shankarpr Digha Road, Digha 721428, India

4. Chandaneswar Temple is must for Lord Shiva’s devotees

Chandaneswar Temple is situated just 5-7 km (3-4.3 mi) away from Digha in Balasore district in the state of Orissa, and you need to cross the Bengal-Orissa border to reach the location. People, mainly foreigners, may think that crossing the border may not be hassle-free, but that’s not the case at all. You can take your vehicle across India, ensuring that all your papers are valid.

The presiding deity at Chandaneswar Temple is Lord Shiva. Since it has high value in Hinduism, a large number of tourists and pilgrims from all over the nation visit here during the period of Pana Sankranti, the first day of the Odia Calendar. The first day mainly falls on April 14 every year according to the Gregorian Calendar. If you visit during that period, you will be amazed with the Chaitra Mela (a fair in the month of Chaitra) that continues for 13 days.

It is better to devote a day to this place; you should have a few hours spent at Chandipur beach. This is a unique place where you may get to see the vast sea disappearing suddenly. Yes! Here a natural miracle usually happens if your luck favors. The sea recedes by as much as 5 km (3 mi) every day. This is a splendid opportunity for the visitors to walk into the sea!

Chandaneswar Temple

Address: Chandipur, Odisha 756085, India

5. Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre: a must for students

Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre or MARC is one of the regional centers of the Zoological Survey of India, established in Digha. Established in the year 1989, this is run by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The newly constructed museum (Marine Museum) was inaugurated on 3rd February 2016 at MARC and it is now open to the public.

Here you will get to see the varied collections of marine species here. Those species include sea snakes, fish, horse-shoe crabs, lobsters, mollusks, prawns, crabs, echinoderms, corals, etc. The museum also displays various awareness posters linked to marine life, biodiversity and conservation. The students who have an interest in marine biology will be highly benefited by visiting this museum.

Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre

Address: State Highway 57, Digha, East Midnapur – 721428, West Bengal

Website: Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre

6. Talasari Beach gives a reflection of Kerala’s natural beauty

Talasari Beach lies in the Baleswar district of Orissa. Exploring this beach is one of the best activities near Digha. The distance between this beach and Digha is just 7 km (4.3 mi). The name Talasari has its significance for the palm trees surrounding the place. Since this location is not filled with tourists like New Digha Beach, you can freely capture the serene beauty of nature filled with green paddy fields, multiple rivers, blue hills and stretched beaches. On the other hand, this place will surely take your mind to Kerala since the beach itself has tall coconut trees, casuarinas and palm trees. Here, the presence of white sand looks unique, mainly during the sunrise and sunset.

7. Experience Jurassic Age Park at the Digha Science Center

Although Digha Science Center is for all the age groups, if kids or school goers are with you on your tour, it’s better to not skip this establishment. This is more like Science City located in Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal. This place to visit in Digha is quite well equipped and will give you a good experience, and your children will surely love it more than you do. Jurassic Age Park is a major attraction in Digha Science Center.

Digha Science Center

Address: Fore Shore Road, New Digha- 721 463 West Bengal

Website: Digha Science Center

8. Mandarmani gives an essence of a peaceful village

Mandarmani is a seaside resort village just 28-30 km (18 mi) away from Digha. If you are traveling on the road from Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, the turn to take for Mandarmani will come first. You will find plenty of hotels here and spending a day is adequate. The primary attraction here is enjoying the sea from early morning to late afternoon. You can purchase shells, handicrafts and handmade jewelry from local shops.

There is a place called Andaman in the local language at Mandarmani. Hardly any people know about it or visit there because it is quite far away, inside the village. If you have your own vehicle, you can visit that place at a very early hour. Once you reach the beach, you will be mesmerized, seeing hundreds or thousands of red crabs moving out of their pits in the sand. This sight is absolutely incredible as the entire beach looks like it’s filled with red crabs.

9. Play hide & seek with red crabs at Tajpur Beach

Tajpur is situated between Mandarmani and Digha. It is just around 18 km (11 mi) away from Digha. It is a beautiful holiday destination and you will not find it over crowded like Digha. The crescent shape of the beach here endows photographers an unusual panoramic view of the sea. Here, like in Mandarmani, you will get to see the red crabs playing hide and seek in the sand during the morning hours.

Tajpur Beach

Address: Tajpur, East Midnapur – 721423, West Bengal

10. Visit Udaipur Beach to be in solitude

Just 3 km (1.8 mi) away from Digha, Udaipur Beach is considered unexplored or virgin. You will get a very pleasant atmosphere here as the beach is away from the crowd and busy city life. Some places are filled with casuarina trees where you can easily sit, relax your mind or meditate. Some families of fishermen run stalls at the beach and sell freshly cooked seafood. It is one of the best places for a honeymoon trip.

Udaipur Beach

Address: Udaipur Beach Road, Digha 721428, India

How to reach Digha

Trains are available from Kolkata (Howrah Railway Station) and are one of the best options, as they take 3 hours to reach Digha Railway Station. Digha is one of the best holiday destinations for everyone. July to March is considered the best time to visit these places above, as the weather stays most pleasant during this time. Take your time in enjoying beautiful nature and coastline! After all, there are Oyo rooms and other amazing accommodations to welcome you.