Muttukadu Backwaters and Beach

Muttukadu (Muthukadu) Backwaters and Beach is a lagoon and sandbar shoreline off the East Coast Road in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, India, about 36 km south of Chennai Central. The backwater is calm, brackish and greenish, backed by low scrub, while the open sea beyond the sandbar has tan sand and the same rip risks as the rest of the coast. The lagoon is sheltered, but swimming is not permitted by boat house staff, and the open-sea beach is unsupervised. The setting is a day-trip leisure spot rather than a swimming beach: families and groups come for boating, kayaking, water scooters and birdwatching. The TTDC Boat House at Muttukadu Boat House on East Coast Road is the main facility, offering boat hire, snack counters and parking. A floating restaurant, Seanz, was reported to have opened in 2025. There are no sun loungers or formal lifeguard cover on the sandbar, and visitors must wear the life jackets provided on all boats and avoid entering the water outside the boat house enclosure. Access is by app cab via the ECR, roughly ₹1,000-1,500 (approx $10.42-15.63 USD) one way, or by MTC and TNSTC ECR buses that stop at Muttukadu on East Coast Road. The trip from Chennai takes 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic. The area is well suited to a half-day stop on an ECR itinerary alongside Covelong and Mahabalipuram, and early visits give calmer water and better birdwatching. The calmest months are October to March, when the weather is cooler. Weekends and holidays are busier, with queues for boats, so weekday mornings are the most relaxed. Visitors should bring sun protection, water and cash for smaller counters, since facilities beyond the boat house are limited and the sandbar offers little shade.