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Mahaballipuram, India

Stay in Mahabalipuram: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

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Mamallapuram, The Shore Temple 2, India
Mahabalipuram, the nearest town. Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Mahaballipuram

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (104°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (284°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.0 km out (1 in 204). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 27°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually July, August and September, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Mahabalipuram, 0.2 km away (about 5 min by car).

Water about 30°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 27 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MAA, changing at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

    See flights ORD → MAA · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Mahaballipuram.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in MahabalipuramAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Mahabalipuram · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Mahabalipuram · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Mahaballipuram on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Mahaballipuram does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct181 ft10 ssoft34kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct111 ft8 smushy16kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct101 ft13 ssoft31kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct172 ft11 ssoft48kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct171 ft10 ssoft41kJ29°C
Fri 23Oct131 ft10 ssoft28kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct101 ft8 ssoft14kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct121 ft14 ssoft34kJ28°C
Mon 26Oct121 ft13 ssoft33kJ29°C
Tue 27Oct91 ft10 ssoft29kJ29°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to MAA, changing at DXB, then 1h by road. About 27h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to MAA, changing at DXB, then 1h by road. About 27h 30 door to door

The trip from Mahabalipuram, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,255–£2,450 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to MAA, estimated from distance and season, changing at DXB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£765–£1,595
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£1,255–£2,450

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Mahabalipuram

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.