St. Mary’s Islands, also known as Coconut Island are a set of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi, Karnataka, India. They are known for their distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava with pillar-shaped rocks.Scientific studies indicate that the basalt of the St. Mary’s Islands was formed by sub-aerial subvolcanic activity, because at that time Madagascar was attached to India. The rifting of Madagascar took place around 88 million years ago.Its one of the 26 Geological Monuments of India declared by the Geological Survey of India in 2001. The monument is considered an important site for “Geo Tourism”.

The only way of getting to the islands is by boat. Regular ferry service ply the 3 km distance from the Malpe Malpe Beach to the islands. Booking office is located at Malpe Beach, Opp to Paradise Isle Resort Near By Gandhi Statue . However, the frequency of these boats may vary depending on the number of tourists visiting. It is 58 km to the North of Mangalore, the coastal city of Karnataka, which is also the nearest airport. The famous religious town Udupi, is about 60 km West North West of Mangalore. The Konkan Railway passes close to the Islands, starting from Mangalore passing through Udupi, Kundapura, Goa, Ratnagiri and Roha near Mumbai. Malpe is 4 km (2.5 mi) from Udupi town.