Machilipatnam is a city with a rich history of foreign conquests, business and trade. During its heydays Machilipatnam port served as a gateway to India.
The beaches in Machilipatnam are long, broad, pristine, with pale blonde sands. Manginapudi Beach, a beachside fishing hamlet, located at a distance of 10 km from Machilipatnam, is well known for its scenic beauty. The beach has a natural bay with shallow waters. The unique feature of this beach is that instead of sand it contains black soil. Thousands of piligrims take a holy dip in the sea, at the beach, during an annual Hindu festival called Maghapoornami. In order to promote tourism, an annual festival called "Krishna Utsav" is celebrated during the months of February/March.
A full fledged dance school at the beach, offers courses that train students in the Kuchipudi, popular dance form.
Carting the visitors with the old lighthouse, Dattashram on the banks of sea coast is a piligrimage site. Dattashram has an ancient Shiva temple and Datta temple that was recently built. Manginapudi is popularly known as "Datta Rameswaram" due to the consecration of 9 wells to bath, as in Rameswaram.
Panduranga Swamy temple at Chilakalapudi, near the city, close to the Manginapudi Beach, is a famous piligrimage site. It is a temple of Lord Vishnu, said to be similar to the temple at Pandaripur.
The Machilipatnam Church built in 19th century by an English man, with massive prayer halls is a tourist destination.
Ghantasala, 21 km from Machilipatnam, it has the remains of an old Buddhist stupa.
Agastheeswara Temple, 36 km from Machilipatnam, is a temple of Lord Shiva, a piligrimage site. Lord Shiva at this temple is called by the name, Ekaratri Mallikarjunaswamy. An annual festival is celebrated at this temple when the deities are taken out in procession.
Gudivada, North west of Machilipatnam, visitors are attracted by the old ruins of the stupas.
Further up the coast of Machilipatnam there are five temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. These ancient temples are located at Amravati, Samalkot, Bhimavaram, Draksharama and Chebrolu.
