Vishakhapatnam is built along the seashore of the Bay of Bengal, and is bounded and broken by the bold headland called the Dolphin's Nose. The city boasts of a beautiful beach with a long beach road and is surrounded by three hills, each of which has a shrine dedicated to a different religion - Venkateswara temple (also spelt as Venkateshwara) on Venkateswara Konda, Baba Ishaq Madina Dargah on Dargah Konda and Church of the Virgin Mary on Rose hill.

This  City of  Destiny , as  Vishakhapatnam  is  popularly known , has

India's largest ship-building yard, the most powerful lighthouse in the country and the longest metal beach road in India which attracts a large number of tourists. Visitors from nearby districts crowd the city Park with its skating ring, musical fountains and colorful lights. Driving down the beach road, the yoga village and an aquarium are well-worth a visit. From across the road, one hears the temple gong as a devotee at the Kali temple rings it. The recently constructed Victory at Sea monument reminds one that Vizag is an invaluable naval base for the country. Vendors offering spicy grams, roasted corn and sweet potatoes pass by as you drive away from the packed 'main beach road' towards the less congested part of the beach drive.
 

One of the first hills on this part of the drive is Kailash Giri. Trek to this hilltop - walk up the steps especially constructed for the purpose. Kailash Hill is an excellent vantage point, all the more so with cameras which seek to capture a view of the bay and of the city. As the beach road winds on, leaving some popular attractions like Lawson's bay, Kailash hill and Rishi Konda behind, what meets the eye is surreal visions of sand, sea and rocks which are infused with the solitude of Creation. The ancient Vishnu temple of Simhachalam which portrays Lord Vishnu in the half-man, half-lion avataar (incarnation) is driving distance from Vizag, as are the Aruku valley and Bora caves.

You could choose to step off the road and tread through the thorny scrub to reach the beach. (The beach, all along this undulating coast of Andhra Pradesh, is relatively narrow.) Thick casurina plantations shield the beach from the road. Once you step onto these pebbled shores all you would be spectator to would be green hills, the endless sea, the last rays of the sun mirrored by the rippling wet sand and a few shells being dashed ashore. You'd hear the wind and the sea. The tide. And the only sign of human life would be the fleeting footprints that you would leave on the sand.

Vishakhapatnam is the true spot where one can find the beauty of Andhra. From lakes to cool beaches, from beautiful hill ranges to caves and valleys enclosures, Vishakhapatnam has them all. A visit to Vishakhapatnam will definitely be exciting, enriching and refreshing experience.