Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram)

Overview

Port Blair is where every Andaman trip starts and ends: the only airport, the ferry jetties for Havelock and Neil, the government offices, and the town’s own set of sights — above all the Cellular Jail. It’s a hilly, harbour-side town of about a lakh people, half naval base and half bazaar, with a working port at its heart. Most people give it a day on the way in and a day on the way out; that’s about right, and there’s enough here to fill both.

The town was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in September 2024. Signboards are changing; the airport code, ferry tickets and everyone’s speech still say Port Blair.

Getting there and away

By air. Direct flights from Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and (seasonally) others land at Veer Savarkar International, ten minutes from the centre. Prepaid taxis and autos are at the exit.

By ferry to the islands. Private catamarans to Havelock and Neil leave from Haddo (Phoenix Bay) jetty — a 10-minute auto from Aberdeen Bazaar; be there 45 minutes before sailing with your ID. The government ferry sails from Phoenix Bay too. Boats to Ross Island and North Bay leave from Aberdeen Jetty at Marina Park; the vehicle ferry to Bambooflat (for Mount Harriet and Shoal Bay) from Chatham Jetty.

By ship from the mainland. Passenger ships from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam take 3–4 days; a romantic idea, an uncomfortable reality. Fly.

Things to see and do

• Cellular Jail — the national memorial; go in daylight for the museum and cells, come back for the Light & Sound Show.
• Ross Island + North Bay — the standard half-day boat trip from Marina Park.
• Corbyn’s Cove — the town beach, 7 km out; swim, sunset, dinner.
• Marina Park & the Water Sports Complex — the waterfront promenade where the boats leave; evening crowds, food stalls, kids’ rides.
• Chidiya Tapu — 25 km south: sunset point, a small beach, birdlife, and the biological park. Go for the last two hours of daylight.
• Wandoor & the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park — 30 km west: boat trips to Jolly Buoy / Red Skin islands for snorkelling over protected reef (permit needed, seasonal, book a day ahead).
• Museums — the Anthropological Museum (island tribes, best of the lot), Samudrika Naval Marine Museum, the Zonal Anthropological / Fisheries aquarium and the Forest Museum. Small, cheap, an hour each.
• Chatham Saw Mill — Asia’s oldest working sawmill on Chatham Island, with a bomb-crater from the WWII raid.
• Aberdeen Bazaar — the town’s market street for a coconut, a thali, a SIM card and last-minute shopping.
• Day trips north — Baratang (limestone caves, mud volcano) is a long day; Ross & Smith in Diglipur is an overnight-plus.

Practical notes

• Cash and connectivity are best here. Withdraw what you’ll need for Havelock and Neil; buy or top up a SIM (BSNL and Airtel work best across the islands).
• Autos don’t use meters — agree the fare first. Typical short hops in town are cheap; the airport and jetties are fixed-rate.
• Alcohol is sold in licensed shops and hotel bars; not on beaches.
• Sunday closes many shops and museums; the Cellular Jail is closed Mondays.
• Foreign nationals: the Restricted Area Permit was dropped for the main tourist islands in 2018, but you’ll be registered on arrival and some outer islands still need permits.
• Weather: monsoon June–September brings heavy rain and ferry disruption; October–May is the season.

Nearby

Ross Island, North Bay, Corbyn’s Cove, Cellular Jail — all within half an hour of Aberdeen Bazaar. Havelock is 90 minutes away by fast ferry.