Kodiyampalayam Island

Kodiyampalayam is an island at the mouth of the Kollidam river, a northern branch of the Kaveri, lying between the river and the Bay of Bengal in Mayiladuthurai district. About 2,000 people live here, most of them fishing families. The island is roughly 16 km from Pichavaram and 20 km from Chidambaram.

Mangrove forest surrounds it, part of the same wetland that runs from Pichavaram in Cuddalore district, with species such as Avicennia and Rhizophora. These mangroves draw local and migrant birds, among them pelicans, spoonbills, storks, herons, egrets, cormorants and snipes; about 177 species have been recorded, with the largest numbers from November to January. The island's beach is drawing more people each year, rising from about 40,000 visitors in 2022 to 75,000 in 2024, and the tourism department has proposed a viewing deck, visitor plaza and other facilities.