Marine drive, Cochin

 Marine Drive, officially known as the A P J Abdul Kalam Marg, is a walkway in Kochi. It is built facing the backwaters. Though, it is called a road, only pedestrians can use the footpath and no vehicles are allowed on the path. The walkway is from the Kerala High Court junction to the Rajendra Maidan. Also, there is access to boat jetties along the walkway. 

The walkway has three bridges namely the Rainbow bridge, the Chinese Fishing Net Bridge and the House Boat Bridge. It was developed in the 1980s by the Greater Cochin Development Authority, it transformed lakefronts into a traffic free walkway. Its development has helped balance urban modernization with a refreshing public space, strengthening both civic life and Kerala's coastal identity.

History

Until the 1980s, Shanmugham Road in Kochi was the original "marine drive", located right beside Kochi Lake and the Arabian Sea. In the 1980s, the Greater Cochin Development Authority(GCDA) launched the Kochi Marine Drive project, inspired by Mumbai's Marine Drive. 

However, by the 1990s, India's Coastal Protection Laws stopped them from building a road in that area. So, GCDA turned the space into a scenic pedestrian walkway instead. In 1992, under the leadership of GCDA Chairman V. Joseph Thomas IPS, the area was beautified and the Rainbow Bridge was built. Although it's a walkway now, the name "Marine Drive" still refers to the entire newly created area, not just the path.

How To Reach

Kochi bus stand is the nearest stop located at a distance of around 2.6 KM from the marine drive. You can take a local bus or auto from the bus stand.