Ullal Beach runs south from the fishing village for several kilometres, backed by casuarina trees whose needle-like leaves give some shelter from the coastal wind. It is calmer and less visited than Panambur Beach to the north in Mangalore, and the swimming is reasonable outside the monsoon months (June to September), when the surf becomes rough and the beach is posted off-limits. The sand is dark and coarse, typical of the Karnataka coast.
The best time to walk the beach is early morning, when the fishing boats return with the night's catch. The sight of the fleet coming in — outboard motors cut, the boats surfing the break onto the sand — is the defining image of Ullal's working life. The fish are sold directly on the beach within minutes of landing.