According to the history, the city was named after the god of 'Valor-Vishakha'. It was a part of the Kalinga Kingdom, under Ashoka's rule in 260 B.C. It passed on later to the Andhra Kings of 'Vengi'. After this Pallava, Chola and Ganga dynasties ruled the city. In the 15th century, Vishakhapatnam became a part of the Vijayanagar Empire. The Europeans, the Dutch, the French and the English established themselves from the 17th century onwards and used this as a major trading center to export textiles, ivory, tobacco, indigo etc. This port is well documented in the histories of these colonial powers as well as in Indian historical records. This coast played a major role during the reign of the Asaf Jahis and the Golcondas

Vizag Beach
The beaches of Vizag enthralls the tourists and rejuvenates the mind and soul to the hilt. Away from the din and bustle of the city, the clean beaches attract tourists in great numbers. Swimming, sun bathing, playing beach volleyball or simply sitting under the cool shade of a tree and reading a book are the favourite pastime of many. Equally thrilling and esmerizing are the sunrises and sunsets here. Of the wide array of beaches in Vizag, Ramakrishna beach and Lawson's Bay are the oveliest. Water sports are also gaining popularity on the beaches.

Ramakrishna Beach
R.K.Beach is the most popular beach in the sense that, you can find the locals hanging out during the hot summers, and relatively less hot winters. On weekends and holidays, one can see that the entire beach comes alive, but not in a western sense where people take a plunge in the water, or surf. You can see people dressed in their best clothes, just sitting on the benches, or walking along.

Rushikonda Beach
Located 11kms away from the city, this has become a popular tourist spot that even the locals frequent. A lot safer to wade into than the R.K. Beach, cradled among hills, this used to be an excellent beach away from the madding crowds. AP Tourism Development Corporation is having its Beach Resort (Punnami) on the hillside overlooking the beach.