Eliza Chaudhry, 21, was discovered in the sea at the pebble beach in a country park but it is unclear how she entered the water.
An inquest heard Eliza was more than 160 miles from her village home in Kings Langley, Herts, when she was found.
Coroner’s officer Joanne Webb said her death was reported by police.
She said: “Eliza Chaudhry, a 21-year-old female, was found immersed in water at Porthkerry Beach, Barry on April 8.
Ms Webb said Eliza was identified by her aunt the following day and a post mortem examination was carried out by Dr Stephen Leadbeatter.
“The pathologist has provided a provisional cause of death as immersion in water,” she said.
Coroner Graeme Hughes adjourned the inquest for a date to be fixed.
He said: “Those circumstances satisfy me that I have sufficient reason to suspect Miss Chaudhry’s death was unnatural.”
Mr Hughes said he wished to pass on “my condolences to Miss Chaudhry’s family and friends.”
Tourist site VisitTheVale says Porthkerry Country Park, west of popular resort Barry Island, “includes 220 acres of woodland and meadowland, a pebble beach, and a dramatic Victorian viaduct.
“Cliffwood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest on account of rare species such as the purple gromwell and the true service tree.”
