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Beach and seaside resort in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Photo: BishkekRocks, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kovalam (കോവളം Kōvaḷaṁ), a fishing village in southern Kerala, is famous for its beaches, among the most pristine in India. About 17 km from Thiruvananthapuram, Kovalam is extremely popular among westerners due to shallow waters and low tidal waves.
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The granite cave encloses a one-celled shrine with a loose sculpture of Vinadhara Dakshinamurthi. The outer wall of the cave depicts unfinished reliefs of Shiva as "Tripurantakara" on the left and as "Nataraja" with Parvati on the right.
Head down to the harbour at sunset for some spectacular shots of the area with the seaside mosque in the background. The atmosphere is quite lively with fisherman heading to and from the sea. Note: Once the sun is down, it is probably best to head back to Kovalam unless you are with a guide. While hostility/violence to foreigners is very rare, you do not want to get caught up in a scuffle between the rivaling Christian and Muslim communities.
The old lighthouse, at the southern beach is a local landmark, for being one of the oldest lighthouses of Kerala, guiding ships to the nearby Vizhnjam port. The lighthouse can be visited 3-5PM daily.
The Tamil-style koil is known for the 18 m tall Gangadhareshwara sculpture, the tallest Shiva sculpture in Kerala.
The largest and southernmost beach of Kovalam, known for its 35-m-high lighthouse which towers over it atop Kurumkal hillock. Most of the foreigners stay on Lighthouse Beach. Many hotels, restaurants, lodges and shops are here. There are some vendors on the beach, but they are not too pushy.
The second-largest beach of Kovala, and it takes less than five minutes to walk from Lighthouse Beach. It is named for the topless European women who used to throng there. It was the first topless beach in India, although topless bathing is banned now.
The northernmost crescent, usually crowded on weekends. It is very popular with the locals, day-travellers, and passing-by tourist buses. During the week it's quiet. A large promontory separates this part from the southern side. Samudra Beach doesn't have tourists thronging there or hectic business. The local fishermen ply their trade on this part.
Aanother spectacular white sandy beach around 4 mi down south of Kovalam, and has a slew of resorts and lodges, and offers a breathtaking view of the sunset from atop the nearby cliff.
A good vegetarian restaurant in Kovalam. Friendly staff and comfortable, cozy, open-air seating with two levels. They serve delicious Keralan, and other Indian foods, as well as a medium selection of (equally tasty) Continental and Chinese cuisine. The owner (who cooks there) was a chef in an upscale veg restaurant in Varkala for 8 years.
First floor restaurant on the beach front with beautiful ambiance and great food. Unique menu offers food from the East, the West and fusion of both. Great seafood. Good service. Super atmosphere. Highly recommended.
Go for the date shake and the excellent banana pancake. A full range of baked goods are available too. Plus one of the best views in Kovalam! Easily the best and most popular place for breakfast on the main beach.
Famous for their grilled sea food.
Malabar Hotel
Near the Lighthouse Beach with traditional Kerala cuisine and European dishes as well as continental with fresh vegetables and fishes updated
One of the best vegetarian restaurants in Kovalam. Friendly waiters.
Opened December 2011 with basic large rooms which are spotless, ideal for those with difficulties using stairs the hotel has 5 ground floor rooms and 5 first floor rooms ideally situated for the beach and overlooking paddy fields each room has western style en-suite shower room and private balcony
Room service with good vegetarian restaurant right next door. Located next to the remnants of a former rice paddy field just off the beach.
From ₹600
The hotel is established in 1994 and is located right on the beach front with beautiful view of the beach and the Light house offering clean and cosy rooms with homely ambiance.
A family run place. The rooms are spotless and well managed.They also conduct fixed departure tours which are so cheap and they also run their houseboat company in alleppey.its all under one roof!
A small family run guest house with stylish apartments (some with kitchen) and the Little Shanti Coffee Shop, serving local and international foods on their sea- view terrace. Located at Kovalam's Main Beach (or Leela Beach) right behind the Ganesh Temple. All rooms with private bathrooms and sea facing balconies.
Private veranda towards the sea.
It has 38 well furnished A/C Rooms with all modern amenities inside. It also has a beach facing restaurant, swimming pool.
Pool and balcony to the sea.
KTDC Samudra
A 3-star deluxe hotel
A 5-star hotel with a private beach. The Heritage wing houses the famous Halcyon castle, the honeymoon palace of Travancore Queens which costs almost thrice than other rooms. Almost all suites are sea facing, as sea surrounds all the three sides of the property.
The property is spread across 10 acres of land, on the northernmost beach of Kovalam, offering a breathtaking view of the backwater, lush landscapes, coconut palms, and unspoilt beaches.
A seaside resort in Chowara near Kovalam. It is built with traditional Kerala style architecture in 15 acres of land, landscaped with coconut palms.
A 4-star boutique luxury hotel. It is right next to Hawa Beach. The road to beach is a steep 300 m narrow stretch (used by cars as there is a car park at the end). Great view of the cliffs and beach from sea facing rooms.
A 5-star hotel in Kovalam, overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Here you can experience Ayurvedic therapies, wellness packages and Yoga practices.
By bus
Buses to Thiruvananthapuram can also be caught from Kovalam Junction as well as Ambassador taxis and Autos to pretty much anywhere.
By taxi
Kovalam is about 17 km (20 min in a taxi) from Thiruvananthapuram, and it takes about 20 minutes to get here by taxi. Taxis can charge around ₹400-500 to get to Kovalam.
By auto-rickshaw
In an auto-rickshaw ₹150-170 (per head) is a fair price. Avoid going above ₹170. If in doubt, ask to use the meter, but in reality they really don't work at all.
By taxi
Tourist taxis are the most convenient way to travel around attractions, especially while travelling in a group.
By motorcycle
A more adventurous option is to get a motorbike on hire. The highway is a pleasure to drive on, with the cool breeze and coconut palms lined along the way.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Thiruvananthapuram · International · TRV
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