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Alappuzha
 Known
as the 'Venice of East', with the
Arabian Sea
in the West and a large number of lakes and lagoons
crisscrossing it, Alappuzha is one of the most beautiful
districts in Fascinating Kerala. Famous for a horde of things,
Alappuzha stands out for its breathtakingly amazing beach. This
beach along with its famous backwater Houseboats and Boat races
attracts thousands of tourists every year.
This is one of the
most popular picnic spots in Alappuzha. The pier, which extends
into the sea here, is about 140 years old. Entertainment
facilities at the
Vijaya
Beach
Park,
near the Beach, add to the attraction of the Beach. Blessed with
nature's green beauties such as lagoons, vast lakes and numerous
fresh water rivers, Alappuzha is a natural wonderland of Kerala
state.
Earlier
known an Alleppey, the place is now famous for the Snake Boat
Races held here every year around the time of the Onam festival.
The giant snake boats called Chundanvalloms, race against each
other for the prestigious Nehru Trophy. Crowds gather in huge
numbers to witness this race, which is also a famous event
amongst the tourists' population visiting Fascinating Kerala,
South India.
Today, Alappuzha has grown into an important Backwater Tourist
Centre, attracting several thousands of foreign tourists each
year. Alappuzha is also famous for its Boat races, Houseboat
Holidays, Beaches, Marine Products and Coir Industry.
Pathiramanal
 This
is a small beautiful island in the
Vembanad
Lake
and it is
the first island resort of the State.
This little island is a favourite haunt of hundreds of rare
migratory birds from different parts of the world;
The Island is accessible only by boat from Kumarakom and Muhamma.
Pathiramanal is a
beautiful island which also has many stories centered on it.
Legends say that there was a young Brahmin who dived into the
Vembanad
Lake
to perform his evening ablutions and the water made way for him
and land rose to give shape to this beautiful island. The word
Pathiramanal means sands of the night.
Tourist Attractions:
This little island
Pathiramanal is away from all the bustling city life and is the
favorite haunt of the migratory birds. This island is the
perfect getaway amidst the water, blue sky and acres of
greenery. Serenity and tranquility are found at their best in
the
Parthimanal
Island.
How to Reach:
Nearest Airport to
Pathiramanal:
Cochin
Airport
is 85km away.
Nearest Railway
Station: Alappuzha is the nearest
Railway Station.
There are different roadways connecting
Pathiramanal to the rest of Kerala and you can drive down these
roads enjoying the beauty of your journey.
Where to
Stay:
We offer excellent
accommodation facilities in Pathiramanal and Kollam. Enjoy the
island
of
Pathiramanal
and take home the memories of a wonderful retreat.
Ernakulam
Cherai
Beach
 This
is a beautiful and clam beach bordering
Vypeen
Island
is an ideal spot for swimming. It is the new generation tourist
hot spot.
The thick coconut groves, Chinese fishing nets,
backwaters, historical monuments
are added attractions.
Dolphins are occasionally seen here.
15 Kilometre long
Cherai
Beach
is the best clean golden
beach
of
Kerala
and is rightly called “ The Prnicess of the Queen of the
Arabian sea”.
45 kms from Ernakulam city, this lovely beach bordering vypeen
island is ideal for swimming. Dolphins are occasionally seen
here. A typical kerala village with paddy fields and coconut
groves nearby is an added attraction.
The newly
beautified 400 Meters of the main beach with the walkway adds to
the charm and the Highmask lamps makes the beach enjoyable even
at night. Cherai is well known for the mouth lingering fresh sea
food.
Location
30 km from
Kochi.
20 km from
Cochin
International
Airport.
Kovalam
Kovalam is one of the
India’s
internationally renowned beaches, located 13 km south of
Thiruvananthapuram city. It has been a favourite haunt of
tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930’s. Kovalam is the
most famous Beach due to its natural beauty and fine sand washed
beach, which makes sunbath on these silver sands possible. Apart
from the usual sunbath and surfing, many marine activities are
possible at Kovalam. The local fisherman provides sunrise and
sun set cruises in fishing boats. The Catamaran cruises, on the
country raft is very popular here. The Catamaran cruising is
just one of the incredibly pleasurable experiences that Kovalam
offers you.
The crescent-shaped beach has
three parts;
on the southern side is the most popular -
Lighthouse
Beach.
Going further south on the beach one can have a spectacular view
of the Vizhinjam mosque. The central beach and the northern
beach are called Hawwah and Samudra respectively. Kovalam also
offers you a wide choice of water sports- a feature that makes
it distinct from the rest of Indian destinations.
Best time to visit:
September to March, though it is an all year destination.
Shangumugham
 The
palm-fringed beach located 8 km
from Thiruvananthapuram city.
This is a favorite haunt of sunset watchers. The beach is
near Thiruvananathapuram airport. On
holidays, the city comes out to the beach for a weekly
refreshing.
An
indoor recreation club, the matsya kanyaka (a gigantic, 35 m
long sculpture of a mermaid) and a
starfish shaped restaurant
are some of the attractions here.
Chacha
Nehru
Traffic
Training
Park
here provides opportunity for children to learn the traffic
rules.
Chowara
Beach
This a
virgin beach located 9 km south of the renowned Kovalam beach.
And this new hot spot having heritage and ayurvedic resorts like
Somatheeram, Surya, Samudra and Manaltheeram.
Veli
Tourist
Village
 This
popular picnic spot situated
8 km
away from Thiruvananthapuram
city. It has an excellent
waterfront park with a wide range of aqua entertainment
facilities like
fishponds, wading pools and landscaped garden.
How to reach there
Air :
Nearest Airport is Thiruvananthapuram (16 km from Kovalam)
Rail: Nearest Rail head is at
Thiruvananthapuram (16km from Kovalam)
Road:
Kovalam can be reached by direct and regular bus services from
Thiruvananthapuram. Buses also link the place from Ernakulam,
Kanyakumari and Periyar wildlife sanctuary. At Kovalam
Varkala
 Varkala,
a new destination in Kerala, is for those who prefer to do
absolutely nothing while holidaying. Due to a spillover
resulting from the over saturation of Kovalam, foreigners
started coming to the town about six years ago. The trend that
started as a trickle became a steady flow within two years.
Today, there is a constant stream of visitors. However, because
of the area's comparative inaccessibility, a large influx of
'outsiders' has not happened here. At the Varkala platform,
there is no indication that this town is on many a tourist
itinerary.
Tourist Attractions
What makes the coastline of Varkala exceptional is its
landscape. Towering cliffs that stand like silent sentinels,
guarding the sparkling waters, back the beach. Highly unusual
land formations, the sheerness of the cliffs, and the view from
atop, simply astound the visitors. Shining white sands,
cloudless skies touching the blue water and the red soil of the
hilltop, coupled with yellow-green paddy fields, and green
coconut trees, make a composite picture of the beauty and
awesomeness of nature. Nature in its pristine glory remains so
untouched that to get to the secluded part of the beach, one has
to either scramble over rocks during high tide or climb down the
cliff. With constant use, a path of sorts has been worn into the
hill face.
However, the state government does have
development plans for its inland waterways that will, in time,
have an effect on the growth of Varkala.
Sivagiri Mutt is the samadhi (memorial) of Shri Narayana Guru,
spiritual leader and social reformer of Kerala. A man much ahead
of his times, he propagated the idea of one caste, one religion,
and one God. His discourses were conducted mainly in and around
Varkala. Located about 2.5 km from the town, on the banks of the
Thiruvananthapuram-Shornur canal, Sivagiri Mutt is visited by
thousands of Hindu pilgrims, annually.
Most people, who visit Sivagiri, also make it a point to go to
Janardhana Swami
Temple.
This temple is situated close to Varkala's beach.
Ironically enough, much before Varkala became known,
internationally, for its sandy stretch, the beach, named
Papanasam, was already well known to pilgrims in Kerala.
Considered an auspicious site, during the season of
Karkkidakavavu, special pujas for invoking departed souls are
conducted here. Varkala and its 3 km stretch of beach beckons
the jaded and the travel weary.
How To Reach
BY ROAD - Varkala can be reached from Thiruvananthapuram, the
capital of Kerala. It is about an hour's drive from
Thiruvananthapuram.
Where to stay
With the exception of one four-star hotel and a tourist bungalow
run by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), facilities
for tourists are few.
Kollam
Thankassery
 This
picturesque
seaside village, Thangassery is a place of historical importance
situated 5km away from Kollam town.
It have a 3 kilometer
long beach
on which stands a 144 feet tall lighthouse,
as a
sentinel warning seamen of the treacherous reefs of Thangassery
since 1902. Thangasseri was once a
favourite settlement of the Portuguese, Dutch
and British in succession. The churches here are pretty old,
having been established in the 18th century, is another
attraction. The Lighthouse is open to visitors from 1530 - I730
hrs.
Thirumullavaram
Beach
Thirumullavaram is a
beautiful beach,
lies 6km
north of
Kollam
and is yet another attraction of the district.
This fascinating
beach filled with coconut palms is ideal for an early morning
walk and has good swimming and
bathing
facilities. There is a Government
Guest House, which was built by the Divan of erstwhile
Travancore State C.I.Munroe, in 1812, is even now a major
attraction for its elegance and architectural beauty. This is
the center of various tourism development activities of the
district.
Kozhikode
Kappad
 This is the historic
place located 16 km from
Kozhikode
town;
this is the place where Vascoda Gama had landed in 1498,
with 170 men in three vessels.
Kappad beach is a pleasant stretch of
rock-studded beach,which is locally known as Kappakadavu. An
interesting feature of the landscape is the sprawling rock that
protrudes into the sea. An ancient temple is nearby the rock,
which believed to be 800 years old.
Kozhikkode
Beach
The serene beach is located about
1 km from
Kozhikode.
The beach has an old lighthouse and two crumbling piers running
into the sea, each more than a hundred years old.
It
is also a favourite sunset point.
Beypore
Located about
10 km south of
Kozhikode
town at the mouth of the
Chaliyar
River.
Beypore, one of the prominent ports and fishing harbours of
ancient Kerala, was an important trade and maritime center.
Beypore was much sought after by merchants from
Western Asia
for its ship building industry. The boat-building yard is famous
for the construction of the Uru (the Arabian trading vessel),
which boasts a tradition of over 1500 years.
'Urus' are built by the traditional shipbuilders known as
Khalasis.
Beypore is still a favorite destination
among Arabs shopping for large boats.
Vadakara
The
birthplace of Thacholi Othenan - the legendary hero of the
Vadakkanpattu (ballads of
North
Malabar),
Vadakara boasts a great martial tradition and was a flourishing
trade and commerce center in ancient times.
This historic place located 48km from Kozhikkode. The famous
Lokanarkavu temple is located 5 km from Vadakara. The three rock
cut caves in the temple premises are artfully engraved with
beautiful carvings and fascinating murals. The main temple,
according to legend, is more than 1500 years old. Vadakara is
also the birthplace of Cherussery Namboodiripad, the great poet.
Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary
The sanctuary is
located 19 km from
Kozhikode and 7km from
Beypore port. The sanctuary is spread over a cluster of islands
in a scenic area surrounded by hillocks where the
Kadalundi
River
flows into the Arabian
Sea. The place is
locally known as ‘Kadalundi Nagaram’. It is the home of hundred
varieties of native birds and over 60 verities of migratory
birds flock here in large numbers. The sanctuary is 200 m above
sea level, offers a splendid view of the river mouth and the
sea. Kadalundi is also the fisherman's favourite as it hosts a
wide variety of fish, mussels and crabs.
Kasargode
Bakel
Fort
Beach
 The 300 years old
Bakel Fort is the largest and best-preserved fort in Kerala,
which is 16kms south of Kasargod and believed to have been built
by Shivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty in 1650. In 18th century
the fort came under Tipu Sultan and then passed into the hands
of British.
The Bekal fort is located on a vast 35-acre headland that runs
into the
Arabian Sea.
The seashore fort along with its premise is being designed into
a major tourist resort. The fort has historical as well as
archeological significance.
Bekal, flanked on two
sides by long ravishingly beautiful palm fringed beaches; the
Bekal fort stands proud on a cape. The fort’s commanding
position, with views across the bays to the north and the south
are truly breath taking.
Crystal clear blue waters of the Arabian Sea, miles of white
sands washed away by the surf, the rocky promontories and
coconut groves makes this beach nothing less than a paradise.
Pallikere
Beach
 This
shallow beach offers a spectacular view of the fort and has
ample facilities for recreation and relaxation. The
Pallikere
Beach
is 1 Km from Bakel Fort. This enchanting beach offers a
spectacular view of the fort and has ample facilities for
recreation and relaxation.
The Pallikere beach, which is a beautiful
expanse of shallow waters and beach is fast developing as a
tourist destination. Providing ample scope for recreation and
relaxation, the beach affords a scenic view of the Bekal Fort.
Location
1 km from Bakel Fort.
Kannur
Payyambalam
Beach
The Payyambalam beach is one of the
beautiful beaches in this State and is an ideal place to visit.
Quiet, secluded, this beautiful stretch of sand and surf is the
best locale for a relaxed evening. Which is located 2 km away
from Kannur town.
Muzhapilangad
Beach
 Muzhappilangad, one
of the longest beaches in Kerala is located 15 km south of
Kannur and
8 km from Thalassery-Kannur
route.
This
is the only drive-in beach in
India.
Black
rocks protect this long, clean beach from the currents of the
deep, making its shallow waters a swimmer's paradise. Perhaps
this is Kerala's own drive-in beach where you can drive down the
entire length of 4 km. The beach is just a kilometer to the west
of National Highway 17.
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