Beaches, touristy and unexplored, galore along the 600 km Kerala coast. A bunch of them have historical significance too. Kodungalore coast near Kochi had been where St.Thomas, the Apostle of Christ and first missionary in Indian coast, landed. Vasco De Gama, the first European voyager, stranded at Kappad near Calicut heralding the European invasion.
Kerala beaches have a character unique. Cool, saline breeze blowing on the coconut groves along the coast would function as a balm to an agitated soul.Lose your heart to the mesmerizing charm of the tropical beaches such as Kovalam, Varkala, Shangumugham, Vizhinjam, Alappuzha, Kappad, Payyambalam and Bekal.
World famous Indian beach since 1930 where foreign and domestic tourists throng. This post-card tropical beach is boarded by blue waters and lush coconut gardens .Kovalam, more popular among backpacking travelers, is a western cultural dot on a traditional and orthodox Kerala physique.
"Kovalam" means a grove of coconut trees and true to its name the village offers an endless sight of coconut trees. The crescent-shaped beach has three parts. The southern most beach, and the most popular, is light house beach. It offers an amazing sight of Vizhinjam mosque. The northern Samudra is a laidback one and time, seems, stands still here. The middle, hawah, in the early day, is a beehive of activities with fishermen setting out for sea. With a high rock promontory and a calm bay of blue waters, this beach paradise creates a unique aquarelle on moonlit nights.
Azure water and favorable climate make Kovalam a favorite year-round spot for swimming. Sea, here, is pacific and shallow where you can take a dip in the saline waters.
A virgin beach, 9 kms south of the renowned Kovalam Beach is the hot spot these days for the traveler. It offers a harmonious combination of nature where you can enjoy lush greeneries, whispering sea breeze and the murmuring surf. And it is a "must visit" destination having heritage and Ayurvedic resorts.
A popular city beach near Thiruvananathapuram Airport. On holidays, the city comes out to the beach for a weekly refreshing. Long and wide sandy beach can accommodate tens of thousands. An indoor recreation club, children's park and a star shaped restaurant are some of the facilities at the beach. A large, enticing mermaid sculpture greets visitors. During temple festivals the beach witnesses ritual washing of temple idols. That the beach is a fishermen village ensures an interesting sight of fishermen having their daily catch.
Varkala spa, 42 km away from Thiruvanathapuram, is the best spot along Kerala coast for watching sunset. The sight of the sun melting into the sea would blossom your poetic sense.
During monsoon, bellowing waves engulf the beach lying beneath towering cliff and mineral water spring. The mineral water gushing from the hill is believed to have medicinal properties.
Bekal fort, 14 km away from Kasargode, is the best preserved fort in Kerala. The seashore fort along with its premise is being designed into a major tourist resort. The fort, in its domineering position on a promontory, offers a panoramic view of palm-fringed beaches on both flanks. A sauntering inside the fort would transport to the battle days when rival forces fought for wresting the fort, then a vantage position on Western coast. A Navel academy is nearing completion at Ezhimala, in Kannur near Bakal.
Kanyakumari is the southernmost point of peninsular India. It is the meeting point of three oceans - the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Besides its importance as a pilgrim centre, it is famous for its beautiful views of sunrise, sunset and moonrise over the waters
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