Things to do in Kovalam – Beach hopping and more!!!
Awaiting you in the southern tip of the district of Kerala, India; is a beach holiday you will love!!! Beautiful black sand beaches( yup!! these sands have Ilmenite and Monazite) , friendly locals and sunsets that will soak your soul, Kovalam is worth visiting for many a reason.
Our trip to Kovalam spanned two days and we were honestly in dire need of a slow paced – relaxed break! Did we achieve a relaxed holiday. Now that’s a different story!!!
How to get here
Kovalam is what I would like to call a beach hub in the southern tip of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.
If you are an International traveller – Thiruvananthapuram has an Airport which you can fly to (the other alternative being, flying to Cochin and then catching a train, bus or car ride here).
If you are a more local traveller – Thiruvananthapuram is accessible by bus, train and car.
Once in Thiruvananthapuram, you can catch a bus or hire a cab to Kovalam.
Kovalam is also easily accessible from Kochuveli by car or bus. So once at the Kochuveli railway station, hire a cab to take you to Kovalam or get on a bus in that direction.
Getting around Kovalam
While some of the beaches are at a walkable distance from one another, it’s a good idea to hire an Auto- Rickshaw for easy commuting.
There are also local taxi services available at each beach which therefore causes Uber to be limited in service.
( We actually booked an Uber, and the driver had us get in, a couple of meters away from the beachside, where the local taxis wait, for the fear of getting beaten up by these taxi guys. He even narrated one such grim experience that he had! *shudder*)
That said there is nothing wrong with the local taxis, as long as you look out for tourist traps and being charged exorbitant amounts for short trips! Just use your logic and common sense here!!
When to visit
Offering a warm tropical climate all year round, you can visit the beaches of Kovalam whenever. But personally we recommend that you avoid the monsoon months of June, July and November.
When visiting the beaches (even though the afternoons are the most crowded and active with water sports) we prefer the times of sunrise or sunset, for the love of a beautiful sky as the waves wash to the shore.
Where to stay
Since this trip was a treat to ourselves, we went a little overboard to book ourselves a private pool villa at The Travancore Heritage in Chowara (we were so excited about this fancy accommodation option!!!) . While, this is certainly not in the centre of Kovalam (it’s in fact, a couple of kms away), Chowara has its own beach (less crowded Kovalam vibes) and its fair share of luxury resorts.
Now if you‘re interested in The Travancore Heritage, read our honest review. If it’s not your cup of tea, do feel free to scroll down the following 2 paras.
It’s a luxury resort, and certainly not meant for those budget travellers (that we ourselves so often are). The resort itself wasn’t too bad. And trust us, as excited as we were, the first night was certainly amazing!!! We had an entire pool to ourselves, completely closed and private to relax away as we pleased (and relax we did, to our heart‘s content). The villa was styled in a typical Kerala Illom style, complete with a centre courtyard. It was equipped with a king size bed and a modern bathroom.
The resort also offers a vast length of neatly mowed lawns, complete with shady trees, wooden seating and even hammocks. You can also avail the Ayurveda massage sessions (with extra payment ofcourse) and an easy and exclusive entry to the Chowara beach.
They also offer more economical rooms, although I wouldn’t rank them with budget options.
However, to our complete dismay, on the second day, things took an unexpected turn. Our pool drained off all its water, and just as we convinced ourselves to make do with the common pool, the air conditioning stopped working!!!
We called for repair and headed out, hoping to come back to a cool villa with a full pool. Were we wrong!!! On returning we found the work men still fixing something in the switch board. Having no patience to spare, we requested for a change of room, only to be told that the other pool villa was already occupied!!! Finally left with no other choice, we moved into another suite room.
Do we recommend it? Maybe! It’s possible that we were just unlucky, afterall the food was great and the staff, very cordial and friendly. We are unable to decide at the moment.
If you want to take that chance you can book this resort here.
Don’t let this mislead you, Kovalam also offers many budget accommodation options. You can check them out here and get some great deals here.
Okay, so now all that’s out of the way, lets get down to all the amazing things that Kovalam offers.
The joy of beach hopping
One of the things you MUST DO in Kovalam is beach hopping, that’s the whole point of a beach vacation right?
But Kovalam offers so many options, that you can actually try them all and even pick a favorite. From opportunities to get that perfect tan, to trying some adventure sports (including Catamaran rides at Hawa Beach) on the sea or simply gaze at gigantic waves lash on the majestic rocks, you have them all here.
Beaches you can try :
Lighthouse beach
Hawa Beach (Eve’s beach)
Samudra Beach
Ashoka Beach
The first three collectively make up the Kovalam Beach. The northern end of Ashoka beach is Samudra beach.
Also try out Chowara beach if you have the time and interest. It’s less crowded and lined with beautiful coconut palms.
Vizhinjam Lighthouse
If you want to see all of Kovalam in one glance, this is the place to be. We are total suckers for panoramas, and hence totally loved this bird‘s eye view of the city. Built in 1972, this iconic structure painted in red and white, allows you a viewpoint 118 feet high. Spread out below is the beautiful Lighthouse beach.
Opening time : Daily 3pm – 6pm
Entry fee: Rs 10 per adult , Rs 3 per child
Rs 25 for foreign tourists
Rs 20 for still camera and Rs 25 for video camera
Visit the Vizhinjam Village, to experience a mix of diverse local culture and of course some delicious delights. Another major highlight in the area, is the Vizhinjam rock cut cave temple.
The backwaters and beach of Poovar
Just outside of Kovalam, are the backwaters of Poovar. Beautifully scenic views and serenading backwater cruises let you indulge in all that beauty nature offers along the waters of the river Neyyar.
Experience the river, as it ends its flow at the Arabian see, becoming wider to form a lake. This joining of a river, lake and sea is one of its kind in all of Kerala.
The Poovar beach begins where the back waters end.
The Poovar beach,unlike in Kovalam, has beautiful golden sand. You will also find that it’s less crowded and touristy.
Vellayani Lake
Located about 7kms away from Kovalam, this beautiful freshwater lake offers some magnificent views you wouldn’t want to miss. Hitch a taxi ride here and soak in its mind blowing green vistas and sparkling water. This lake is also a major source of drinking water. Hop on a boat to enjoy more of the scenic beauty.
Boating Charges :Upto Rs 500for a half hour trip in a boat that accommodates up to 4 people.
Artificial off shore Coral Reef
Part of a project in collaboration with the Department of Harbor Engineering, to improve the ecology and marine habitat, this coral reef, do provide some world class surfing opportunities. Drop a visit here !!!
Valiyathura Pier
This 214m long pier located about 12kms away from Kovalam, is definitely worth the ride. Valiyathura literally translates into ‘ Big Port’ in Malayalam and offers mind blowing vistas of the Arabian Sea along the Malabar Coast. Time your visit to fall during the pink hues of sunset and etch pictures that will last forever.
Kovalam Art Gallery
An art lovers’ paradise, Sree Chithra Art Gallery puts on show a beautiful, informative and diverse exhibition of art work and paintings. It’s an ideal picnic spot to watch the rich ancient culture and heritage of the site.
Opening Hours : 10am – 5pm, everyday except Monday.
Entry fee : Rs 10 per head, Rs 20 for a family of four (of which two are children)
Halcyon Castle
Also known as Napier Museum, Halcyon Castle is a palace turned into 5-star resort that is certainly worth visiting. Built by Sri Rama Varma Valiya Koi Thampuran in the year 1932 as a summer retreat, you can even spend a night at the lovely castle, coupled with a large green courtyard world class amenities. Its matchless Kerala style architecture, is something we can write on and on about.
What to eat
Kerala cuisine is by far my most favorite, especially when it comes to non vegetarian specialties( we can totally hear that duh you didn’t say out loud, but trust us, that has nothing to do with the fact that we come from Kerala. We mean, in all fairness
we wouldn’t vouch the same for the vegetarian dishes!)
Kovalam is the place you can try out all the different Kerala see food specialties ( King Fish, Squid and Prawns to name a few). We have a whole list of Kerala delicacies that will totally tingle your tastebuds here.
Okay so with enough food and attractions to keep you busily relaxed (quite the oxymoron eh?)for an entire weekend, the beaches of Kovalam has gotta be in your list of places to visit this year.
