Beaches in Kerala

Sandwiched between the Lakshwadeep Sea and the Western Ghats, Kerala is a bustling little green-and-silver, coconuts-and-water state on the West Coast of India. Karnataka bound it to the north, Tamil Nadu to the east, and the Arabian Sea to the west. Thiruvananthapuram is its capital.

Every district in Kerala has it's own unique culture and characteristics. Thiruvananthapuram is known for it's beach- Kovalam, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and various museums and palaces; Alappuzha for it's backwaters, Thrissur, the cultural capital, Kottayam for it's ancient churches, Kozhikode for it's old world charm and the entrancing Ponmudi or Golden valley

Unlike beaches of Goa which are flooded with tourist rush, the beaches of Kerala are more serene, and yet undiscovered by most of the people. There are nearly seventeen beaches in Kerala. In fact, Kerala has more water bodies than any other state in India. It has an extensive network of canals, rivers, lakes, beaches, and all of them taken together are referred to as backwaters of Kerala.

Some of the popular beaches of Kerala are as under:

Kovalam - It is an internationally renowned beach of Kerala. Kovalam has been a favorite haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful Bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing.
Kovalam means a grove of coconut trees and truly the coconut trees along the beaches gives it a ravishing look.

The tropical sun acts so fast that one can see the faint blush of coppery tan on the skin in a matter of minutes. Life on the beach begins late in the day and carries on well into the night.

Kovalam Beach consists of three successive small crescent beaches; the southern most known as Lighthouse Beach, is where most of the visitors spend their time. The middle beach is called Hawah. Each morning this beach acts as a base for the local fisherman. The northern most beach, Samudra, is least affected of all by the changing times. It is dotted with few rudimentary wooden fishing vessels.

Alappuzha Beach - It is quite a popular tourist spot, known to provide relaxation in the district of Alappuzha (Alleppey). The pier, which extends into the sea here, is around 140 years old. Blessed with nature's green beauties such as lagoons, vast lakes and numerous fresh water rivers, Alappuzha is a natural wonderland of Kerala State.

It is also lovingly called, "Venice of the East", Alappuzha is one of the most beautiful cities of Kerala. It is also famous world wide for its coir industry that is made from the outer rough husk of coconut. A singular characteristic of Alappuzha is a region called Kuttanad, that is also known as the 'Rice Bowl of Kerala', which is the only place perhaps where farming is done below the sea level.

The annual Snake boat festival is held here during the time of Onam festival.
This beach is spectacular. At one end are the dense palm groves that are so characteristic of Kerala's landscape. It has a long sandy beach.

The Marari Beach - The word Marari originates from "Mararikulam", one of the local fishing villages, where life still goes on much as it did a hundred years ago, with men going out to sea each day to earn a living bringing in the daily catch.

Away from the tensions of everyday life and the monotony of the stress that envelopes us all, Mararikulam is nothing less than haven on earth, promising the people a vacation that will bring a smile to their faces long after they have experienced it. Sailing on the majestic waters of Marari or simply just sitting on the silvery soft sand of the beach and watching the people around indulge in a variety of water activities is an opportunity few would let pass by.

There is no other place as quiet as Marari where one can relax on the white sand beach for hours on end.

If the beach and the village are not enough to entertain you, then excursions to the nearby cities and towns will surely enthrall you and offer you a lifetime vacation. An added feature of the beach is the Marari Beach Resort that is synonymous with comfort and luxury. From water sports to mouth watering cuisine's, the resort offers it all making it one of the most sought after tourist destination in the region.

Varkala - 54 Kms, away from Thiruvanathapuram, is the best spot on along Kerala coast for watching sunset. The sight of the sun melting into the sea would blossom your poetic sense. The mineral water gushing from the hill is believed to have medicinal properties. A dip in the holy waters of Varkala beach is said to cleanse the body and the soul of all the sins, hence giving this shore its alias name, the 'Papanashini'. At the break of dawn following the new moon in the Malayalam month of 'Karkidakam', thousands offer 'Vavu Bali', a ritual that is believed to help the soul of ancestor's rest in peace.

Varkala also houses a leading pilgrim centre in Kerala. The 800 - year old Janarthana temple, dedicated to Ayyappan and Hanuman, atop the hill has brought a sobriquet for the region, Southern Kasi (Benaras).

Another added attraction of this place is a 2000-year-old temple of Lord Vishnu. The Shree Janardhana Swamy Temple is popular Hindu pilgrimage centre and is a major tourist magnet to the place.