The Best Beaches in Kerala, India
Wedged between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east, Kerala is bestowed with a 580km (360 mile) coastline dotted with spectacular beaches all along her western length. Kerala‘s long coastline, with her history of spice-trade dating as far back as 3000 BC, is inextricably intertwined with her culture, life, and traditions.
1. Kovalam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram
Kovalam’s 17km (10.6 mi) coastline is divided into three beaches, namely Lighthouse Beach, Hawah Beach, and Samudra Beach, by rocky outcrops. Kovalam Beach shot to fame in the 1970s with the arrival of hippies.
Kerala.com Travel Division, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, + 91 98460 43403
Lighthouse beach, with its 35m (115 ft.) lighthouse, is one of the most frequented beaches in Kovalam by tourists | © Kerala Tourism/Flickr
Papasnanam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram
Varkala formation, a geological monument as declared by Geological Survey of India, gives Papasnanam beach, aka Varkala Beach, its unique identity. Varkala offers excellent facilities for tourists, including Ayurvedic wellness centres. A short distance away, standing on the cliff is a 2,000 year old shrine of Janardhanaswamy.
Kerala.com Travel Division, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, + 91 98460 43403
Shankumugham Beach, Thiruvananthapuram
The white sands and serene atmosphere at Shankumugham Beach forms an ideal location for relaxation. A humongous 35m (115 ft) long sculpture of Matsya Kanyaka – Mermaid – is one of the main attractions.
2. Poovar Beach, Thiruvananthapuram
Located at the juncture where Neyyar River merges with the Arabian Sea, Poovar Beach offers exquisite landscapes that are a photographer’s delight. Poovar Beach, with its golden sands and exotic wildlife forms one of the most sought after picnic spots in the state.
The picturesque Poovar Beach | © Midhun Subhash/Wikimedia Commons
3. Mundakkal Beach, Kollam
In June 2016, an abandoned anchored dredger ship washed onto the shores of Mundakkal. This shot the beach onto the list of most visited beaches in Kerala and a prime addition onto the bucket lists of beach lovers.
Hansitha the dredger ship that washed ashore | © Arunvrparavur/Wikimedia Commons
4. Kollam Beach, Kollam
An array of beach activities attracts many tourists to Kollam Beach. The port city of Kollam was one among the most active ancient trading harbours and is still home to Chinese fishing nets, Chinese water pots and sampan – a flat-bottomed Chinese wooden boat.
Kollam Beach is the first Beach Wedding Destination in Kerala | © Surajram Kumaravel/Wikimedia Commons
5. Alappuzha Beach, Alappuzha
Home to the famous Alappuzha Beach Festival, Alappuzha beach holds an important place in every beach lover’s heart in Kerala. The state’s first international sand art festival was held here on April 26, 2015.
The beach still has a 137 year old pier extending to the sea | © Avinash Singh/Flickr
6. Marari Beach, Alappuzha
Marari Beach in a quaint sleepy village in Alappuzha district is touted for its peace and quiet. It was rated as one of the world’s top five ‘Hammock Beaches’ by National Geographic survey.
Marari Beach | © Marie Battestini/Flickr
Cherai Beach, Ernakulam
Cherai Beach is around 10km (6.2 mi.) long and is ideal for swimming as the tide is mostly low and the waves are gentle. Dolphin sightings are frequent in this beach. Ruins of Pallippuram Fort, an old Portuguese fort from the imperial era, and Pallipuram Church are the main attraction near the beach.
7. Chavakkad Beach, Thrissur
Chavakkad Beach is counted as one of the most popular beaches in Kerala because it remains mostly unexplored. You can experience up close the daily life of fisher folk in this little fishing village during the wee hours and get into the thrill of daily auctions held for boat-loads of fish.
Sunset at Chavakkad beach | © ebin aliyas/Wikimedia Commons
8. Kappad Beach, Kozhikode
Memorial
Kappad Beach is well known because of the erroneous attribution of it being the beach where Vasco da Gama set foot on May 27, 1498 on his first visit to Kerala. This misconception was further solidified by the installation of a memorial stone by the Government in Kappad beach. However, this brought numerous tourists to this beach in Kozhikode.
Kappad beach | © Dijaraj Nair/Wikimedia Commons
9. Beypore Beach, Kozhikode
Building
Beypore is an ancient port town and one of the oldest ports in Kerala, which has a marina and a beach. Beypore is historically famous for its ship building industry as it traded with the Middle East.
There is evidence to prove that Beypore had direct trade links with Mesopotamia and was a prominent link on the maritime silk route | © Arunkumar B/Wikimedia Commons
10. Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach, Kannur
Stretching across 4kms (2.5 mi.), Muzhappilangad Beach is Kerala’s only drive-in beach and the longest in India. It was featured among the top six best beaches for driving in the world in a BBC article for autos.
Muzhappilangad Beach is also a hotspot for bird watching | © Sebasteen anand/Wikimedia Commons
11. Bekal Fort Beach, Kasaragode
In the northernmost district of Kerala, Kasaragod, lies the magnificent Bekal Fort, where the beach adjoining the fort got its name from the fort. The beach is a much sought after location for movie makers and has appeared in many mega-hit movies.
Kerala.com Travel Division, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, + 91 98460 43403
Bekal Fort beach | © Vijayanrajapuram/Wikimedia Commons
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