Kovalam

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A near deserted beach near Kovalam and Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala, India

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Overview

Once a calm fishing village clustered around its crescent beaches and backed by a sea of cascading palms, Kovalam now competes with Varkala as Kerala’s most developed resort. The touristed main stretch, Lighthouse Beach, is flanked by hotels and restaurants stretching back into the hillside from the shore; just north, Hawa Beach is usually crowded with day trippers heading straight from the taxi and bus stands to the sand. Neither beach could be described as pristine, but, at under 9 miles (15km) southeast from Trivandrum, Kovalam remains a convenient and immensely popular place for fun by the sea; there are promising waves (and a surf club), as well as some charming guesthouses and a flourishing ayurveda and yoga scene.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Rock-Cut Temple

Kovalam

Amid neatly tended, banyan-shaded grounds 500m north of Vizhinjam harbour, this small shrine is one of Kerala's most ancient rock-cut temples. A sculpture…

Vizhinjam

Kovalam

About 1km south of Kovalam's Lighthouse Beach, Vizhinjam village has a busy harbour from where fishing boats head out each day, along with one of Kerala's…

Vizhinjam Lighthouse

Kovalam

Kovalam's most distinguishing feature is the working candy-striped lighthouse at the southern end of Lighthouse Beach. Climb the spiral staircase – or zip…