Kovalam Beach - 5 Things to Know Before Visiting
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About Kovalam Beach
One of the most beautiful beach of Kerala, surrounded by shops, lighthouse and rocky capes.
Hotels near Kovalam Beach
Hotels to stay near Kovalam Beach
Kovalam beach, facing the Arabian Sea is one of the most beautiful and popular beaches of Kerala. The beach consists of three adjacent crescent beaches, with massive rocky capes bordering them creating beautiful scenery as well as block of beach waters ideal for swimming and adventure activities.
The growth of Kovalam Beach as a prime tourist attraction
The beach first received attention when queen Sethu Lakshmi Bay of Travancore Kingdom constructed her beach resort- Halcyon Castle at Kovalam towards the end of 1,920s. The European guests of Travancore Kingdom discovered the potential of Kovalam Beach as a tourist destination in the 1,930s. In the early 1,970s, masses of hippies started to arrive at Kovalam on their way to Sri Lanka. This arrival started the transformation of Kovalam from a casual fishing village to one of the most important tourist destination in Kerala.
Vizhinjam Lighthouse near the beach
Located near Kovalam Beach is Vizhinjam Lighthouse. The lighthouse is built using stones, and coloured in red and white bands. It stands 36 meters tall, offering an incredible view of the surroundings from its top gallery. It's intermittent beams at night brings the beach an added charm. It is possible to get on top of the lighthouse and see its workings and also enjoy the panoramic view it offers.
The three beaches of Kovalam
There are three beaches at Kovalam that together called as the Kovalam beach. They are separated by rocky capes on its 17 km coastline.
Light House beach
The southern most of the three, the Lighthouse beach the most frequented by tourists. The beach received it’s name due to Vizhinjam Lighthouse that is located on a 35 meter high Kurumkal hillock on its side. The beach is enclaved in dark rocky projection in both its sides and it is an ideal place for sunbathing, swimming and surfing. Curio shops, hawkers of Kashmiri and Tibetan products, moneychangers and beachwear shops, surplus of restaurants and hotels lines up in the shore of this beach.
Hawah beach
Hawah beach lies adjacent to the lighthouse beach and separated by a large rocky area. In earlier days the beach used to bustle with activities of the fisherman setting out to sea but nowadays it is filled with visitors during evenings and weekends.
Samudra beach
A large hillock separates this beach from the other two on its southern side. This beach is not popular with tourists but the local fisherman does their activities on this beach. This is the largest of the three beaches where one will be able to take long walks along the sea wall.
Activities at Kovalam Beach
There are plenty of activities at the beach and its premises. The beach premises are filled with coconut trees and the view of the sunset is beautiful. The beach is lined with restaurants, shops and Ayurvedic treatment centres. Sun bathing, swimming, massage, catamaran cruising, surfing are some the activities at the beach. Accommodation facilities near the beach range from five star hotels to budget, and the choice of food at the restaurants range from continental varieties to the local south Indian delicacies.
How to reach Kovalam beach?
The beach is located in Kovalam Town in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala State in Southern India. The nearest city- Thiruvananthapuram is only 15 km away, from where there are buses to Kovalam. Nearest major railway station is also located at Thiruvananthapuram City.
Activities Around
Attractions Near Kovalam Beach
Kuthiramalika Palace
10.94km from Kovalam Beach
The former residence of Travancore King Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. Known for its architecture and its museum storing unique exhibits
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
11.03km from Kovalam Beach
The ancient temple with its billions of dollars of wealth, impeccable architecture and legends.
Shangumugham Beach
12.2km from Kovalam Beach
A place away from the city crowd which has many historical importance. White sand, serene atmosphere , street foods and all.
Connemara Market Palayam
12.98km from Kovalam Beach
An old market that sells all household items- a backbone for the netizens and a colourful place for the visitors.
Napier Museum
13.55km from Kovalam Beach
An architecturally impressive museum building, housing many exhibits from 8th to 18th century.
Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
13.7km from Kovalam Beach
One of the oldest zoo in India, home to a large number of wild animals.
Discover More Attractions in Thiruvananthapuram, Home of Kovalam Beach
Thiruvananthapuram
14 attractions
Home to many palaces, forts and wealthy temples. The center of administrations for the state of Kerala.
Location of Kovalam Beach
What Visitors Say About Kovalam Beach
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Nele Lenze
2018-08-21
This was my second time at the light house. It is an excellent place to take pictures for Instagram and it adds a little extra to the Kovallam expirience. There is not much else to do in Kovallam except of the beaches so going up to the tower is a welcome distraction.
The light house is what it is. After you buy your ticketr you walk up to it, take your shoes off, walk up or take the elevator and then enjoy the view.
I much more recommand the German bakery near by that has delicious chocolate cake and good coffee.Sreeragh Pushpan
2018-04-30
Watch sunset, swim, experience the beach side restaurants and bar. Basically sums up Kovalam beach, a nice beach getaway spot.Nele Lenze
2017-04-29
The light house is naturally the highest point at the beach of Kovalam. It is a nice climb up the stairs and once you are on the viewing platform, you have a beautiful view of the whole beach town. Don't forget to go to the German bakery near bye after the climb and reward yourself with an espresso and homemade cake.Comments
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