Varkala

Secret Beaches and Cliffs

The reddish-brown Varkala cliff, perfect for surfing Varkala beach, and the hippie vibes will make you fall in love with Varkala almost instantly.

Varkala, a calm and quiet hamlet, lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. It has several tourist attractions that include a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple and the Ashramam – Sivagiri Mutt a little distance from the beach.

Away from the hectic city life, Varkala is easily one of the most picturesque and peaceful getaways that a traveller should experience at least once in a lifetime.

The Papanasam Beach (also called as Varkala Beach), which is ten kilometers away from Varkala, is renowned for a natural spring which is considered to have medicinal and curative properties. A dip in the holy waters at this beach is believed to purge the body of impurities and the soul of all sins; hence the name ‘Papanasam Beach’.

What makes Varkala different from other beaches in South India is the red and brown cliff. Varkala is the only place in Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian sea. The view from Varkala cliffs takes your eyes beyond the usual beach shore.

North Cliff in Varkala has many cafes, small shops set up by people from Kashmir, Rajasthan, selling all kinds of hippie stuff. South cliff in Varkala, on the other hand, is quiet and untouched by tourism.

Varkala beach, surrounded by the rustic red cliffs is the main beach in Varkala and is also religiously important for Hindus as offerings for the lost ones are being made here. The swimmers and travelers mostly find their base at the north end while the ceremony is held at the other end.

A 15 minutes walk from the North cliff in Varkala you will find an black beach named after the black sand and not many people on this side of Varkala. Black beach in Varkala is away from the hustle and crowd.

Further north from the Black beach, you will reach another beach called ‘Odayam beach’. Since it is further away from the cliff, it is a peaceful alternative to dip in the sunset colors. Odayam beach is around 1 km from the North Cliff in Varkala.

The reason Kerala is called ‘God’s Own Country’. It connects you with nature in the most amusing ways you can imagine. Take a drive north from Varkala, you will reach Kapil beach and Kapil Lake. There is a golden sand beach on one side and coconut trees surrounding a beautiful lake on the other.

Kapil Beach is 8 Km from the main Varkala beach. If you enjoy a beach walk and up for a little task, you can walk along the coast starting from the Varkala beach and end the walk at Kapil Beach. You will cross the Black beach, Odayam beach, Edava beach, and many other undiscovered treasures of South Kerala. The walk could take around 2 hours.

Around 10 km from Varkala beach, the Golden Island is a small island in the middle of Anjengo backwaters. The island has a Shiva-Parvati Hindu temple also known as the Golden Temple. This uninhabited island can be reached by ferry only.

A tall lighthouse, which is believed to have been constructed for guiding the ships arriving from Britain. You will need to climb up some 250 odd stairs for a stunning panoramic view of the Arabian Sea. Just a few meters away from Anjengo Lighthouse in Varkala, Anjengo Fort was the first trade settlement of the East India Company in Kerala.

Varkala is known as the Banaras (Varanasi) of the south. Janardana Swami Temple, also known as Varkala temple, is a 2000-year-old temple in Varkala and Trivandrum.

When in Varkala, a Beach Yoga retreat is a must. Varkala has become a South India hub for Yoga Teacher Training Course like Rishikesh in North India. Many Ashrams and schools are offering the 200 hours YTT program in Varkala. Many Yoga schools in Varkala have the option of ‘Drop-In Class’ too.

Varkala in Kerala is a perfect destination if you are looking to learn surfing. The beaches in Varkala got bigger waves for professionals as well as small ones.

You can do a day trip from Varkala to Jatayu Earth’s Center and Munroe Island, The Unexplored Backwaters Of Kerala.

Jatayu (Vulture) Earth’s Centre, also known as Jatayu Nature Park, is the world’s largest functional bird statue in Kollam near Varkala. It is 200 feet long and 70 feet tall statue on a hilltop and can be reached through cable cars. Jatayu Earth’s Center is around 35 km from Varkala beach and will take around 1 hour to reach.

The backwaters of Alleppy and Kumarakom are known to many travelers, Munroe Island in Kollam is a hidden pearl in the backwaters of Kerala. It is a group of 8 small islets and each of them is separated by small water channels and lakes. Munroe island is 50 km from Varkala and you will take around 2 hours to reach here. You can either choose to do a one day trip to Munroe Island or stay in a homestay for a day. Staying for a day will be a better choice as you will have enough time to indulge in the beauty of narrow canals surrounded by coconut trees.

Being an tourist hub, Varkala’s North Cliff is where you will find most of the fancy cafes and eating joints.

Varkala weather is quite hot, humid and subtropical and the best time to visit Varkala is the winter season.

Varkala is well connected with the air, trains and buses. The closest airport to Varkala will be Trivandrum (around 45 km) and it will take 1.5 hours to reach from Trivandrum to Varkala.Varkala Railway station is called Varkala Sivagiri Station and it is well connected to other parts of Kerala and few Indian major cities.