Location : Kerala
Beach Activities : Leisure Activities
Best time to Visit : November to March


About Varkala Beach
Varkala is a charming little town on the shores of the Arabian Sea in 'God's Own Country', Kerala. The most famous attractions of the city, the Varkala beach lies on its western boundaries marked by towering coconut groves and rocky cliffs that extend into the sea. Besides the serene beach, Varkala town boasts of numerous other attractions including its shimmering backwaters which are witness to hectic tourist activity, especially during the winter months.

The velvety sands of the beach and the refreshing wind blowing across the sea make perfect conditions for relaxation and leisure activities. Over the cliff are a number of restaurants and beach side snack shacks which offer sizzling sea food.

Location of Varkala Beach
Varkala is a quaint beach situated on the western coastal plains of India in the south Indian state of Kerala. The beach lies towards north of the capital of Kerala, Trivandrum at a distance of 54 km, which can be easily covered by road in just over an hour. The best time to visit Varkala beach is from November to March when the weather is at its pleasant best.

Attractions at Varkala Beach
Options of leisure and adventure are a plenty at Varkala beach, from strolling around on the velvety sands to water sports. There are a number of food joints situated all along the beach while the Janardana Swamy temple, which is believed to be over 2000 years old is another famous attraction.

The beautiful mineral springs flowing out of the cliffs are believed to have medicinal properties worthy of curing chronic diseases. Varkala has a number of hotels and resorts where you can undertake yoga and meditation courses, which are a specialty of the state of Kerala. Some of the hotels in Varkala which offer these courses are Taj Garden Retreat, Sea Pearl Chalets, Hill View Ayurvedic Beach Resort and Le Mangalath Beach Resort.

Stay At
A number of luxury and budget accommodation options are available in and around Varkala town which offer quality lodging and food facilities for the visitors. Amongst the best rated hotels in Varkala are Taj Garden Retreat (situated in Janardana Puram, the hotel is located 55 km from Trivandrum airport and 3 km from Varkala railway station), Taj Kerala Hotel & Resorts Ltd. (situated at Kizhakkebhagath Veedu Kurakkani, the hotel is located 60 km from the airport and 5 km from railway station) and Oriental Hotel (Kilthattumukku).

Getting There
By Air : Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) International Airport is located just 54 km from Varkala and connected to all the major Indian cities as well as a few international cities.

By Rail : Varkala town is the nearest railhead which is connected to major cities across the country through a number of regular trains. The beach is located just 3 km from the railway station and can be easily accessed via any of the local means of transport.

By Road : State transport corporation operates regular buses between Varkala and other major cities in Kerala and the neighbouring states. The state capital Trivandrum is located at a distance of 54 km from Varkala while Kollam is at a distance of 37 km.