A
coastal town in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala, Varkala is the
ideal spot to spend an idyllic holiday away from the hustle bustle of
the city. Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where one can
find cliffs just adjacent to the Arabian Sea. The spectacular palm-lined
beaches, highly unusual land formations, and the 2,000 year old
Janardanaswamy Temple, which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine, are
some of the major tourist attractions in Varkala. The landscape of this
amazing town is what makes the coastline of Varkala exceptional. The
beach has towering cliffs that stand like silent sentinels, guarding the
sparkling waters. The visitors of Varkala are simply astounded by the
unusual land formations, the sheerness of the cliffs and the view that
the rocky cliffs offer from its top. Besides, the shining white sands,
the sky touching the blue water of the sea, the red soil of the hilltop,
yellow green paddy fields and green coconut trees together make a
composite picture of the beautiful and awesome nature of Varkala. The
pristine glory of the beaches of Varkala remain so untouched that one
literally has to climb down the cliff or scramble over rocks in order to
reach the secluded parts of the beach.
Best SeasonThe
main season starts from Dec 1st- March 31st, with December & early
January experiencing the biggest rush. If you want to go out of season,
then you can stay very cheaply and of course avoid the crowd. Varkala is
quite a new place to hang out in India and has only been developed as a
tourist destination in the last 2 years. The town of Varkala is about
5km inland, centered around the train station
Major Tourist
Attractions
- Varkala Beaches
The silvery stretches of sands along
the Arabian Sea, the panoramic landscape and seascapes - the beaches
in Varkala are a tourist's paradise. Idyllic retreats for beach
lovers, these beaches are the main tourist attractions in Varkala.
'Papanasam' is one of the main beaches here and it is revered as an
important Hindu center of pilgrimage. A dip in the holy waters of
this beach is believed to have the magical powers of washing away
all your sins, and thereby purifying your body and soul.
- Sivagiri Mutt
This Mutt is a religious site, founded
by Sree Narayana Guru (1856 – 1952), the famous philosopher and
social reformer of modern Kerala. This Mutt is also the headquarters
of a religious organization, the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana
Sangham, established by the Guru to propagate his idea of ' One
Caste, One Religion, One God'. It is between 30th December and 1st
January that 'Sivagiri Pilgrimage' is conducted every year.
- Varkala Tunnel
Varkala also has long a tunnel, the
construction of which began in 1867 and completed 1880. Popularly
known as 'Varkala Turuthu', this tunnel was built under the
supervision of Divan Sheshaya Sasthri and was extensively used for
ferrying of goods.
- Ananda Valleeswaram Temple
The Ananda Valleeswaram
Temple of Kollam attracts people on almost all days. There are
several Churches and Mosques around Kollam. The Pullichira Church
was established in 1700 A.D. Mahatma Gandhi beach & park at
Kochupilamoodu, Thirumullavaram beach and Ashramam picnic village,
are some of the important spots of local sight seeing.
FoodThe only fancy restaurant available at
Papanasam/Varkala is in the Taj Garden Retreat. Almost all Hotels and
Resorts have room service. There are lots of Restaurants at the Cliff.
Most of them and places-to-eat in the Cliff are seasonal and spring up
during the tourist season (beginning late Nov). Try the fresh fish or
seafood from any number of the cliff-top restaurants. Seafood is caught
by local fishermen and displayed in front of many reasons.
How
to Reach
- By Air
The nearest airport is the Thiruvananthapuram
International airport, which is about 46 km from Varkala.
- By Rail
The Varkala railway station links the tourist
destination of Varkala with other places like Thiruvananthapuram and
Ernakulam.
- By Road
An excellent road network links Varkala to
all major towns and cities in Kerala.
