Kovalam Tourism

Thirty years ago, Kovalam was a hippy idyll: a picture perfect tropical beach; a traditional fishing village providing fresh fish, fruits and toddy (coconut beer). Today this tiny beach is the focus of a multi-million dollar business, drawing thousands of tourists for a week dose of ozone, UV and a refreshing Indian Experience. Kovalam was brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore. Over the past three decades, the place has been well developed, and now figures prominently on the world tourism map.

Kovalam is just 16 kms away from Trivandrum.Today Kovalam beach is known as the "Paradise of the South". "Kovalam" means a grove of coconut trees and true to its name the village offers an endless sight of coconut trees. The crescent-shaped beach has three parts. The southern most beaches, and the most popular, is light house beach. It offers an amazing sight of Vizhinjam mosque. The northern Samudra is a laidback one and time seems stands still here. The middle, hawah, in the early day, is a beehive of activities with fishermen setting out for sea. With a high rock promontory and a calm bay of blue waters, this beach paradise creates a unique aquarelle on moonlit nights.

Area : 1414 Sq Km
Population : (1991 census) 21,05349
Temperature range : 35 C to 22.5 C.
Clothing: Light cottons
Best time to visit : October to April

Along the 600 kilometre length of the Kerala coast, there are many sandy beaches, rocky promontories and coconut palms. The fishing village of Kovalam lies 10 kilometres south of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. Kovalam is the only beach resort of Kerala, and is very popular with the Indian as well as international tourists. Industry is relatively small scale in this area and the prices low. The beach is just a few minutes walk from the village. Kovalam consists of three successive small crescent beaches; the southern most known as Lighthouse Beach, is where most of the visitors spend their time. The beach is bordered with low cost lodging houses, and restaurants which offer adequate facilities, at affordable tariffs - ideal for a long stay. The light house on the promontory at the southern end of the beach, offers a spectacular view across to the Vizhinjam mosque. Photography is prohibited here. The middle beach, overlooked from a rocky headland by the five star Ashok Radisson resort, functions each morning as a base for local fishers. North of Ashok, is the third beach which is very little affected by the changing times. It is dotted with a few rudimentary wooden fishing vessels. Swimming on the beaches is not always safe, as the undertow can be very strong, therefore it is essential to follow the warnings of the safety flags. However, days can be spent here just lolling around on the sands or retreating under the awnings of the beach cafes. There are numerous craft and carpet shops (usually of Tibetan, Kashmiri and Rajasthani origin), clothing stores and general stores, yoga schools, travel agents and massage parlours lining the beach.

Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several Ayurvedic salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists.Although its popularity over stretches the facilities of this low-key beach resort, Kovalam offers an amazing sweep of palm hemmed beaches, beautiful lagoons, coconut groves and paddies. It consists of two beaches- Lighthouse Beach concentrated with eateries and accommodation while Eve’s Beach (Hawah Beach) which is relatively unspoiled.

Getting There

By Air: The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) about 15kms from Kovalam.
By Rail: Thampanur railway station in Trivandrum is an important rail head of the Southern Railway and is well linked to major towns up country as well as within the State just 15 Kilometers from Kovalam.
By Road: Thiruvananthapuram the capital City of Kerala is easily accessible by road.

Places to See

Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple:
14 Kilometers away from Kovalam at Trivandrum The imposing seven storied tower makes it the most impressive landmark in the city. The temple is an excellent example of the dravidian style of architecture. There are innumerable pillars, intricate carvings, and mural paintings.

Veli Lagoon (Tourist Village):
Delightful waterfront park.An ideal picnic spot where the lake merges with sea. The wadingpool,gardens,exquisite sculptures, a floating bridge and a wide range of aqua sports facilities.

The Govt: Art Museum:

Formally known as "Napier Museum" name dafter a former Madras Governer General, John Napier. It is a gem of architectural exuberance, combining traditional Kerala styles and good doses of Chinese and Mughal Influences.

Sree Chithra Art Gallary:
Has a rich collection of paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and Roerich.It also has copies of paintings of the Ajanta, Rajput,Mughal and Tanjore Schools besides some works from China, Japa,Tibet and bali.

The Zoo:
Is one of the best maintained zoos in the whole of Asia and has a beautiful sprawling lawn.

Observatory:
The Observatory situated 60m above sea level is located on a hill near the Museum.It is one of the oldest in India. There is a well laid out garden in front of the hill, with a beautiful rose collection.

Shanghumugham Beach: It is popular city beach adjacent to the airport. An indoor recreation club, children's traffic training park and a star shaped restaurant are some of the facilities at the beach.

Science and Technology Museum:
Located near Mascot Hotel, the Museum is of high educative value for students of science and Technology.

Kowdiar Palace:
The home of the late maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama varma and his family is off limits to visitors but you can have a glimpse from the main gate. If a friendly guard is on duty, he will let you walk a bit inside the grounds where you can get a view of the grand old building at the end of its long drive.

Akkulam Boat Club:
9 km away from the town. It is a popular retreat for the city dwellers. The lake has boating facilities and has largest children's Park in Kerala.

Aruvikkara:
16 km north of Thiruvananthapuram and gifted with lavish scenic beauty is Aruvikkara, with an ancient temple dedicated to Durga on the banks of the river.

Neyyar Dam:
29km from Thiruvananthapuram is Neyyar Dam a picnic spot and dam site. There are facilities for boating at the reservoir. There is a lion safari park and crocodile farm.

Ponmudi:
An ideal hill resort situated just 54km from Thiruvananthapuram is an enchanting one for tourists. Best accommodation and restaurant facilities are available here.

Peppara Wild Life Sanctuary:
50km from Thiruvananthapuram, Peppara is accessible from Vithurai on Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi Road. This sanctuary with its rich fauna and birds is emerging as a big attraction to wild life enthusiasts. It is spread over an area of 53 sq.km on the Western Ghats. This is doted with large hills and numerous hillocks with forests and eucalyptus plantations. Elephants, Sambar, Leopard and Lion tailed macaque are commonly seen.

Agastyakoodam:
This is a prominent peak in the Sahyadri ranges and can be approached on foot from Bonacadu which is 61km away from Thiruvananthapuram.

Padmanabhapuram Palace:
This palace was once the capital of the State of Travancore and is 51km from the city on the way to Nagarcoil in Tamil Nadu.The palace contains 17th and 18th century murals.

Kuthira Malika :
(Palace Museum): Puthen Malika is also known as Kuthira Malika.This palace was built during the time of H.H Maharaja Swathi Thirunal the king of Travncore who was also a great poet and musician. This palace has wood carvings in the traditional Travancore style. The museum presently displays various painting collections of the royal family.

Thiruvallam:
Lord Parasuraman's temple is here by the river at Thiruvallam, Chithranjali; the State Film Development Corporation's studio is at Thiruvallam. This is on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kovalam route, 10km from the city.

Vizhinjam:
Lying just 15kms from the state capital, which is a historic spot, which was left unnoticed for a long time. The capital of Ay-Vel kings of the 8th-9th century, the only thing that was withstood time is a rock temple, as signed to the period of the Cheras because of a strong influence to the Pallava Pandya architecture. The rock temple is just a little off the main junction, and is a protected monument under the Archeological Survey of India.

Koyikkal Palace:
This is at Nedumangadu, 18km from Thiruvananthapuram.This ancient palace built during the 15th century is on the way to the Ponmudi Hill Station and the Courtallam Water falls. This is built on the traditional nalukettu style.

Onam Celebration:
Tourism week is celebrated during Onam (in August - -September).Streets are illuminated and main attractions during this period are unique package of traditional and cultural programmers which are staged in Kanakakunnu Palace and other landmark points in the city.

Aruvi Waterfalls/Vaiyanthol: Just 60km from Thiruvananthapuram and 7kms from the Bonecaud estate in the Peppara forest range.This 4 ft cascade is one of the most verdant and unspoiled spots in Kerala. Road accessibility is only upto Bonecaud,thereon the Kanni tribesmen accompany trekkers along the mountain path. Prior permission from the Forest Department is required before approaching the area