VARKALA TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & BEACHES IN VARKALA

At a distance of about 3 km from Varkala Railway Station, Papanasam Beach is a serene beach located in the coastal town of Varkala in the Trivandrum district of Kerala. It is one of the popular beaches near Trivandrum, and among the must-include places in Varkala tour packages.

Also known as Papanasham Beach, Varkala Beach is a cliff beach situated on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Varkala is the second-best Kerala beach resort after Kovalam. Often called the Pearl of the Arabian Sea, this is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These cliffs are of tertiary sedimentary formation and are named by geologists as Varkala Formation. They are a geological monument as recorded by the Geological Survey of India.

Surrounded by stunning cliffs and adorn with golden sand, it is a quite clean beach and is less commercialized while .....

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At a distance of 3 km from Varkala Railway Station, Sri Janardhanaswamy Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated in the coastal town of Varkala, Kerala. Popularly called Varkala Temple, it is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Kerala, and among the best places to visit in Varkala.

Situated on top of a small hillock near Papanasam Beach, Sri Janardhanaswamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Janardhana, a form of Lord Vishnu. The temple is situated near the Arabian Sea and is referred to as Dakshin Kasi. According to the inscriptions, the temple is said to be 2000 odd years old while the current structure dates back to the 12th century. It has been renovated during the reign of Umayamma Rani who held the power of this region from 1677 to 1684 AD. The temple finds its name mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam which says that Balarama had visited this shrine during .....

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At a distance of 7 km from Varkala, and 18 km from Kollam, Kappil Beach is a gorgeous beach situated at Kappil near Varkala. Along the coast of the Arabian Sea, it is one of the lesser-known beaches in Kerala, and among the top Varkala tourist places.

The Kappil Beach consists of at least one kilometer of sand that forms a spit between the Arabian Sea and the waters of Edava-Nadayara Lake. Surrounded by coconut palms, a narrow rocky stretch soon gives way to golden sands. The pristine Kappil Beach is an ideal blend of the backwaters and sea. Watching beautiful orange sunsets while dipping your toes in the pristine waters of the sea from the untouched sandy beaches of Kappil is one of the most calming and soothing things to do in Varkala.

Tourists can spend quality time at this place by indulging in some beach activities or by strolling along the seashore. .....

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At a distance of 4 km from Varkala Railway Station, Thiruvambadi Beach or Black Sand Beach is a serene beach located at Thiruvambadi, Varkala. It is one of the hidden beaches in Kerala, and among the best Varkala places to visit.

Lying right next to the North Cliff, the Black Sand Beach or Thiruvambadi Beach is located 1 km off Thiruvambadi Road. The beach stretch is short, but hardly anyone visits it. The unique feature of the beach is, as the name suggests, the black-colored sand. The beach is perfect for swimming and sunbathing. The serene ambiance of the clam location makes it an ideal picnic spot and among the most beloved secluded getaways for most residents of Thiruvananthapuram.

Black Sand Beach in Varkala is away from the hustle and crowd of the main Varkala Beach and the cliff. The beach can be reached by descending the North Cliff or by taking the Thiruvambady road. With no disturbances, .....

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At a distance of 4 km from Varkala Railway Station, Varkala Cliff is a red laterite cliff situated adjacent to the Arabian Sea in Varkala. It is one of the must-visit places during your Varkala Tour.

Varkala Cliff is a famous beachfront which is a massive cluster of old times rock formations. Varkala Beach is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. This 80 feet high red laterite cliff is unique as it is a veritable blueprint of geological changes from during the Mio-Pliocene age (1.3 to 25 million years ago). Its sedimentary geo-morphological structure bears evidence of unique geological features such as changes in the sea and soil structures and even has small fossils embedded in them.

The cliffs are also named the 'Warkallai formation' by the Geological Survey of India and have been declared as a potential Geopark by UNESCO. There are 90 geoparks around the world, but the Varkala cliff is the first in India. Plans are afoot to .....

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At a distance of 2 km from Kappil Beach, and 5 km from Varkala Railway Station, Edava Beach is a serene sea beach situated on the coast of the Arabian Sea at Edava village near Varkala. It is one of the secluded beaches in Kerala and among the top places for sightseeing in Varkala.

Untouched and unspoilt by tourist activities, Edava Beach is one of the pristine stretches in North Varkala. This beach is located in the coastal town of the same name. The virgin sands of this beach are hemmed in the towering palm trees and its ambiance is simply spellbinding. One should pay a visit to this beach during their expedition to Kerala.

With tourists just realizing the serene beauty of this location, the virgin land is engulfed by a blue lagoon - the sea and backwaters placed next to each other and divided by a small stretch of land. With rains, the water gushes out of the lake and reaches the sea which is a spectacle .....

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At a distance of 4 km from Varkala Railway Station, Chilakoor Beach is a serene sea beach situated on the coast of the Arabian Sea at Chilakoor village near Varkala. It is one of the secluded beaches in Kerala and among the top Varkala sightseeing places.

Chilakoor Beach is lined with gorgeous casuarina groves and is popular for its serene environment. The beach offers delightful scenes of sunsets. The golden color of the horizon and the serene atmosphere during sunset is sure to linger in your mind for a long. Besides, the drive to the beach takes you through traditional coastal villages which let you have a glimpse of rural Kerala life.

At Chilakoor Beach, you can watch the local fishermen folks who go about their daily lives at sea. With spectacular views, and less crowd makes it a peaceful alternative to Varkala's main beach. The beach is dotted with some good resorts to make the stay more comfortable.

Timings: 6 AM - 7 PM

Entry: Free

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At a distance of 3 km from Varkala Railway Station, Sivagiri Mutt is situated on a hillock in Varkala. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Kerala, and among the best Varkala places to visit.

Sivagiri Mutt is founded by the social reformer Sree Narayana Guru in the year 1904. Sivagiri Mutt is also the headquarters of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangham (SNDP), Guru's organization to spread his ideas and thoughts. The disciples and followers of the Guru run the headquarters of Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham at the Sivagiri Mutt. The Mutt's mission is to disseminate and propagate the teachings and principles of Sree Narayana Guru such as 'One Caste, One Religion, One God for Man' and to do service to humanity as conceived by the Guru.

Spread over 200 acres of hilly terrain, the Sivagiri Mutt is placed on a high platform. The tomb of Sree Narayana Guru is a major attraction of this place attracting many tourists. There is also the Guru's residence and it displays .....

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At a distance of 7 km from Varkala Railway Station, Ponnumthuruthu, also known as Golden Island, is an island situated in Anjengo Lake at Nedunganda near Varkala, Kerala. It is one of the most beautiful uninhabited islands in Kerala, and among the most beautiful places to visit as part of Trivandrum tour packages.

Encircled by the Anjengo backwaters, Ponnumthuruthu Island is a private property that belongs to Valiyapurakkal Family. Ponnumthuruthu literally means the golden island. According to legends, the Queens of Travancore Royal family used to hide their gold on the island to keep it safe, and hence the name. The star attractions include a 100 years old Shiva Parvathi temple, which is also called `Thuruthu kshethram' by the natives. The temple is situated amidst a thick coconut grove and gets decked up in lights during Sivarathri. Sivarathri is a major festival celebrated here when many devotees spend the night on the island.

The lush, secluded island of Ponnumthuruthu .....

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At a distance of about 12 km from Varkala & 32 km from Trivandrum, Anjengo Fort, also called Anchuthengu Fort is an ancient fort situated at Anchuthengu village in Kerala. It is one of the famous places of heritage in Kerala, and among the must-visit places for history buffs as part of Varkala holiday packages.

Located on the outskirts of Varkala, Anjengo Fort was built in the 17th century by the British East India Company when it chose Anjengo to make its first trade settlement in Kerala. The word 'Anjuthengu' means five coconut palms and legend has it that a small area of five coconut trees was given to the British on rent by the Queen of Attingal and that is how the fort got its name. The fort served as the first signaling station for ships arriving from Britain.
 
The construction of the fort was commenced in the year 1696 and was completed in 1699. While construction .....

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