Kovalam Travel Guide: Three Beaches, a Lighthouse and the Coast Around

The Thiruvananthapuram district administration describes Kovalam as three adjacent crescent beaches, with a massive rocky promontory that makes a bay of calm water, and says it has been a favourite with visitors since the 1930s. Kerala Tourism puts it 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram. If you are searching for the beach near Chennai, that is a different place with the same name; see the questions below.

Lighthouse Beach and the Vizhinjam lighthouse

Lighthouse Beach is the southern end of Kovalam and takes its name from the red and white striped Vizhinjam lighthouse, which Kerala Tourism says was built in 1972, stands 36 metres high and has a spiral staircase to a view over the coast. Kerala Tourism describes gentle waves and shallow water here, and also asks visitors to swim in designated areas and to mind the tides. The beach is lined with shacks, cafes and stalls, and Kerala Tourism lists surfing, parasailing and jet-skiing.

Samudra Beach

To the north of Ashok Beach, Samudra Beach is separated from the other Kovalam beaches by rugged fissures and a prominent promontory, Kerala Tourism says, which keeps it quieter and less commercial. Fishermen work from traditional wooden boats, and a sea wall gives a place to sit and watch the waves. It suits a walk more than a day of beach activities.

Vizhinjam Rock-Cut Cave Temple

An 8th-century rock-cut shrine near Vizhinjam, believed to date from the Ay dynasty, the cave is carved with Shiva as Dakshinamurthy, the supreme teacher, with figures of Parvati and Ganesh and inscriptions in Vattezhuthu, an early form of Malayalam, Kerala Tourism says. Kerala Tourism also describes it as a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. It is small, so it fits into a short stop.

Chowara and Adimalathura

About 8 km south of Kovalam, Chowara and Adimalathura are fishing hamlets with quiet beaches, Kerala Tourism says. Chowara regularly draws picnickers and people looking for a break from the city, and the Chowara Ayyappa temple stands on a hill above the beach with views along the coast. Go for the village life, not for facilities.

Poovar

Kerala Tourism places Poovar about 35 km from Thiruvananthapuram, where the Neyyar River meets the Arabian Sea. The beach is reached only by boat, and the backwaters, fringed by mangroves, are known for kingfishers, Brahminy kites, night herons and cormorants. Boat trips can be arranged locally. It makes a half-day or day trip from Kovalam.

Veli, Vellayani and the Karamana River

The district's Veli Tourist Village, where Veli Lake meets the sea, has pedal boats, a children's park and a floating cafe run by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, about 12 km from the capital. Kerala Tourism adds boat rides on the Karamana River and picnics, boating and fishing at Vellayani Lake. Near Kovalam itself it lists the Kovalam Art Gallery and the Kerala Art and Craft Village.

Thiruvananthapuram city

Kerala Tourism calls Kovalam an excellent base for exploring the capital, 16 km away, and suggests the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the Napier Museum, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery and the SMSM Institute's handicrafts. Check the temple's entry and dress rules before you go. Our journal's Trivandrum guide lists more places in the city.

Kovalam shares Kerala's two monsoons, so October and November are wet. IMD's normals for Thiruvananthapuram, the nearest station in its brochure, are lowest from December to March: 63.0 mm in December, 22.9 mm in January, 23.5 mm in February and 41.2 mm in March. Rain returns with 117.9 mm in April and 195.4 mm in May. The south-west monsoon, which normally reaches Kerala on 1 June, brings 302.9 mm in June, 209.1 mm in July, 140.9 mm in August and 188.1 mm in September, and the north-east monsoon brings 281.5 mm in October and 198.0 mm in November.

Kerala Tourism names November to March as the best time for Lighthouse Beach and October to March for the Vizhinjam cave, which include two of the wetter months, and says heavy rain in the monsoon (June to September) may affect plans. Average daytime highs stay between 30.4 and 33.1 °C in every IMD season. Our best time to visit Kerala guide has the state month by month.