Varkala Tour Packages

Laterite, the red rock that gives the cliff its colour. The Geological Survey of India has declared the rock sequence exposed here, the Varkala Formation, a geological monument, and its unusual geology still draws geologists. Natural springs run from the cliff face, and people bathe in them, believing the water has medicinal qualities. A path runs along the top of the cliff, with steps down to the beach.

Yes. Papanasam, the beach below the cliff, is believed to wash away sins, and the Janardhana Swamy temple, said to have a history of some 2,000 years, stands on a hill at the start of the beach road, facing it. About 3 km from town is the Sivagiri Mutt, where Sree Narayana Guru built a hermitage in 1904; its pilgrimage, from 30 December to 1 January, draws thousands. Dress modestly at both.

Yes. On the Kerala Ayurveda Retreat, a consultation with the resort's physician on day 8 starts a programme that continues on day 9, following on from Thekkady; the physician confirms the treatments and their cost, paid directly at the resort. On the Kerala Backwaters Tour, a treatment on the free day is optional and booked locally. Medical questions belong with the physician: we arrange the travel, not the treatment.

Allow about an hour for the drive to Thiruvananthapuram's airport, as our itineraries do, plus time for traffic and check-in; for an early-morning flight that can mean leaving before dawn. If your flight leaves from Kochi instead, the drive is far longer, so we suggest flying out of Thiruvananthapuram, as our Varkala routes do, or ending with a night closer to Kochi.

Yes. Our planning advice is two to four nights on the coast, so a third or fourth night at Varkala is easy to add, or you can split the coast with Kovalam, near Thiruvananthapuram, which our Kovalam guide compares with Varkala. Families travelling with small children can start from the Kerala family holiday, which builds its beach time around Kovalam or Varkala.

From June the sea turns rough and erosion eats into the beach below the cliff; Kerala Tourism notes that erosion and heavy rain mean fewer visitors in the monsoon, and swimming is often unwise. Some travellers choose these months for Ayurveda, since practitioners recommend some treatments, such as panchakarma, in the monsoon. For beach days, December to March is the driest stretch.