Varkala Beach: A Pristine destination in Kerala
The Indian state of Kerala is blessed with natural marvels, which make it one of the most beautiful tourist destinations across the country. Travelers from all over the world are interested in Kerala holidays as these take them close to nature. From pristine backwaters and sprawling beaches to isolated hill stations and exotic tea plantations, the state excites every visitor with its wide array of delights. Situated along the vast coastline of the Arabian Sea, it boasts of having the finest beaches of India. Owing to this fact, beach tourism in Kerala has seen a huge rise in the past few years, making it one of the favorite beach destinations.
This
time I was looking to go to a place where I could spent the time in peace. I
was in no mood to cover many places in stipulated amount of time. The idea of
this vacation was to relax and rejuvenate.
Varkala
has been on my list for quite a time and 4 days break was apt for it.
A
captivating beach town located about one and half hour’s drive from the state
capital Thiruvananthapuram, Varkala is a heartening mix of beach beauty and
devotional ambience. This is perhaps the only location with a cliff-land-sea
combination. Here steep cliff and flat
land adjoins the Arabian Sea, a peculiar geography!
View of cliff and the Arabian Sea
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| Sea and Cliff |
After
spending numerous hours on planning and search on internet, the itinerary was
finalized.
We
planned to reach Varkala from Hyderabad via Trivandrum. One can reach via
Cochin too but its closer to Trivandrum. We booked one of the guest house in
Varkala in advance.
On
the D-day , we reached Trivandrum in the evening. The weather gods were happy
and it was drizzling that time. We took a taxi from the airport itself and set
course to Varkala. It took us almost 2 hrs to reach the place.
Our
guest house was located 5 minute off the main road. The location was perfect
for a peaceful stay.
It
was a traditionally kerala house with a wide backyard, coconut trees, garden in
front and so colorfully painted. I was just in love with the location of guest
house and the ambience.
The Guest House: Casa Eva Luna
Varkala beach
waters are also enriched with mineral water springs; believed to possess
medicinal values. It is regarded that a dip in these waters washes off all the
sins giving the seashore an apt tag 'Papanasam'. Neighbored by the sacred
Vaishnuvite shrine Janardhana Swami Temple this location is of high reverence
for the Hindus who perform ‘Vavu bali’: ritual for the liberating their
ancestors’ souls. Holistic atmosphere coupled with soothing waters is fast
turning Varkala to a key Ayurvedic treatment centre.
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| Home Away From Home |
What made me choose
Varkala:
Ø “cliff adjoining the Arabian sea” offering
good view to watch sea waves from mean sea level
Ø Away from crowd and cleaner beaches
Ø Authentic ayurvedic
massages at reasonable cost.
The weather was quite
sunny in the day time. By the afternoon it became overcast. After delicious morning breakfast at the
guest house , we decided to explore the cliff area. We got all the information
of the place by the owner’s of the guest house. This guest house is being run
and managed by two Spanish ladies Katrina and Esther. Just amazing human
beings. On one of their visit to India , they just fell in love with the place
and decided to do something here only. Rest as they say is history.
- We
decided to have lunch at one of the restaurant at cliff as the guest house
was just 5 min walking distance from there. The view of the cliff and the
sea was absolutely breathtaking. Light drizzle and the breeze was icing on
the cake. We spent the entire evening on the cliff and strolling down
towards the beach. The scenery , weather and calmness did not let us go
back to the guest house. There are many restaurants of all types at the
cliff. It is also a small shopping hub for the tourists. One will find all
the handicraft items and local items of Jaipur, delhi, tamil nadu,
Maharashtra and of course kerala. The prices are no doubt on the higher
side but bargaining is the key.
Places
to see
- Beaches – Papanasam, Black, Evada, Kappil
- Janardhana Swany temple
- Eating/Shopping at Cliff
- Anjengo fort & lighthouse
- Golden Island by jetty
Things to do
Early
morning & Evening walks on cliff watching sunrise and sunsets.
Hire a two wheeler and roam around.
Yoga and massages. Free yoga classes at the cliff . Swimming and surfing.
Towards the south of
the cliff is the famous Papanasam or
Vakala beach. Shree Janardhana Swamy temple is also situated there (Open 0400 – 1200 hrs, 1700 – 2000 hrs). This 2000 years old temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Hanuman. It
is one of the famous hindu temple in the south. All the males have to remove
their t-shirts/shirts while entering in the premises of the temple.
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| Path along the coast |
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| View From The Light House |
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| The Waves that invite you |
On the north side of the cliff is the Evada beach and Black beach.
One of the cleanest beaches as they have not been explored much. The black
beach has very soft black sand. Further north is the Kappil beach, where
sea and backwaters run parallel divided by a more-than-one km of straight road.
Perfect place for sunbathing and swimming. The Priyadarshini Boat Club here offers boating facilities.
Anjengo Light house and Fort: (south of Varkala) Originally built by the
Portuguese as a depot to store merchandise. It was converted into a fort by the
British. Sandwiched between the sea and the backwaters. One is permitted to
climb the light house and have a majestic view of the city. Trivandrum city can easily be spotted when
sky is clear. Check for the opening timings for heading for it.
Ponnumthuruthu Island/ Golden island: (15 km south of Varkala) A delightful getaway
surrounded by the Anjengo backwaters. This uninhabited isle is accessible by boat
from the makeshift jetty at the nearby Nedunganda Village.
A 100-year-old Siva-Parvathi Temple, rebuilt a decade back, is situated here
and the entire island is temple property. We were not able to visit this place
due to time constraint.
Restaurants
to try :
Little
Tibet Abba Restaurant
Juice
Shack Coffee Temple
Clafouti
Free
Wifi available at all restaurants !
 |
| Shopping by Sea Shore |
To be frank you would not see so many foreign tourists at one
single place as I saw in Varkala. You hardly find any Indians other than the
locals who run the shops and the restaurants.
Do not expect the markets to shut down with
the sunset as the night life is simply amazing, and it goes on till midnight.
All the shops remain open and the restaurants display their fresh catch for the
day to tempt the tourists in the evenings. Drinking beer and having the
sea breeze hit in the dark of the night, with some music in the background, can’t
be described in words.. The restaurants are quite expensive but never restrict
yourself from exploring the delicious sea food. They do have live bands and
they keep playing and dancing till midnight.
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| If you love sea food you will love it |
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| A little bit or Arizona in Kerala :) |
This is one place you
should go to if you want to just laze around. The feel of going back home would
never be there. I just did not feel like leaving the clear blue waters &
the fine sand.
I just wish that the
beauty and calmness of this place doesn't get lost with greater influx of
tourists.
Be a responsible and eco- friendly traveler.
About the Author Ashish Jain: I'm 29 years old guy who hails from city called Meerut. Its about 70 kms from Delhi and has historical importance related to Independence revolt of 1857. I did my schooling from itself and later completed my B.Tech from Vellore.
Travelling was not my passion until mid-term of my college and later it became my interest. The place of travel is very important to me. My idea to visit a place is where I get to see and explore something new. A place which is either rich in heritage or has amazing natural surroundings. Personally I avoid going to very commercialized tourist places.
Cycling and motorcycles are my other favorites.
Presently, I'm living in Hyderabad from past year and working as a First Officer in Indigo.
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