Geographically located in Thiruvananthapuram, and about 30 kilometres from the city of Kollam, Varkala is Kerala’s best kept secret.
When beach comes in our mind we can only think of place is Goa but this time give this place a miss and head to Varkala and believe me you won’t miss Goa even for a second.
Geographically located in Thiruvananthapuram, and about 30 kilometres from the city of Kollam, Varkala is Kerala’s best kept secret. Home to various temples, shrines and a breathtaking beach, Varkala’s highlight is the long laterrite Cliff overlooking the beach, the only one in Kerala. The walk along the cliff is an approximate 600 meters with the beach view on one side and numerous spas, restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops on the other.
An ideal holiday to Varkala is to be busy doing nothing – waking up to the sound of the waves, swimming in the beach, a heavy lunch, the afternoon siesta, shopping and dinner with trans music playing in the back. A natural spring, the purest form of water on the side of the cliff, will serve as your pre and post beach shower and quench your thirst. It will be easy to spot this, trust me.
Tourist season sees a mushrooming of surfing schools—perfect for hours under the Sun; if surfing does not sound like your cup of tea, Varkala has a lot for shopaholics as well. Wellness seekers can opt for yoga classes at one of the many institutes in Varkala, while the ones on a spiritual quest can partake in special rituals at the centuries old Janardhana Swamy Temple.
There are innumerable restaurants offering various cuisines of the world. The rates are on a higher side mainly due to large number of tourists being foreigners. The beach on the other side is extremely peaceful, clean, free from air and water pollution. You can sense the emptiness in the air around and you find everyone perfectly laid back to enjoy the time. You will feel you are in a foreign country (Blame the number of foreigners you spot around.) I had enjoyed each and every moment I spent here where I could sense life. There are many places which offer ayurvedic spas and massages including few yoga classes. One can spot few foreigners doing yoga on the beach in the mornings. Click next for more-
