Kovalam Tourism | Places to Visit | Things To Do

Blue, so blue! The waters of Kovalam are just too blue. It seems like God was extra generous with his colours when he painted Kovalam. It’s a paradise of coconut trees and therefore implicitly stands up to its name. In the 1920’s, the Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore built a beach resort at Kovalam. Thanks to the Maharaja of Travancore, this exquisite beach is a tourist destination. In the sixties, the beach became popular with western hippies, and this popularity paved the way to Kovalam’s reputation as an international resort.

Kovalam has three eminent beaches; The Lighthouse beach, the Hawah beach and the Samudra beach. The Lighthouse beach is the most popular followed by the Eve’s Beach or Hawah beach. The Samudra beach isn’t of much importance from a tourism perspective. If you are a lover of the waters, this is a most ideal place for you. Surfing, boat rides or sun bathing, just name it and you have it. Hikers have devised a new way of exploring the place; it keeps their adventure quotient stable and ensures 100% joy - That’s a bike ride. Kovalam is most frequented by foreign tourists, which means that this town maintains a rather free culture. You can completely be yourself here.

The waters of Kovalam are simply unearthly given that it reflects the sky. Here, there are two skies, one above and one below. The birds become fishes below and travelers become spellbound by its beauty. Kovalam will pull you back again and again because it relaxes the body and soul. It strengthens us and to add to it, you always have the option of indulging at an Ayurvedic Massage Centre. A little visited place nearby is Vizhinjam, which is a quiet fishing port. There is a project on the way here to try to harness wave energy.

Fish and fruit lovers are in the right town. The daily catch ends up in the beach side restaurants. Fruit sellers walk up and down the beaches. You’ll never be short of food here. Fried chicken in chili paste is a local specialty you might want to pick up at Kovalam junction. Ayurveda is a specialty of Kerala. Places such as the Ayurvaidya health and wellness center offer treatment. If you do go swimming, make sure you go in a safe area guarded by lifeguards and you do not go too far out. Listen carefully to the advice of the lifeguards. Swimmers should also watch out for jellyfish.

Do consider visiting the beach in the dead of night once. The sands glitter and the sea glows. Everything looks so silver. You do want to see this, don’t you?