15 Best Places To Visit in Kovalam – Southern Heaven of India
Kovalam is a village set near the Arabian Sea and it is the most crowded tourist destination in Kerala. Kovalam is one of the best places to visit in Kerala with your family and is an ideal place for couples. There are many mesmerizing places to visit in Kovalam and this beautiful village is packed with many adventure activities and charming beaches. Kovalam is a village but there are all modern and urban facilities available for tourists. We have made a list of famous tourist places to visit in Kovalam that will take you on a virtual tour of the Southern heaven of India.
Famous Tourist Places at Kovalam for a Wonderful Experience
- Karamana River
- Halcyon Castle
- Lighthouse Beach
- Ashoka Beach
- Hawah Beach
- Vellayani Lake
- Neyyar Dam
- Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple
- Kovalam Art Gallery
- Aruvikkara Dam
- Shri Padmanabhswamy Temple
- Vizhinjam rock-cut cave temple
- Samudra Beach
- Edakallu
- Chowara Beach
1. Karamana River
The Karamana river is famous for its scenic beauty as this beautiful river is surrounded by coconut trees, pepper plantations, and dense forests. Karmana river is one of the most visited places in Kovalam and tourists come to this place to enjoy boating and get relax in the lap of nature. There are different types of boats available to choose from and charges change with the ride and comfort you choose.
Visiting hours: All-day
Boating timings: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Entry fee: Free
Trip Duration: Around 1-2 hours
Must Read: Adventure Activities at Kovalam for a Exciting Vacation
2. Halcyon Castle
It was built in 1934 and is now popularly known as Napier museum. The castle was once a residence of the Royal family. Currently, the castle is converted into a luxury hotel and is run by an NRI businessman. This palace is one of the best places to visit in Kovalam. You can do advance booking to spend your holidays at the royal palace but some parts of Halcyon castle are restricted. However, you can capture your moments in the camera there is no restriction on photography here.
Visiting hours: 9:00AM – 6:00PM
Entry fee: Free
Trip Duration: Around 1-2 hours
3. Lighthouse Beach
This beach is famous for the panoramic view it offers. Lighthouse beach is one of the most crowded beaches to visit in Kovalam. The lighthouse is 30 meters tall and for the best view, you can climb around 140 spiral shaped stairs of the lighthouse.
At the lighthouse beach, you can enjoy various watersport activities such as sea diving, parasailing, swimming, and many more. You can see many people doing Yoga here. Near the Lighthouse beach, there are many stalls and shops that sell food, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods are available here.
Visiting hours: 10:00AM – 6:00PM, Closed on Monday
Entry fee: Free
Trip Duration: Around 1-2 hours
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4. Ashoka Beach
A beach which is not visited by many and is a perfect place for those who like to be on the seashore but not in-crowd. Ashoka beach is a quiet place you can enjoy yourself here and take long walks on beach sand. The Ashoka Beach is mostly visited by couples for romantic dates as there is one to disturb.
Visiting hours: 9:00AM – 6:00PM
Entry fee: Free
Trip Duration: Around 1 hour
5. Hawah beach
This Beach is the second largest beach in Kovalam and popularly known as Eve’s Beach. The place is visited by many people during the evening because the sunset view from Hawah Beach is soul-refreshing. Tourists and locals often come here to sunbathe and long walks.
Tip: It is advised that you do not swim here and the reason is strong tides that are favorable for other adventures such as catamaran ride.
Visiting hours: 8:00AM – 6:00PM
Entry fee: Free
Trip Duration: Around 1-2 hours
6. Vellayani Lake
This is famous as a freshwater lake and is spread over 7 acres of land. The water of Vellayani Lake is used for irrigation and drinking. The lake is surrounded by coconut trees and is a perfect spot for a picnic and for walk-in nature with a cool breeze. The lake is home to species of flora and fauna, you can even see lotus here. At this lake every year a boat race is organized at the festival of Onam. you can even take a boat ride to explore the surrounding of the lake. The charges of boat ride start from INR500.
Visiting hours: 9:00AM – 6:00PM
Entry fee: Free
Trip Duration: Around 1-2 hours
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7. Neyyar Dam
This dam is situated near Neyyar lake which formed after the construction of the dam. The place is surrounded by dense forests and is home to many wild animals. In the Neyyar river, you can see wild animals taking bathe and playing. The Neyyar Dam is a famous picnic spot for many and near the dam, there is a yoga ashram where people come from all over the world to learn Yoga.
Visiting hours: 7:00AM – 6:00PM
Entry fee: Free
Trip Duration: Around 1-2 hours
8. Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple
This temple is around 2000 years old and situated near Karamana Lake. The temple is dedicated to Parasurama who is believed to be the originator of Kerala. The best time to visit the temple is during the Bali Tharpanam festival which is worth watching as the festival is celebrated at this temple.
Visiting hours: 6:00AM – 6:00PM
Entry fee: Free
Rip Duration: Around 1-2 hours
9. Kovalam Art Gallery
An art gallery is a must to visit place for art lovers. Inside the art gallery, you can see the paintings made by famous painter Raja Ravi Verma and other foreign painters, Artefacts of ancient traditions, culture are also displayed here which belongs to Mughal and Rajput era.
Visiting hours: 10:00AM – 5:00PM, closed on Mondays
Entry fee: INR 20 per person
Trip Duration: Around 1 hour
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10. Aruvikkara Dam
This Dam is situated near the Karamana river and is a favorite picnic spot among tourists. If you are at the Aruvikkara dam then the best thing you can do here is feeding fishes as some fishes come close to the surface. You can even enjoy boating here at a price range of INR 100 – INR200.
Location: Near Karamana river
Charges: Free
Timings: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
11. Shri Padmanabhswamy Temple
This Temple is visited by many devotees from all over the world. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the architecture of the temple is eye-catching. In daylight, you will that the temple shines bright because of the golden exterior. In the inside of the temple, there are paintings of gods are used for decoration. Anyone can visit the temple but it is advised that women should wear Indian traditional outfits only such as saree and suit-salwar.
Location: Kovalam, Kerala
Charges: Free
Timings: 3:30 AM – 4:45 PM, 6:30 AM – 7:00 PM
12. Vizhinjam Rock-cut cave temple
Rock-cut cave temple is believed to be the 18th century and is located on the outskirt of Kovalam. The fact about this temple is that it’s an incomplete temple and sculptures of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are not made completely.
Location: Outskirt area of Kovalam
Charges: Free
Timings: 9:00AM – 6:00PPM
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13. Samudra Beach
This beach is the cleanest and calmest beach in Kovalam, where you can see fishermen doing fishing. As the place is unexplored you can come here to satisfy your solitude and is a perfect place for those who love seashores but not the crowdy ones. You can do sunbathing, photography, view sunsets. you can even stay, there are resorts located on the shoreline of this beach.
Charges: Free
Timings: All-days
14. Edakallu Sunset
This is famous for sunset viewing and the natural beauty of seas. Tourists come here from all the cities to experience the oceanic view of the sunset. There is no restriction on photography here and also there is no time limit but you should not the place at night.
Ideal duration: Around 1 hour
Charges: Free
Best time to visit: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
15. Chowara Beach
This Beach is famous among fishers, you can see many fishers here and tourists who come here for a picnic. Near Chowara Beach there is a temple from where you can have a panoramic view of the surrounding. The Chowara beach is also famous for the Ayurvedic resorts where people come to get relax and treat their ailments.
Location: South of Kovalam
Charges: Free
Timings: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
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Frequently Asked Questions?
By Flight = Nearest Airport from Kovalam is Trivandrum International Airport. (20 km)
By Train = Nearest Railway Station from Kovalam is Thiruvananthapuram Central (16km).
By Road = There are many bus and taxi services available in Kovalam which connects the whole place by road.
A. There are many restaurants in Kovalam that serve both vegetarian and Non-vegetarian food. Idli, Dosa, vadas, and seafood are the popular dishes of Kovalam, Kerala.
Famous Restaurants of Kovalam – German bakery, Suprabhatam, Malabar Cafe, Swiss Cafe, Devi Garden restaurant.
A. The best time to visit Kovalam is the winter season that is from September to March during this time the climate becomes pleasant to explore the places.
A. Famous Tourist Places at Kovalam for a Wonderful Experience, Karamana River, Halcyon Castle, Lighthouse Beach, Ashoka Beach, Hawah Beach, Vellayani Lake, Neyyar Dam and many more.