Kovalam Beach - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Kovalam beach, facing the Arabian Sea is one of the most beautiful and popular beaches of Kerala. The beach consists of three adjacent crescent beaches, with massive rocky capes bordering them creating beautiful scenery as well as block of beach waters ideal for swimming and adventure activities.

The growth of Kovalam Beach as a prime tourist attraction

The beach first received attention when queen Sethu Lakshmi Bay of Travancore Kingdom constructed her beach resort- Halcyon Castle at Kovalam towards the end of 1,920s. The European guests of Travancore Kingdom discovered the potential of Kovalam Beach as a tourist destination in the 1,930s. In the early 1,970s, masses of hippies started to arrive at Kovalam on their way to Sri Lanka. This arrival started the transformation of Kovalam from a casual fishing village to one of the most important tourist destination in Kerala.

Vizhinjam Lighthouse near the beach

Located near Kovalam Beach is Vizhinjam Lighthouse. The lighthouse is built using stones, and coloured in red and white bands. It stands 36 meters tall, offering an incredible view of the surroundings from its top gallery. It's intermittent beams at night brings the beach an added charm. It is possible to get on top of the lighthouse and see its workings and also enjoy the panoramic view it offers.

The three beaches of Kovalam

There are three beaches at Kovalam that together called as the Kovalam beach. They are separated by rocky capes on its 17 km coastline.

Light House beach

The southern most of the three, the Lighthouse beach the most frequented by tourists. The beach received it’s name due to Vizhinjam Lighthouse that is located on a 35 meter high Kurumkal hillock on its side. The beach is enclaved in dark rocky projection in both its sides and it is an ideal place for sunbathing, swimming and surfing. Curio shops, hawkers of Kashmiri and Tibetan products, moneychangers and beachwear shops, surplus of restaurants and hotels lines up in the shore of this beach.

Hawah beach

Hawah beach lies adjacent to the lighthouse beach and separated by a large rocky area. In earlier days the beach used to bustle with activities of the fisherman setting out to sea but nowadays it is filled with visitors during evenings and weekends.

Samudra beach

A large hillock separates this beach from the other two on its southern side. This beach is not popular with tourists but the local fisherman does their activities on this beach. This is the largest of the three beaches where one will be able to take long walks along the sea wall.

Activities at Kovalam Beach

There are plenty of activities at the beach and its premises. The beach premises are filled with coconut trees and the view of the sunset is beautiful. The beach is lined with restaurants, shops and Ayurvedic treatment centres. Sun bathing, swimming, massage, catamaran cruising, surfing are some the activities at the beach. Accommodation facilities near the beach range from five star hotels to budget, and the choice of food at the restaurants range from continental varieties to the local south Indian delicacies.

How to reach Kovalam beach?

The beach is located in Kovalam Town in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala State in Southern India. The nearest city- Thiruvananthapuram is only 15 km away, from where there are buses to Kovalam. Nearest major railway station is also located at Thiruvananthapuram City.