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Miles
and miles of blue sea, the golden sand and
sun and the special magic of the hard
breaking waves often linger your soul to
Tennysons "Break Break Break".
Of the beaches in India, Kerala is an
experience out of this world. Kovalam,
Varkala and Shankumugham in
Trivandrum district, Thirumullavaram in
Kollam district, Cherai in Ernakulam
District, Alappuzha, Kappad (where Vasco Da
Gama made his historic landing in 1498 AD)
and Bekal in Kasargod district are
among the best beaches in the world.
Trivandrum
District
The Kovalam Beach
Location : 16 kilometers from Trivandrum
city
 This
internationally renowned beach resort has
been a favorite haunt of tourists since the
1930s. Kovalam consists of three adjacent
crescent beaches. The southernmost, known as
the Lighthouse Beach, is the most popular.
Kovalam offers accommodation options to suit
all budgets.
The
Varkala Beach
Location : 41 kilometers from Trivandrum
city
Varkala is a seaside resort and spa, 41
kilometers away from Trivandrum . It is also
an important Hindu center of pilgrimage. The
final resting place of the great social
reformer. Sree Narayana Guru, is near
Varkala, atop a hill called Sivagiri. High
cliffs full of rich mineral springs rise
majestically from the coastline. According
to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a
group of mendicants who confessed of having
sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth
made of the bark of a tree) into the air and
the place where it landed was subsequently
named Varkala. The mendicants were directed
by Narada to offer their prayers in the
newly created place by the seashore and the
place 
where they prayed for redemption, came to be
known as the papansaham Beach. ('Papanasham'
- redemption from sins). The 2000 year old
Sree janardhana Swamy Temple and the Nature
Care Center are the two main attractions
here.
The Shanghumukham
Beach
Location : 8 kilometers from Trivandrum
city
This is a favorite haunt of sunset watchers.
The beach is adjacent to the Trivandrum
Airport and Veli Tourist Village. An indoor
recreation club, the mastsya kanyaka ( a
gigantic, 35 m long sculpture of a mermaid)
and a restaurant shaped like a starfish are
the major attractions here.
Quilon (Kollam)
District
The Thangasseri
Beach
Location : 5 kilometers from Kollam Town
This seaside village of historic importance
has the ruins of an old Portuguese fort and
churches built in the 18th
century. There are buses at 15-minute
intervals from Kollam town.
The Thirumullavaram
Beach
Location : 6 kilometers from Kollam Town
This secluded beach is a beautiful picnic
center and has frequent bus connections to
the town.
Ernakulam District
The Cherai Beach
Location : 45 kilometers from Ernakulam
(Cochin) city
This lovely beach bordering Vypeen island is
ideal for swimming. Dolphins are
occasionally seen here. A typical Kerala
village with paddy fields and coconut groves
nearby is an added attraction of this beach.
Vypeen island (21 kilometers from the city)
is a major center for commerce. This island
which is connected to the mainland by a
bridge is more easily accessible by boat.
The ferry ride over the backwaters takes
just 30 minutes.
The Fort Kochi
Beach
Location : 12 kilometers from Ernakulam
(Cochin) city
A leisurely walk through the city is the
best way to discover historic Fort Kochi. An
obscure fishing village that became the
first European township in India, Kochi has
an eventful and colorful history. Its
reputation as a seafaring commercial town
was such that Nicolas Conti, an Italian
traveler of the middle ages remarked -
"If China is where you make your money,
then Kochi surely is the place to spend
it". This town was shaped by the
Portuguese, the Dutch and later the British.
The result of these cultural interfaces are
seen in the remains of the Indo European
architecture here.
Calicut (Kozhikode)
District
The Kappad Beach
Location : 16 kilometers from Kozhikode
This is the historic beach where Vasco da
Gama landed on the 27th of May,
1498, with 170 men in three vessels. The
rock studded, pleasant beach is locally
known as kappakadavu. An interesting feature
of the landscape is the sprawling rock that
protrudes into the sea. The temple on the
rock is believed to be 800 years old.
Kannur district
The Muzhappilangad
Beach
Location : 15 kilometers from Kannur
Black rocks protect this long, clean beach
from the currents of the deep, making its
shallow water a swimmer's paradise. Perhaps
this is Kerala's only drive-in beach where
you can drive down the entire length of 4
kilometers.
The Payyambalam
Beach
Location : 2 kilometers from Kannur
This long, lovely beach is a local picnic
spot.
The Ezhimala Beach
Location: 50 kilometers from Kannur
The beautiful beach here has a hillock
nearby ( 286 M high) A Naval Academy is
being developed here.
The Kizhunna Ezhara
Beach
Location: 11 kilometers from Kannur
This beautiful stretch of sand is one of the
most secluded beaches in Kerala.
The Dharmadam
Island
Location: 17 kilometers from Kannur
The small 5-acre island covered with coconut
palms and green bushes is a beautiful sight
from the beach,. Permission is required to
enter this privately owned island ( 100
meters away from the mainland at Dharmadam).
Kasaragod district
The Pallikere Beach
Location: 1 kilometer from Bekal Fort
This enchanting beach offers a spectacular
view of the fort and has ample facilities
for recreation and relaxation.
The Kappil Beach
Location : 6 kilometers from Bekal Fort
Remote and secluded , this beach is fast
becoming a major tourist attraction. The
Kodi cliff nearby offers a panoramic view of
the Arabian sea.
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