The Kovalam town is
located along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in South India. This is
a most famous beach visited by Indian tourists and as well as international
tourists all time of the year. It has most attractive three adjacent crescent
beaches around it. It is 15 km for away from Thiruvananthapuram which is the
capital city of Kerala state.
In the Malayalam the
word ‘Kovalam’ in stands for ‘a groove of coconut trees’. Kovalam was a cluster
of small fishing villages that belonged to the state of Travancore during the
pre-Independence. The Kovalam history is very obscure. The town of Kovalam came
to the lime light during the reign of the Maharaja of Travancore in the 1930s.
He was so impressed by the beauty of the Kovalam. So that he spent a lot of his
leisure time on the beaches of Kovalam. Not only that, he also invited his
European friends over to this place and they made the place popular.
Kovalam is an
internationally famous beach which has three adjacent crescent beaches nearby.
It has been a renowned haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the
1930s. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of
calm waters ideal for sea bathing.
There are plenty and diverse leisure options were available at this beach. Some
of them are Sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural
programmes and catamaran cruising and many more. The tropical sun acts so fast
that one can see the faint blush of coppery tan on the skin in a matter of
minutes. Life on the beach begins late in the day and carries on well into the
night. The beach complex includes a string of budget cottages, Ayurvedic health
resorts, convention facilities, shopping zones, swimming pools, Yoga and
Ayurvedic massage centres.
Things
to do in Kovalam
Kovalam consists of
crescent shaped sandy beaches. The three beaches of Kovalam – Lighthouse Beach, Samudra Beach,
and Hawa Beach (Eve's
beach) – are separated from each other by rocky shores. A shallow-water-stretch
that extends to about 1 km from the land makes it ideal for swimming. All the
beaches have steep coconut-palm fringed highlands and shining sandy beaches
that contain a great amount of minerals like ilmenite and thoracite.
Kovalam is a food
lover’s delight, especially seafood lovers. Almost all restaurants have a
generous offering of seafood. The beach front restaurants on Lighthouse Beach
have displays of fresh fish, lobster, crab, mussels, tiger prawns and others.
Depending upon the customer’s selection, the fish is weighed and then cooked according
to the desired style. However, service can be slow and the food a bit pricey.
Since Kovalam sees a lot of international tourists, the food menu in the
restaurants is also quite varied. From German bakeries to the traditional
Kerala-style restaurants, there’s something for every palette. There are some
good options for vegetarians as well. There is not much to shop for in
Kovalam. The main beaches in the town have street shops that sell hats, sarongs
and other beachwear. Tourists can also buy souvenirs from local shops or
jewellery made by locals. A few bookstores in the main town sell international
editions of books in various languages.
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, is just 16 km away
from Kovalam and getting there is no hassle. But if you are on holiday it is
better to stay in Kovalam and visit the city.
The City of Thiruvananthapuram has interesting places to see like the Napier
Museum, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Ponmudi hill
station etc. SMSM Institute, a State owned handicrafts emporium, is the ideal
place to pick up ethnic curios and other articles.
Best time to visit: September to March,
though it is an all-year-round destination.
How to Reach:
By Air : Trivandrum
International airport is the nearest
airport which is about 11 km away from Kovalam. This airport is connected to
all major airports in India and it is connected to many cities in India as well
as abroad including Colombo, Singapore and many gulf cities. Taxi fare from
Airport to Kovalam is about Rs 300.
By Train : The nearest rail
station to Kovalam is Trivandrum Central (Thampanoor) railway station. It is
about 15 km away from Kovalam. Trivandrum is well linked with all cities in
India through rail. Taxi fare from Thampanoor to Kovalam is about Rs 300.
By Road :
Kovalam
is well linked by the city bus services from Trivandrum and other main
junctions in the district. As the capital City of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram is easily accessible by
road and also more number of tourist luxury buses are available from many
cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Madurai and Nagarcoil . City bus charges less
than Rs 10 from Trivandrum to Kovalam.
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