Kovalam

Kovalam – enchanting strip of golden sands is laced with the rich greenery of coconut palms. A former fishing village, Kovalam is just 16Km from Trivandrum, Kerala’s capital city. Once a hippy paradise, Kovalam’s increasing popularity has been a major dissuasion of late. No longer has an undiscovered rural idyll. Kovalam made rapid strides towards a ‘resort’ and is now one of the biggest draw to ‘Gods Own Country’- Kerala.

Kovalam is internationally renowned for its adjacent crescent beaches. Kovalam with its evergreen and pleasant climatic beach has become a dreamy place for the tourists from all over the world. The massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea-bathing. It is warm and clean with the coconut trees and the white sand bed as the sea breeze gently plays with the waves. One can walk into the sea about 100m without losing ground. The underwater views, which are visible during snorkeling, are really marvelous. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse-sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programs, Catamaran cruising etc.

And that’s not all. Kovalam has also acquired a reputation as being one of the best places in Kerala-or India, for that matter- for an invigorating ayurvedic course of treatment or rejuvenation. Ayurvedic massage parlour, spas and yoga centers are a dime a dozen in Kovalam, and there’s really nothing that can buck you up as much as a course of therapy- with herbal oils and soothing massages- at one of these! Many hotels and independent set-ups also offer yoga classes.

Its scenic beauty and serenity is supplemented by the availability of excellent accommodation. There are a lot of restaurants which provide western style food as well as Indian, which is delicious. One of the attractions here is the restaurant shacks were we can get grilled seafood items such as lobster, king prawns and kalamari which are got fresh from the sea at Kovalam.

The normal tourist season is from September to May.
Climate
There is minimum temperature variation across the year. The months from April to October are the hottest and December and January are the coolest.

Temperature (in celcius)
Summer - Max: 36.2 Min: 20.6
Winter - Max: 35.0 Min: 18.0

Tourist Attractions in Kovalam

Light House Beach
The Light house beach Kovalam is the most popular amongst the tourist. His long sandy beach is separated into three different beaches by the outcrops that are found jutting out into the sea. The three parts of the Kovalam beach are, the Light house Beach Kovalam, the Hawah Beach or Eves Beach and the Samudra Beach. The Light house Beach Kovalam is the largest of the three beaches and the most salient feature of this beach is the light house which is 30 meters in height, located at the South End of the beach on a promontory.

The Light House Beach Kovalam, like the other two beaches of Kovalam, has extensive stretches of sand and fringes of palm trees. The cool breeze of the Arabian Sea and the fine tuned rhythm of the waves lashing on the sandy beaches are sure to captivate anyone. The Light house beach Kovalam is a versatile one and is not restricted to natural beauty alone.

Hawah Beach or Eve’s Beach
Once famous for the Topless beach in Kerala, Eve’s beach is located in a natural setting with frequent fringes of Palm trees. The golden sands, blue waters and green palms create a perfect beach holiday location. Every part of the day reveals a different shade of the Eves beach in Kovalam. In the morning and day time the Eves Beach is full with tourists. The sea is perfect for sports like swimming and surfing and a day at the Eves Beach is very eventful. The scene, however, completely changes in the evening. As the sun starts sinking, it sprinkles different shades of colors on the blue waters of the sea. The Eves beach in Kovalam is a perfect place to relish this simple yet enchanting art work of nature. The semi circular Eves Beach, still relatively secluded, is a favorite of the tourists. Besides the refreshing waters and golden beaches, the old red and white light house in the Eves Beach is a major feature of the beach. Topless bathing and parading is now banned except in private coves owned by resorts.

Samudra Beach
To the north most is another beach called Samudra Beach. This beach is the least affected by all the changes that take place in the region. You can see a few fishing vessels here and there on the horizon. A large promontory separates this part from the southern side. Samudra Beach doesn't have tourists thronging there or hectic business. This part of the beach is renowned for the fishermen plying their trade. Due to the presence of Ilmenite and Thorazite, the sands on the beaches of Kovalam are partially black in colour.

Monsoon at Kovalam
Kovalam is said to be the starting point of south-west monsoon. The sight of monsoon upcoming along with the proclamation by the thunder and lightning and small raindrops touching the sand is a marvelous one. 7-8 hours before of the arrival of monsoon mild to harsh wind emanates from south-west direction in the sea and moves on to the land. The cloud-drops nose-dive to the sea artistically to punch the sea-water which is a heart-warming sight. The people enjoy drenching in the first rain.

It is very popular about the monsoon arrival at Kovalam. People from different countries, news reporters, and BBC also consider Kovalam as the best place to note the monsoon arrival sight.

Ayurveda at Kovalam
Ayurveda the ancient form of medication which originated years back in India offers a range of holistic treatments which rejuvenates your mind, body and soul. The herbs of Kerala have unique properties due to the special climate of the region and these are the herbs that contribute in making Kerala, one of the Ayurvedic hotspot regions of the country.

Kovalam provides a beautiful, charming and calm location for Ayurvedic rejuvenation. Tourists from various locations, comes down to Kovalam to get rejuvenated with the help of the Ayurvedic holistic and rejuvenating therapies popularly known as ‘Sukha Chikilsa’.
There are a number of resorts which offer holistic and refreshing treatments of Ayurveda in Kovalam. So plan a tour to Kovalam in Kerala and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the beaches and indulge in some Ayurvedic treatments to make your vacation a perfect retreat.

Tourist Spots near Kovalam

Napier Museum
The Napier museum, named after the governor general of Madras, John Napier, locates at the center of the Thiruvanathapuram city. The museum is made in the traditional architectural style of Kerala, Chinese, Mughal and Italian styles. This museum contains the historic legacy of Kerala. The museum has got a good collection of archeological artifacts. The Sri Chithira Tirunal Art Gallery also locates in the same compound of museum. Art Gallery houses and showcases some of the famous the paintings of the renowned Raja Ravi Verma and Roerich. One can find paintings belonging to Rajput, Mughal and the very famous Tanjore School of Art. As they say, art knows no boundaries and we find a true example of this in the art gallery. One can find paintings from Tibet, Japan and China, thus honoring the various art forms of those countries.

Veli Tourist Village
Veli Tourist Village is located, where the Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea. Veli is a very popular picnic spot in Trivandrum and is heavily crowded during weekends. The major attractions here include boating in the Veli lagoon, a nearby beach, children’s park, games, horse riding and a lot of artwork on stone and grass by sculptor Kaanayi Kunjiraman. Veli is about 7 kilometres from the city centre. This tourist spot offers boating facilities. Pedal-boats and paddleboats can be hired to explore the charms of the lagoon in a leisurely manner. For a quick ride over the waters, speedboats are available for hire. Children enjoy climbing over the huge sculptures which dot the landscape.