Kovalam

Kovalam is the second most beautiful sea beach in the world, next only to Miami of the USA. Those who prefer a place calm and quiet will definitely like to visit Kovalam, The sea here is calm and the beach looks like a bow. Sand is silvery, there are ripples in the sea. All these make it an ideal spot for bathing. Tourists feel like heaven with sheds of papaya, banana and coconut trees besides troves of palm trees. Under the blue sky is the enormous expanse of the blue sea.

Though Europeans came here in 1930, it was the Hippies 30 years after who spread the news of beautiful environment of this sea beach to different parts of the world. Kovalam as a tourist spot has never looked back since then.

Kovalam has added attraction as an Ayurvedic treatment centre, particularly Ayurvedic massage. The beach is split into four parts. Near the bus stand there is convention centre. On the sea shore there is Madrasa Hidayathul Islam. The southern most point is the most popular Light House Beach. Though The area is not very large in size but there are plenty of shops of all kinds and abundant hotels and restaurants. The Light House one can see from 14 Hrs to 16 hrs. Nearby is Vizhinjam village, the den of fishermen. The Middle Beach like a creek and also inhabited by the fishermen. The wandering tourists will see in the early morning scores of fishermen sailing their boats to the deep sea for their catch. The fourth beach is in the north where the sea is in pristine form with fishermen's boats sailing. The sea turns somewhat turbulent in the monsoon , which is from April to October here. Though the tourist season begins in October, it peaks from November to February.

How to reach Kovalam from Trivandrum, Kannya kumari and other places:
Opposite to Padmanava Swamy Temple, from Lane No: 19 (close toMGRoad) East Fort Bus of route 111 ply every ½ hr from 6-20 am to 9 -00 pm and reach Kovalam (16km to the south) in 20 minutes. Tourists may get auto, taxi or share taxi to reach there. Buses ply from Kovalam to Thiruvananthapuram also from 6-15 am to 8-00 pm. Direct buses go to Kannyakumari in 2 hrs (4 buses) and Periyar (1 bus) every morning. Buses are also available for Ernakulam, Kollam and other cities from Kovalam.


Where to stay at Kovalam?

Kovalam is always busy with crowded shops, establishments, hotels and restaurants. But tourists should remain cautions of touts and brokers. As the tourists get down from the bus, they start to move around them and tell false stories. So, try to avoid them and select the hotel yourself. From the bus stand towards sea beach, there are many ordinary ho¬tels in Kovalam:

STD Code of Kovalam +91 471

Rates vary with the closeness with sea and nearer is dearer. Rates also vary according to the number of tourists at that time. Hotels of Kovalam have divided the year into three parts according to the tourist flow.

Season: Aug-Nov; Peak season: Dec-Jan and off-season: rest of the year. The rates are almost doubled during the peak season.