Kovalam
Kovalam is a beach and seaside resort in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India.
Kovalam is located 12.6 km (7.8 mi) southeast of the city center. The beaches around Kovalam are popular vacation destinations for both domestic and international travellers.
Getting to Kovalam
- 01Neyyattinkara SR
Buses to Thiruvananthapuram can also be caught from Kovalam Junction as well as Ambassador taxis and Autos to pretty much anywhere.
Worth seeing
- 01Vizhinjam Cave Temple
The granite cave encloses a one-celled shrine with a loose sculpture of Vinadhara Dakshinamurthi.
- 02Vizhinjam Lighthouse
The old lighthouse, at the southern beach is a local landmark, for being one of the oldest lighthouses of Kerala, guiding ships to the nearby Vizhnjam port.
- 03Azhimala Shiva Temple
The Tamil-style koil is known for the 18 m (59 ft) tall Gangadhareshwara sculpture, the tallest Shiva sculpture in Kerala.
- 04Lighthouse Beach
The largest and southernmost beach of Kovalam, known for its 35-m-high lighthouse which towers over it atop Kurumkal hillock.
- 05Hawa Beach
The second-largest beach of Kovala, and it takes less than five minutes to walk from Lighthouse Beach.
- 06Samudra Beach
The northernmost crescent, usually crowded on weekends.
Things to do
Motor Boat Ride - In 2009 local fishermen/catamaran people added a few motor boats to their fleet, destroying the peace and serenity of the coves. They hope to make some extra money from Indian tourists, but are not aware of the impact on the environment and Western tourism. Surfing - Some fine waves from time to time (0.5-2 m). You can hire surf boards and body boards on the beach from USD6 a day.
Where to eat
There are many restaurants along the beach front at Lighthouse Beach. The days catch is usually laid in front of them in the evening for those who like fish. Most restaurants have a leisurely approach to life and an hour between ordering and receiving your food is not uncommon. But don't get uptight, just relax and enjoy. You can grab a top fruit salad from the fruit ladies with all the trimmings for less than US$1.
Getting around Kovalam the local way
- Get in{{go | name | url | address 8.410410 | long from Kovalam | phone | hours | wikipedia Neyyattinkarastation1.jpg | wikidata=Q15262230 | lastedit=2026-05-16 | content By bus By taxi By auto-rickshaw=== In an auto-rickshaw ₹150-170 (per head) is a fair price.
- Get inAdvice being if they are trying to rip you off go to leave for another rickshaw and they will often back down and offer you a fair price; if not, get in a different rickshaw.
- Get aroundThe rate should be around ₹15 per kilometre on auto rickshaw but some drivers may try to overcharge up to ₹100 for 1 km.
From Wikivoyage: Kovalam, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-05.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: mehul.antani (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.
