Varkala a Calm and Quiet Hamlet For Tourists

Varkala is a quiet & beautiful coastal town in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. This is also a pilgrimage center. Here you can see remarkable cliffs adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These tertiary sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature of the place. These formations are termed as Varkala formation by the geologists. There are many water cascades and spas along the sides of the cliffs. In this place you can see hills located near the sea. An important Vaishnava temple in India is here. It is the Janardhana Swamy Temple, referred to as Dakshin Kashi. The temple is located close to the Varkala beach, which is also known as Papanasam beach. The temple is in the southern part of the beach. It is believed that touching the water at Papanasam beach washes away all sins. You can see an old bell in the temple which was donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel which sank near here without causing any casualties.

The Sivagiri Mutt established by the great social reformer Sree Narayana Guru is another major attraction of the place. One of the most famous monuments in Kerala is the hill-top tomb of Sree Narayana Guru. The East-West University of Brahmavidya and Sree Narayana Gurukulam are in the adjacent hills. Another important spot to see here is the ruins of Varkala Tunnel, which was an important estuary before independence. The Kaduvayil Thangal Dargah is a Muslim pilgrim site here. People irrespective of religion visit this place.

The mineral springs from the north of the beach are considered to have medicinal properties. The long winding expanse of cliff and views that extend over the Arabian Sea attracts tourists visiting Kerala. There is a concreted footpath which runs along the length of the cliff, with coconut palms, shops, beach shelters or sheds, hotels, beach resorts and guest houses on the side. There are steps leading down from the cliff top to the beach. Boating services are available from Kappil to Hariharapuram. There are homestays in Varkala on the top of the cliff offering tourists the wonderful view of sunset. Govt. of Kerala is encouraging the upcoming of holiday rental properties such as home stays in Varkala as part of tourism promotion.

Varkala is a famous place for health tourism. The Ayurvedic Massage, Obesity Management, Improving skin health & beauty through drug-free treatment, DeToxification – Trauma Healing here are famous. The Scientific School of Yoga, Naturopathy and Ayurveda Hospital in Papanasam beach are also famous. The best months to visit here is from November to March.