Location:

Just 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram city, South Kerala.

Best time to visit:

September to March, though it is an all year destination. Kovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. It has been a favourite 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. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programmes, catamaran cruising etc. 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 India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has developed Kovalam as an integrated seaside resort. The beach complex includes the Ashoka Beach Resort (owned by ITDC), a string of budget cottages, Ayurvedic health resorts, convention facilities, shopping zones, swimming pools, Yoga and Ayurvedic massage centres etc.

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. 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.

To know more about the articles on sale here, see Treasure Chest from the Archives dated 14 January '99 to 15 July '99.

Getting there

Nearest railway station: Thiruvananthapuram Central, about 16 km.

Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , about 10 km.