Kovalam or Varkala: which beach suits you

Kovalam's lighthouse beach — closer to the airport, and the easier of the two to reach.

Both sit on the same stretch of south Kerala coast. Kovalam is about 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram; Varkala is about 50 km north of it. You can see both in a trip, but most people are happier picking one and staying.

The short version

Kovalam if you want easy access, a proper resort, calmer water and a short hop from the airport. Varkala if you want scenery, a walkable cliff full of cafés and a younger, more independent crowd.

Access

Kovalam wins outright. It is roughly twenty-five minutes from Trivandrum airport — you can land and be in the sea within the hour. Varkala is an hour and a half from the airport, and the last stretch narrows considerably.

The setting

Varkala wins this one, and not narrowly. The beach sits below red laterite cliffs with a footpath running along the top, cafés and shops strung out along it, and the sea straight ahead. It is genuinely striking and unlike anywhere else on the Indian coast.

Kovalam is a series of crescent bays with a lighthouse at the southern end. Pleasant, well-kept, but conventional by comparison.

Swimming

Kovalam is the safer bet. The bays are sheltered and lifeguarded, and the water is usually calmer.

Varkala's beach is more exposed and the currents stronger. There are lifeguards and there are red flags, and both are worth respecting. During and just after monsoon, swimming at either can be unsafe — when the flags are up, they are up for a reason.

One practical point at Varkala: the beach is at the bottom of the cliff, reached by steps. That is a real consideration if you have mobility issues or are carrying a small child.

Food and evenings

Varkala's cliff path is one long row of cafés, most with the same broad menu — seafood, Israeli and European dishes, fresh juice — and sunset views that justify the mediocre coffee. It is relaxed rather than lively; there is no nightlife to speak of at either.

Kovalam's eating is more spread out and more hotel-based, with better formal restaurants and fewer places to just drift between.

Ayurveda

Both are well supplied, and both have genuine centres alongside spa-style operations. Look for a resident doctor and a consultation before treatment rather than a menu of massages.

Who each suits

• Families with young children: Kovalam, for the calmer water and no cliff steps.
• Couples wanting a resort: Kovalam.
• Independent travellers, longer stays: Varkala.
• Photographers: Varkala, comfortably.
• One night before a flight: Kovalam, without question.

If you have four or five days on the coast, do three at Varkala and finish at Kovalam near the airport. That order works better than the reverse.

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