Varkala beach
Varkala is a beach in the resort village of the same name, 40 km from Trivandram, on the northern coast of Kerala. The best time for a beach holiday in Varkala is the period from October to March, when hot dry weather with short night rainfall sets in. You can get to Varkala from Delhi or Trivandram by bus, train, taxi or rented car.
Photos
Beach description
A beach with a length of about 2 km, covered with fine sand, is conditionally divided into two parts, between which a clean stream flows. In the northern part are concentrated hotels, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, Ayurvedic clinics and shops. A steep ladder from the cliff leads to the beach. In the southern, gentle, part of the beach is a small fishing village and several hotels.
The beaches are not crowded. There is always room for a quiet contemplative rest and relaxation. Among the visitors dominated by hotel guests and local residents. Often conducted yoga classes and other spiritual practices. The coastline is clean, there are paid sunbeds and umbrellas. Good place to stay with children.
There is not much youth on the beach, as Varkala is too quiet and chamber place. Few entertainment venues close at midnight, noisy parties are not welcomed either by locals or tourists.
In Varkala, a peculiar bottom topography. Descent into the sea at a distance of 10-15 meters shallow, followed by a steep two-meter cliff, so rescuers are vigilant to ensure that vacationers do not swim further than 10 meters. The sea near the coast is calm, the bottom is sandy, the water is clean and clear. Behind the cliff, high waves rise, suitable for surfing. There are several rental boards on the beach.
When is it better to go
The best time to spend holidays on the beaches of India – is from November to March. These months have less rainfall, humidity is 60 - 70%, and the water temperature in the Indian Ocean is +29 degrees. There are many vacationers throughout the year. A massive flow of tourists begins in mid-autumn and lasts until the end of winter
Video: Beach Varkala
Infrastructure
Where to stop
Varkala offers many accommodation options. There are no five-star resorts, but excellent living conditions and quality service are provided in 3-4* hotels. It offers comfortable rooms equipped with everything necessary for relaxation, excursion bureaus, parking lots, gardens, terraces, restaurants, pools and Ayurvedic salons.
Where to eat
There are many restaurants in Varkala where you can order food and drinks. There are establishments offering menus and fast food restaurants. There are counters with a variety of sea catches near some restaurants, from oysters and shrimps to stingrays and small sharks.
Fresh food can be bought at markets or in supermarkets. A large fish market operates daily, selling a wide variety of fish and seafood.
What to do
There are many Ayurvedic clinics and salons in Varkala where people come from different parts of the world to get rid of various diseases, restore strength and health, and rejuvenate. Such establishments even work on the beach, but doctors and masseurs often come across swindlers, so you should carefully study the list of services offered and read customer reviews.
There are several ancient Hindu temples in Varkala, the most popular of which is the Janardham Swami Vinhnu temple, erected more than 2 thousand years ago on Temple Junction hill. The temple is especially beautiful in the evenings, when thousands of lamps are lit on the outer walls around the perimeter.
Worthy of visiting are the ashrams of Shivagiri and Amma, the palace of Maharaja, where one of the works by Svyatoslav Roerich is kept. Excursions to the jungle, the elephant nursery and the crocodile farm are extremely interesting.