KOVALAM
Places to visit in Kovalam
Kovalam beach is located at a distance of around 16 kms.away from Trivandrum which is Kerala's capital city. It is considered one of the best beaches in Kerala and offers quite panoramic views of the sunset over its light house. Visitors prefer to stay at one of the beach hotels in Kovalam and visit the nearby city of Trivandrum now called as Thiruvananthapuram. It has several sites to explore like the Napier Museum, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, thePadmanabhaswamy Temple etc.
The sands on the beaches in Kovalamare not white but a bit blackish in colour due to the presenceof ilmenite and Monazite. The southernmost beach,is the Lighthouse Beach that got its name due to the old Vizhinjam Lighthouse located on a rocky promontory here. Its beams at night render the beach with a heavenly charm.Hawah Beach also called Eve's Beach and the Samudra Beach is mostly occupied by the local fishermen. Hawah beach was the first topless beach in India. However topless bathing is banned now except in private coves owned by resorts. Ashoka beach is also a part of Kovalam beach. The beaches have steep palm covered headlands that are lined up with shops offering varieties of stuff right from local handicrafts to coconuts.
Two and a half hours drive away lies the southern tip of India called ‘Kanyakumari’. It is famous for the meeting of waters of the 3 seas and also the Vivekananda Rock memorial.
Best Time to visit Kovalam
The best time to visit Kovalam is during winters in India i.e. from November to February. March onwards, the climategets very hot and humid. Summer months between April to June are not advisable at all to visit Kovalam. During monsoons, hotels do not allow travelers to go to the sea as it gets dangerous at times due to high tides. It is best if the Monsoons are avoided to visit this beach destination.
