Places to Visit Near Varkala

Known For : Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary Golden Valley Mini Zoo, Ponmudi

Nestled in the lap of rolling hills of the Western Ghats, enveloped with tea plantations, lush green hills and valleys, waterfalls and streams; Ponmudi is a quaint little town in Trivandrum, Kerala. Trekking and mountain climbing on Agasthayarkoodam, the highest peak in the region is the most popular activity. To get the best of the two worlds, explore the wilderness of the Golden Valley and laze around along the freshwater springs and Kallari River. Don't forget to take a walk through the deer park and the Ponmudi crest.

Distance from Varkala: 80 km

Best Time: November to May

5 Ponmudi Attractions

Known For : Thangassery Lighthouse Kollam Beach Jatayu Earth's Centre

A treasure trove of natural wonders and historical edifices, Kollam is an enchanting town with backwaters and picturesque landscapes. Located 70kms away from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Kollam is a commercial centre and home to India’s cashew producing industry. Popularly known as Quilon, it is often regarded as the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.

Distance from Varkala: 35 km

Best Time: September to February

40 Kollam Attractions

Known For : Houseboats in Alleppey Alleppey Beach Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple

Officially called Alappuzha, Alleppey is a city in the South Indian state of Kerala. Bordering the Laccadive Sea, it is known for its wide network of interlinking, palm-fringed canals called backwaters and rejuvenating Ayurvedic resorts. Allepey is also popular for its Houseboat cruises that pass through the serene backwaters, where you can catch glimpses of green paddy fields, choir making activities, beautiful avifauna and witness the life of locals in Kerala.

Distance from Varkala: 112 km

Best Time: June to March

39 Alleppey Attractions

Known For : Illikkal Kallu Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple Marmala Waterfalls

An ancient town located on a hilltop bordered by the western ghats on the east and the thrilling Vembanad Lake on the west, Kottayam is a culturally rich and naturally enchanting destination. Apart from nature's bounty, the town has many laurels to its name. It is a proud town to achieve 100% literacy in India for the first time. Also being the land of several publishing houses and print media, Kottayam is also tagged as the 'Akshara Nagari' meaning 'City of letters'.

Distance from Varkala: 118 km

Best Time: September to February

34 Kottayam Attractions

Known For : Mattancherry Palace Fort Kochi Jew Town

Situated on the south-west coast of India, Kochi or Cochin is a bustling commercial port city with a trading history that dates back to at least 600 years. Called as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, the city is the financial, commercial and industrial capital of Kerala. The city is marked by influences of Arabs, Dutch, Phoenicians, Portuguese, Chinese and the British city as well as that of the Indian rule of the Chera Dynasty followed by rule of the Feudal Lords.

Distance from Varkala: 176 km

Best Time: July to April

62 Kochi Attractions

Known For : Kovalam Beach Vizhinjam Lighthouse Aazhimala Shiva Temple

Kovalam is an idyllic coastal town located around 13 km from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Famous for its three adjacent crescent-shaped shallow water and low tidal beaches, Kovalam is dotted with resorts and ayurvedic massage centres. Earlier a fishing village, Kovalam started attracting tourists in the 1930s and shot to fame in the hippie epoch of 1970s. It still sees the influx of tourists from Israel and Europe. Lighthouse beach, Samudra Beach and Hawa beach/Eve's Beach form the highlight of this town. Kovalam essentially means a ‘grove of coconut trees', and the little town is filled with these palms.

Distance from Varkala: 55 km

Best Time: September to March

33 Kovalam Attractions

Known For : Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary Poovar Island

Offering an appealing blend of a strongly rooted heritage and a nostalgic colonial legacy, the city of Trivandrum has an exceptional vibe to it. Despite being the capital of Kerala, the city has, quite astonishingly, managed to keep itself far removed from the ruthless aura that generally surrounds a capital city. Built upon seven hills, this city has long since left the days when it was only used by seafaring explorers behind - today, Trivandrum is a swanky metropolis with a quaint urban charm and plenty of scenic places to visit. Proudly retaining its age-old cultural charm, Trivandrum offers a huge variety of sights including incredible museums, beautifully designed palaces, sacred temples and mesmerizing beaches, making the city one of the best tourist spots in South India.

Distance from Varkala: 65 km

Best Time: October to February

45 Trivandrum Attractions

Known For : Vagamon Falls Kurisumala Vagamon Lake

1100 meters above sea, far way from the loud city culture, lush greenery and serenity to gift every visitor, Vagamon could be your quiet offbeat hill station in Kerala away from maddening tourist crowds. If you are a forest lover, the first place you should visit in Vagamon is the Vagamon Pine forest, which is the major tourist attraction of this place. A very popular spot for movie shootings, Vagamon forest is actually a man-made forest which was created during the British era.

Distance from Varkala: 159 km

Best Time: October - March

20 Vagamon Attractions

Known For : Kanyakumari Beach Vivekananda Rock Memorial Thanumalayan Temple - Sthanumalayan Kovil

Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula, Kanyakumari is a coastal town in the state of Tamil Nadu. Earlier known as Cape Comorin, Kanyakumari is surrounded by mountains and bordered by vibrant sea shores, lined with paddy fields and coconut trees, and also boasts of aesthetic elevated patches of hills with undulating valleys and plains in between the sea and the mountainous terrain. Ever since ancient times, Kanyakumari has been one of the major centres of religion, art and culture. Famous for being the only place in India where you can observe the sunrise and sunset at the same beach, Kanyakumari is a very popular tourist destination, not just because of this unique geographical phenomenon, but also because of its pristine beaches as well as its temples and churches which attract a huge number of tourists to this city all year round.

Distance from Varkala: 143 km

Best Time: October to February

28 Kanyakumari Attractions

Known For : Periyar National Park Kadathanadan Kalari Centre Periyar Tiger Trail

Home to the country's largest Tiger Reserve- Periyar, Thekkady is a great way to enjoy a jungle vacation. Periyar National Park, being a major attraction, is one place where you can enjoy bamboo rafting in the catchment area of Mullaiperiyar Dam, hiking, and in the midst of the wilderness, shopping! Popular for its good eating joints, you can also enjoy its vast stretches of spice gardens and various adventure sports. You can also enjoy a night trek in the wilderness of Periyar.

Distance from Varkala: 176 km

Best Time: Throughout the year

27 Thekkady Attractions

Known For : Kalakkadu Wildlife Sanctuary Papanasam Agasthiyar falls

Tirunelveli, also called Tinnevelly, is a big city in the midst of numerous small towns, each with its own bounty of beautiful sights, temples, waterfalls and much more. Unlike many temple towns, this 2000-year-old ancient city also does offer many other sites to its tourists. The city is located on the west bank of the Tambraparni River which provides irrigation water for crops of rice and cotton. Though it is one of the largest cities in Tamil Nadu and has a booming agrarian economy, Tirunelveli is far from being a regular commercial hub. It has its roots very much intact, with multiple religious splendours waiting to be discovered.

Distance from Varkala: 158 km

Best Time: October to February

32 Tirunelveli Attractions