Kovalam, located 25 km from Trivandrum city in Kerala, is globally celebrated for the distinguished Kovalam beach. Kovalam translates to a covert of coconut trees and true to it’s name, the village offers an endless visual of coconut trees.The arrival of the masses of hippies in the early seventies marked the uprising of Kovalam as a tourist spot.Their journey made way for the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most noted tourist places in India.Kovalam has three beaches - Lighthouse beach, Hawa beach and Samudra beach- partitioned by rocky emanations. The three together makes the famous crescent of the Kovalam beach.
The notable places to visit in Kovalam are Karamana river (originating from the southern part of Sahyadri range), Vellayani lake, Haleyon Castle, Kovalam Art Gallery, Valiyathura Pier, Nayyar Dam, Aruvikkara Dam, Thiruvallom Parasurama Temple, Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave Temple. The most important spots in Kovalam are the Light house beach, Hawa beach and the Samudra beach. A retreat built by the Maharani of Travancore, Haleyon Castle is now a five star hotel and attraction for tourists. The Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave Temple has rock carved sculptures of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati. This temple dates back to the 8th century. The Kovalam Art Gallery is famed for housing paintings by Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas Roerich among others.
Kovalam offers a variety of activities that includes sightseeing, sunbathing, swimming, special cultural programmes and catamaran cruising. Surfing, kayaking, water diving, parasailing and windsurfing are also possible activities to take part here. The beach area comprises of a series of Budget cottages, Ayurvedic health resorts and other stay options with facilities and services ranging from 5 star to 2star. Kovalam is also a center for Ayurvedic treatments with several Ayurveda Health resorts offering treatment for various health issues.
Surfing
