Varkala is a town located approximately fifty kilometers north of the capital city of Thiruvanathapuram. Varakala is also a tourist destination in Kerala. This coastal town, which faces the Arabian Sea, has many accommodation facilities including resorts, hotels and home stay. The beach at Varkala is a place where many tourists come. This beach is unique due the presence of cliffs very close to the beach. The sandy beach, the cliffs and the coconut trees add to the visual beauty of this beach. This beach in Varkala is one of the most attractive beaches in Kerala and a favorite place for beach lovers. This place is also ideal for newly married couples wishing to spend their honeymoon and there are Kerala Honeymoon Packages to popular tourist spots in Kerala. Some of the important tourist spots in and around Varkala are listed below.
Papanasham beach : The main beach in Varkala is the Papanasham beach. This is the beach were most of the tourists come. It was believed that all the sins will be washed away by taking a dip in the sea here and hence the name Papanasham, which means elimination all the sins. Compared to beaches like Kovalam the number of tourists coming here is less. But there are many tourists who prefer less crowded beaches and Varkala is best for them.
Janardhanaswamy temple : This two thousand year old temple is located very close to Papanasham beach. This temple is well known to people in southern part of Kerala. This temple is also known as Kashi of the South.
Varkala Lighthouse : There is a lighthouse very close to the beach. This light house is maintained by the Kerala Tourism development corporation.
Ayurvedic spa and yoga centre : There are many Ayurvedic spa and yoga centers in and around Varkala. These centers provide ayurvedic massage also. Some of the Ayurvedic program varies from one week to one month.
Sivagiri Mutt : was established by Sri Narayana Guru, who is believed to be the greatest social reformer in Kerala in the 20th century. His greatest achievement was his attempts to reform a society which was plagued by caste system. This place is located about 3km from Varkala Beach.
Angengo Fort : was constructed by Dutch east India company during the 18th century. This Fort used to protect the trading interests of Dutch. The name originated from Anjuthengu which means 5 coconut trees that was present on the land given to the Dutch.
Kappil Lake : This is an estuary about 6 km from Varkala town. Here it is possible to see the backwaters which are surrounded by coconut trees everywhere.