Location : Just 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram city,south Kerala.
Best time to visit: September to March, though it is an all year destination.
Kovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent
beaches.It has been a favourite haunt of tourists,especially Europeans,since the
1930s.
A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful
bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. The leisure options at this beach are
plenty and diverse-sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages,special cultural
programmes, Catamaran cruising etc.
The tropical sun acts so fast that
one can see the faint blush of coppery tan on the skin in a matter of minutes.
Life on the beach begins late in the day and carries on well into the night.The
India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has developed Kovalam as an integrated
seaside resort.
The beach complex includes the Ashoka Beach Resort (owned
by ITDC),a string of budget cottages,Ayurvedic health resorts, convention facilities,
shopping zones, swimming pools, Yoga and Ayurvedic massage centres etc.
Thiruvananthapuram,the capital city of Kerala, is just 16 km away from Kovalam
and getting there is no hassle. But if you are on holiday it is better to stay
in Kovalam and visit the city. Thiruvananthapuram has interesting places to see
like the Napier Museum, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery,the Padmanabhaswamy Temple,Ponmudi
hill station etc.
SMSM Institute, a State owned handicrafts emporium,is
the ideal place to pick up ethnic curios and other articles.To know more about
the crafts on sale here see Treasure Chest from the Archives dated 14 January
'99 to 15 July '99.
Getting there:
Nearest railway
station : Thiruvananthapuram central,about 16 km
Nearest airport
: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport,about 10 km.
