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Varkala
Varkala
is a small town in Kerala, South India. If you're looking for
beaches and are fed up with the crowds and prices at Kovalam,
then its well worth checking out Varkala. The best times to
go, are of course in the season, when the beach extends out
all around the cliff face for 500 meters. Varkala is a peaceful
town just 51km from Trivandrum international airport and 176km
from Cochin international airport. It is thick with coconut
trees that house many kinds of wildlife, bird life and butterflies.
Varkala’s main beach, Papanasam is long and golden with a stunning
backdrop of red laterite cliffs from which healing mineral water
springs forth. Varkala’s Temple Junction is the home of an ancient
Janardhanaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu that was largely
rebuilt in the 13th century. The minor shrines found around
the temple date from much earlier. In February/March every year
the temple becomes a site of pilgrimage for thousands of devotees.
Next to the temple are the ghats. The beaches around this area
are excellent and if you're looking for a cheap holiday Varkala
should definitely be on your list. In the off season its really
mellow and relaxed, swim and sleep and chill out. Only in December
does it get really busy and prices start rocketing till January/February,
when it starts to quieten down. But remember most 'tourist'
locations in India with beaches will be busy during December,
if you want to miss the crowd, head for the hills in Kodiakanal-Tamil
Nadu. Janardhana
Temple Varkala
has been a Hindu pilgrimage site since the 12th Century. The
Janardhana Temple was built during this period and many Hindu's
still visit Varkala to this day, for this very reason. The main
beaches and tourist area are located at the cliff top, which
is about 7 minutes walk from the Temple. The 'cliff-top' is
where most of the hotels and restaurants are located, overlooking
the Arabian Sea.The main season starts from Dec 1st- March 31st,
with December & early January experiencing the biggest rush.
If you want to go out of season, then you can stay very cheaply
and of course avoid the crowd. Varkala is quite a new place
to hang out in India and has only been developed as a tourist
destination in the last 2 years.
Accommodation
in Varkala
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