Varkala and Kovalam: water safety, incidents and help

From the Wikivoyage guide to Varkala, written by travellers. Quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0; source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Varkala, fetched 2026-11-15.

Get around

• The town of Varkala is about 5 km inland, centered around the train station, and can be reached via autorickshaw for ₹80
• The resort area lies along two cliffs, north and south, overlooking the beach areas. The main Papanasam beach is between these, while less crowded Black Beach is to the north. This entire area is easily accessible by walking the fine sidewalk along the cliff edges.

Do

• Kayaking and parasailing at Kappil: Beautiful lagoons running parallel to the sea are dotted with boating, kayaking and para sailing facilities. One can hire a scooter from Varkala and ride here. Kappil lies at a distance of 6 kilometers from Varkala north cliff and the ride is pleasant except for some peak hour traffic through Varkala town. Kayaking costs Rs 800 for a single person for a half hour ride through the lagoon. Ride further down towards Kollam on the highway and one can kayak through mangroves. Copa Cabana, a small surfing place on Varkala north cliff organises the mangrove kayaking trips. Ask for one Mr Vijeesh, the owner of Copa Cabana for some good deals.
• Play cricket, volleyball or football on the black beach most days from 4PM. See who's about and ask for a game. Watch out for the Indian Bureaucracy! But it is also said, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
• Daily Evening shows of the traditional Temple Dance Drama of Kerala - Kathakali. (north Cliff near Clafouti and Thanal Beach Resort in the Varkala Culture Centre) Entrance fee ₹250 which includes the Make-up from 5-6:45PM and the show from 6:45-8:15PM
• Get an ayurvedic massage at the numerous ayurvedic spas. Look out for fraudsters.
• "Ayurveda" Go for the detox therapies to cleanse yourself, visit centers who have registered ayurvedic practitioners.
• Get panchakarma treatment at S.M.Ayurveda, Panchakarma Therapy Centre at the end of the cliff next to Black Beach Resort. Open from 8AM to 6:30PM.
• Also they have spin and neck therapy, weight loss, detoxification, stress release programs. Reasonable prices. Usually fee is told after consultation an average ₹700 to ₹2500 per day. As a bonus for the clients they offer yoga training for free.
• Yoga. Varkala has a few quality yoga places, which sometimes also offer rooms for rent and include the classes in the price. If you're serious about your yoga, a few places off in depth retreats. Try Savasana Yoga Center, just off the cliff. savasanahome.sharepoint.com
• Saji's Savasana Nature Tours give a chance to see some of the beauty and diversity just outside Varkala. Day trips weekly. Contact [email protected].
• Varkala beach (also known as Papanasam beach). Varkala beach is as beautiful as, if not more beautiful than Kovalam beach. Laterite cliffs drop sharply into the sea, with a small strip of sandy beach at the base. The beach is less frequented by the tourist crowd and is an ideal location if you want a quiet getaway.
• Odayam beach. There is a single cafe (called Surf Bay) located on this beach which serves beer and sea food. This was the only affordable cafe till Oct 2024 and there are many expensive resorts further down the beach on the other side of the road. Being located right on the beach, the views with a beer and sea food are great. It is the least crowded among all beaches in Varkala including Black beach. It can be accessed by walking along the cliff pathway from Varkala after passing through Black beach. It is also a good beach to just float around with gentle waves (like Black beach) and a long breaker or surf zone.