Put your feet up and enjoy the charm of some exotic beaches in Kerala

Hundreds of thousands of tourists, both domestic and foreign, flock to Kerala to enjoy the freshness and beauty of its immaculate countryside. The travellers are in awe of the scores of beaches and hill stations that dot this south Indian state and most of the backpackers pick a pristine beach as their destination. At this point, a lowdown on the mesmerizing beaches of Kerala will be handy for travellers.

Kappad Beach
Kappad beach is one of the cleanest beaches in the world and has also been recently awarded the coveted Blue Flag certification. This is a sought-after beach in Kerala as it is where Vasco da Gama landed, and once Kappad seashore was the pivotal point that controlled the commercial trade in the state. A visit to Kozhikode will not be complete without a stroll on this historic beach. The huge rocks and hillocks near the seashore add to the serenity of the beach. There are many hotels and resorts in the vicinity of the beach that caters to the needs of the travellers.

Lighthouse Beach
Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram district can be termed a developed beach compared to other beaches in Kerala. The light house that literally stands tall on the beach is one of the attractions for people visiting Kovalam. The sights, especially sunrise and sunset, from atop the light house are simply surreal and astounding. Every year visitors come in droves to this beach, which is also a top surfing destination in India. Apart from surfing, one can also indulge in swimming, parasailing and paragliding.

Varkala Beach
The naturally red-coloured small hills hugging the shoreline give a bewitching look to the Varkala beach, which is on the northern side of Thiruvananthapuram district. Like in foreign beaches, the tourists can get involved in many leisure activities, including volleyball and surfing, at this cliff-clad beach.

The Varkala beach is also known as ‘papanasam’ after a natural mineral spring, which is considered to have curative powers, near the seaside. It is a popular practice among people visiting the beach to bathe in the spring waters.

Payyambalam Beach
The Payyambalam beach is the face of Kannur district, which is known for some mouthwatering dishes. People of all age groups come to the beach spread with soft white sand in search of a tranquil evening. Many others visit the beach to spend some quality time with their family members. One of the highlights of Payyambalam is ‘Ammayum Kunjum’, a sculpture made by noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman. The beach boasts of a park where the visitors can relax, garden and facilities for adventure sports such as ‘sports biking’. Parasailing, which is very popular among the visitors, would enable the tourists to get a bird’s eye view of the Arabian Sea. It is noteworthy that parasailing is done at the beach following all safety norms.

Cherai Beach
The Cherai beach is one of the stunning beaches in Ernakulam district. One of the features that attract tourist to this beguiling beach is that the sea waters with sloppy weak waves are ideal for a leisurely swim. Even the drive to the beach, with lakes on both sides of the road, is out of the world. Cherai is a favourite hunting ground for foreign tourists as it is dotted with many luxurious beachside hotels and resorts.

A clean beach and an equally good walkway attract people to this seaside and during summer the beauty of Cherai beach goes a notch higher. Parking space won’t be a problem at Cheria and gourmets and others can have a great time with the lip-smacking combo of local fish curry and tapioca. Cherai is 25km away from Kochi and people coming from north Kerala can take the Kodungallur-Paravur road to reach this pretty-as-a-picture beach.