| 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.
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