Kovalam

Kovalam lies on the coast about 16 km south of Thiruvananthapuram. Its shoreline is made up of three crescent-shaped beaches separated by rocky headlands: Lighthouse Beach to the south, Hawa Beach in the middle and Samudra Beach to the north.

Kovalam was a quiet fishing village until the Travancore royal family built a beach residence here. From the 1970s it began to draw foreign travellers, and it has been one of Kerala's best-known beaches ever since. Fishing boats still pull up on the sand early in the morning.

The red and white striped lighthouse on Kurumkal hill gives the main beach its name. Visitors can climb it for views along the coast. The water in the bays is calmest for swimming in the dry months, outside the monsoon.

Kovalam is also known for Ayurveda, with many centres offering traditional massages and treatments. Vizhinjam, the old harbour just to the south, has a rock-cut cave temple and a busy fishing harbour.