Varkala

Varkala, about 50 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, is one of the few places on the Kerala coast where tall cliffs rise straight from the beach. The red laterite cliffs have been declared a National Geological Monument by the Geological Survey of India, and natural springs run out of the rock face.

The beach below is called Papanasam, which means "washing away of sins". Hindus believe a dip here cleanses the soul, and families come to perform rites for their ancestors. Above it stands the Janardhana Swamy Temple, a Vishnu temple said to be about 2,000 years old.

Sivagiri, on the edge of the town, is where the social reformer Sree Narayana Guru founded his mutt and where he is buried. Every year in late December and early January, thousands of pilgrims walk to Sivagiri for the Sivagiri pilgrimage.

A paved path runs along the top of the North Cliff, lined with cafés, guesthouses and shops. To the north, Kappil has a quieter beach where the backwaters meet the sea, and Ponnumthuruthu island is a short drive away.