Varkala travel guide

Red laterite cliffs above the beach, cafés and surf lessons. Most people stay 2–4 nights. Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar.

Highlights

• North Cliff walk and sunset
• Papanasam beach and Janardanaswamy temple
• Surf lessons
• Kappil lake and beach
• Ayurvedic massage

Things to do in Varkala

• North Cliff walk and sunset · 2 h · free. Cafés line the cliff path above the beach; stairs lead down to the sand. Watch the edge in the dark.
• Papanasam beach and Janardanaswamy temple · 2 h · free. Hindu families perform rites for ancestors on the beach in the morning; give them space. The temple's inner sanctum is for Hindus only.
• Surf lesson at Varkala · 2 h · about ₹2,000 per person. Beginner lessons run Oct–Apr; mornings are cleaner before the wind picks up.
• Cliff-top yoga class · 1.5 h · about ₹500 per person
• Ayurvedic massage · 1.5 h · about ₹1,800 per person. Pick a centre with a resident doctor and separate therapists for men and women.
• Kappil lake and beach with a canoe ride · 2.5 h · about ₹500 per person. Where the backwater meets the sea 8 km north of the cliff; quiet and good at sunset.
• Ponnumthuruthu (Golden Island) boat trip · 2 h · about ₹400 per person

Where to stay in Varkala

• North Cliff guesthouses (budget, ₹1,200–₹3,000 a night): Rooms a few steps back from the cliff cafés and the beach stairs.
• North and South Cliff boutique hotels (mid, ₹3,500–₹8,000 a night): Sea-view rooms and small pools on the cliff.
• Odayam and Edava resorts (premium, ₹10,000–₹25,000 a night): Quieter beaches north of the cliff with Ayurveda resorts and private access.

What to eat

• Grilled seafood and Kerala prawn curry: Cliff-top cafés on North Cliff
• Banana pancakes and fresh juice: Cliff cafés at breakfast

Getting there

• ~1h to TRV airport
• ~1.5h to Kovalam
• ~2.5–3h to Alleppey
• ~3.5h by train to Kochi

Good to know

• May–Sep: rough seas and strong currents; many cliff cafés close for the monsoon.
• Cliff edges have no railings in places — take care at night.

Kerala itineraries with Varkala

• Backwaters and beach: Alleppey and Varkala · 6 days, Alleppey (Alappuzha) → Varkala · from ₹31,875 per person, base estimate before flights. A houseboat or canal homestay in Alleppey, then three nights on Varkala's cliffs for sunsets, surf lessons and Ayurveda.
• Thiruvananthapuram, Kovalam and Varkala · 6 days, Kovalam & Thiruvananthapuram → Varkala · from ₹24,175 per person, base estimate before flights. Kerala's southern tip from one airport: the capital's museums and temple, Kovalam's lighthouse bay and the Poovar estuary, then the cliffs of Varkala.
• Friends in Kerala: Munnar treks, a houseboat and Varkala · 7 days, Munnar → Alleppey (Alappuzha) → Varkala · from ₹33,200 per person, base estimate before flights. A group trip with a bit of everything: a sunrise jeep ride and tea-estate trek in Munnar, a shared houseboat and toddy shop, then surf and cliff cafés in Varkala.
• Ayurveda week: Kumarakom and Varkala · 8 days, Kumarakom → Varkala · from ₹38,450 per person, base estimate before flights. A restorative week: three nights at a Vembanad lake resort, then four on the Varkala cliffs with daily treatments, yoga and quiet beaches. Proper Ayurveda programmes start with a doctor's consultation and usually run 7–14 days.
• Kochi, the backwaters and Varkala cliffs · 8 days, Kochi (Fort Kochi) → Alleppey (Alappuzha) → Varkala · from ₹40,925 per person, base estimate before flights. Kerala's coast without the long hill drives: Fort Kochi's history, a houseboat on the backwaters and a beach finish on the Varkala cliffs. Fly into Kochi and out of Thiruvananthapuram.
• Budget Kerala by bus and train · 9 days, Kochi (Fort Kochi) → Munnar → Alleppey (Alappuzha) → Varkala · from ₹43,010 per person, base estimate before flights. The full loop on KSRTC buses, trains and ferries with homestays: Fort Kochi, Munnar's hills, a public ferry on the backwaters and a cliff-side finish in Varkala.
• Grand Kerala: Kochi to Kovalam in twelve nights · 13 days, Kochi (Fort Kochi) → Munnar → Thekkady (Periyar) → Alleppey (Alappuzha) → Varkala → Kovalam & Thiruvananthapuram · from ₹70,175 per person, base estimate before flights. Everything in one trip: Kochi and Athirappilly Falls, Munnar and Periyar in the hills, the Alleppey backwaters, Varkala's cliffs and the temples and beaches of Thiruvananthapuram.