Things to do in Varkala
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Varkala
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best season: calmest sea, lifeguards on the main beach, surf lessons running and everything open.
Peak crowds and prices, with the Sivagiri Pilgrimage and New Year landing together.
Hot, humid and quieter, with lower prices; sightsee early and late and take extra care in the sea.
Monsoon: heavy rain, rough dangerous seas, no swimming and some businesses closed, but green cliffs and Ayurveda season.
What's on
- Arattu Festival at Janardhanaswamy Temple March to April and October to November
The deity is processed to the sea in Varkalas great temple festival, held twice a year.
- Onam August or September
Keralas harvest festival, with flower carpets and feasts across the state, even in the rains.
- Sivagiri Pilgrimage 30 December to 1 January
Thousands of pilgrims in yellow converge on Sivagiri Mutt, the busiest period of the Varkala year.
- Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti and Samadhi commemorations August and September
Processions, cultural shows and community feasts at Sivagiri Mutt.
Best things to do in Varkala
Varkala Cliff
A laterite cliff promenade above the sea, lined with cafes, best walked early and again at sunset.
Varkala Beach
The main pilgrim and swimming beach in the cove below the cliff, calmest and lifeguarded in season.
Janardhanaswamy Temple
An ancient Vishnu temple by the beach, the pilgrim heart of old Varkala, best visited at morning opening.
Sivagiri Mutt
The calm hilltop ashram of Sree Narayana Guru, with his samadhi, temples and wide views inland.
Thiruvambadi Beach
The dark sanded Black Beach just north of the cliff, with a fraction of the main beach crowd.
Odayam Beach
A palm fringed fishing village beach north of the cliff, made for a slow, quiet afternoon.
Edava Beach
The least developed beach in Varkala, a long quiet fishing village strand near the backwaters.
Third Eye School of Yoga
A small Hatha yoga school where the teacher tailors each class carefully to the students in it.
Where to stay in Varkala
North Cliff
first trip, eating out, the classic stay
The promenade, most cafes and the main beach stairs are all walkable, with evenings needing no transport.
South Cliff
yoga, surf and wellness stays
Calmer lanes by the temple and Golden Beach, with North Cliff dining a short walk or ride away.
Odayam
village calm and longer stays
A palm fringed fishing village with small resorts and a quiet beach, a ride from the cliff strip.
Edava
seclusion with your own transport
The least developed base, near Edava Beach and the backwaters, with almost no walkable dining.
Think twice about
- Varkala town and railway station area
Functional and traffic heavy, with every stay needing a ride to the cliff and beach. Book there only for a transit night.
- Immediate cliff edge in monsoon
The laterite cliff erodes and parts are undercut in the rains. Choose a set back property on the landward side instead.
Best restaurants in Varkala
Coastal Kitchen
The Gateway hotels dining room, the calmest splurge dinner in town, strongest on Kerala coastal dishes.
InDa Cafe
The cliffs best loved modern cafe, calm and garden like, with standout breakfasts and good coffee.
Coffee Temple
A cliff veteran with Italian leaning food and a long sociable terrace, reliable from breakfast to dinner.
Clafouti Restaurant
A spacious cliff restaurant for seafood, momos and Kerala curries, with an unhindered sunset view.
Abba Restaurant and Everest German Bakery
A dependable restaurant plus a real German bakery, the breakfast and mixed group safe bet on the cliff.
Cafe del Mar
A long established cliff cafe with one of the best sunset terraces and a loyal returning clientele.
Darjeeling Cafe
The cliffs liveliest evening room, with live music, sea views and local style seafood to order.
Gods Own Country Kitchen
The cliff seafood specialist, serving Kerala style fish in banana leaf and generous prawn dishes.
Outdoor things to do in Varkala
Soul & Surf Kerala
Small group surf lessons with patient instructors, plus rooftop yoga, above Golden Beach on South Cliff.
Kappil Lake
Calm backwater lake for kayaking and country boats, with the sea just across a narrow strip of land.
Jatayu Earth Centre
The worlds largest bird sculpture on a hilltop, reached by cable car, with paid adventure activities.
Ponnumthuruthu Island
A quiet green backwater island with an old Shiva Parvati temple, reached by a short boat ride.
Anjengo Fort
A small East India Company fort from the 1690s in a fishing village, paired with the Golden Island trip.
Varkala Paragliding
Seasonal tandem flights over the cliff and sea, bookable locally and strictly weather dependent.
Trivandrum Golf Club
The nearest real golf, a historic 9 hole course in the capital, played as a Thiruvananthapuram day trip.
Best hotels in Varkala
Gateway Varkala
The towns flagship full service hotel, with gardens, a pool, a spa and the most professional service.
Elixir Cliff Beach Resort and Spa
A sea facing North Cliff resort with pool and spa, booked for its location and sunset views.
Maadathil Cottages
Garden cottages a short walk from Odayam Beach, run like a homestay with hotel reliability.
Sajjoys
A well run mid range hotel by the helipad with a pool, an easy walk onto the North Cliff promenade.
Leisure Valley Beach Resort
A small pool resort near Edava Beach with a restaurant and bicycles, for a deliberately secluded base.
Zostel Varkala
The backpacker institution on North Cliff, with a rooftop terrace and a busy social programme.
The Lost Hostel, Varkala
A social hostel with dorms and organised activities, a polished feeling budget base near the cliff.
Is Varkala expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹2,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹5,500 a person |
| Splurge | ₹15,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Varkala Cultural Centre: a few days ahead
- Soul & Surf Kerala: weeks ahead
- Jatayu Earth Centre: a few days ahead
- Trivandrum Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Coastal Kitchen: a few days ahead
- Trattorias: a few days ahead
- Gateway Varkala: weeks ahead
- Elixir Cliff Beach Resort and Spa: weeks ahead
- Book cliff view rooms for 20 December to 10 January weeks ahead, when New Year and the Sivagiri Pilgrimage coincide.
- Book multi day surf courses, reputable Ayurveda courses and the Gateway for celebration dates ahead in season.
- Reserve a sunset table at a named cliff restaurant at lunchtime in peak weeks.
Is Varkala safe?
- Swim only on the lifeguarded main stretch in season when flags permit, never at night, after drinking or in monsoon.
- In a rip current, swim parallel to the beach until clear, then come in.
- Stay on the made cliff path, respect barriers and use maintained staircases, especially after heavy rain.
- Drink alcohol only in licensed venues or from BEVCO outlets, never in public on the beach, and expect dry days.
Varkala travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- At seafood displays, agree the total price including cooking and sides before the fish leaves the display.
- Refuse Ayurveda hard sells: a good centre will sell one treatment before any long prepaid course.
- Cliff shop prices are starting points, and the same goods are cheaper two lanes inland.
- Go to Darjeeling Cafe for music and sunset, not as your one food splurge.
Getting around Varkala: public transport and more
- Walk the North Cliff, helipad and temple cluster, and use auto rickshaws for everything else, agreeing the fare first.
- Varkala Sivagiri station is 3 to 5 km from the cliff, about an hour by train from Thiruvananthapuram.
- Thiruvananthapuram airport is roughly 40 to 50 km away, about 90 minutes by taxi.
- For scooters, carry the correct licence category, wear the helmet, photograph existing scratches and never leave a passport as deposit.
Who Varkala suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Varkala your trip
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