Varkala

Varkala is the new found Kovalm in Kerala.An excellent beach with an absolutely different lanscape for a beach town , Varkala is better than Kovalam if it is sun and sand that you are looking for.A coastal town in the state of Kerala, 51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city.

Varkala is the only place in south Kerala where one can find cliffs just adjacent to the Arabian sea. These sedimentary and laterite cliffs are a unique geological feature in the otherwise flat Kerala coast.There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of the cliffs.
Varkala is also famous for its 2,000 year old Janardanaswamy temple, which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is referred to as Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the south). The temple is located close to the Papanasam beach is popular among the keralites.

Another major landmark in Varkala is the Sivagiri Mutt, established by the great social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. The hill-top mausoleum of Sree Narayana Guru, also located there, is one of the most famous buildings in Kerala.