Kovalam, Kerala, India

Kovalam

Beach at Kovalam

What is it? White sand, palm trees, picture postcard beach
Where is it? Kerala
When do I go? November to March
For how long? One day
STD code: 0471

There was moment in time when Kovalam was the navel of the Earth Mother, the sand magnet of the flower children. As with so many other processes, their adoption of a quiet stretch of beach and palm and surf was counter-productive. The struggling path to the beach is now a commercial highway whose main offerings are karma kitsch and wholesale handicrafts. The untended grass has given way to piles of plastic bags. The flower children have gone away to be replaced by day trippers and beach freaks.
But there is still a magic here, the everlasting magic of the sea. The shells still crunch under your feet, the moon still rises honeygold over the palms and the fishermen still put out to sea, as they did since the time an axe carved Kerala from the sea.

About Kovalam:
Geography
The coastal fishing village of Kovalam is 16 km south of Thiruvananthapuram (capital of Kerala). It has three main crescent beaches — the southern section called the Lighthouse Beach, the central Hawah, which is the local fisherman’s haunt and to the north Samudra, a relatively untouched quiet beach with a few old, wooden fishing boats scattered across its sands.

Climate
The best time to visit Kovalam is in the winter, between November and February. The temperature at this time is a minimum of 18°C and a maximum of 32°C. Summer months are hot and muggy when temperatures reach 36°C. Kovalam experiences rainfall during the months of June – August.

For more information on the following topics, please see the TravelOnTheDollar Kovalam travel guide for Amazon Kindle:
- Getting there
- Getting around
- Sights & Sounds
- Excursions
- Accommodation
- Eating Out
- Shopping
- Useful Information
- Survival Guide

Kovalam, Kerala New! A complete guide to the beach-resort town of Kovalam located in the state of Kerala in India. Kindle price: $9.99