Kovalam is a

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

and

seaside resort A seaside resort is a city, resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of an official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requi ...

in the city of

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Kovalam is located southeast of the city center. The beaches around Kovalam are popular vacation destinations for both domestic and international travellers.

Etymology

Kovalam means "

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

grove", after the coconut trees which are common there.

History

Kovalam first received attention when the Regent Maharani

Sethu Lakshmi Bayi Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI (5 November 1895– 22 February 1985) was the monarch, though designated as the Regent due to British policy, of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 1931. She, along with her yo ...

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

constructed her beach resort,

Halcyon Castle ] Halcyon Castle (now called The Kovalam Palace) was built in 1932 in the princely state of Travancore, in the modern-day state of Kerala, India. It was constructed by M.R.Ry Sri Rama Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran, the consort of Maharani Sethu Lak ...

, here towards the end of the 1920s. Thereafter, the place was brought to the public eye by her nephew, the

Maharaja of Travancore The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was acceded to India. ...

. The

European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

guests of the then

kingdom discovered the potential of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. In the early 1970s, many

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...

s came on their way to

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

via the

hippie trail The hippie trail (also the overland) was an overland journey taken by members of the hippie subculture and others from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s travelling from Europe and Western Asia, West Asia through South Asia via countries such a ...

, beginning the transformation of a casual fishing village in Kerala into a significant tourist destination.

Geography

Beaches

Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline, the three together form the crescent of the Kovalam beach. * Lighthouse Beach – the southernmost beach, the Lighthouse Beach, is named after the 118 feet (36 m) Vizhinjam Lighthouse located on top of the Kurumkal hillock. * Hawah Beach – also known as Eve's Beach, consists of a high rock promontory and a bay, and is used by local fishermen. * Samudra Beach – separated from the Lighthouse Beach by a large promontory, it is also used by local fishermen. * Ashoka Beach – sea-wall to see the sea above the rocks and swimmable shallow waters

Places to visit

Karamana River Karamana is a river flowing through the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. The river starts near the southern tip of the Western Ghats(Sahyadri Mountains) at Agastyar Koodam. The river flows 66 km westward and merges with the ...

– Karamana River originates from the southern part of Sahyadri Range. The river predominantly flows through an outskirt region of Kovalam called Karmana, hence the nomenclature.

Tourist facilities

Kovalam was among the most prominent tourist spots in India during the

era. It still has a high status among tourists, who arrive mostly from

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several

Ayurvedic Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists. One of the first hotels to open there was the Kovalam Beach Resort, which was designed by

Charles Correa Charles Mark Correa (1 September 1930 – 16 June 2015) was an Indian architect and urban planner based in Mumbai, India. Credited with the creation of modern architecture in post-Independent India, he was celebrated for his sensitivity to the ...

from 1969 to 1974.

Transport

The nearest train station is

Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station Thiruvananthapuram Central (station code: TVC,) is an NSG–2 category railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a major railway station that serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of ...

, about away. The nearest airport is

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is an international airport that serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and the fifth international airport of ...

, about away.

Politics

Kovalam assembly constituency is part of the

Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency Thiruvananthapuram Parliamentary (Lok Sabha) Constituency is one of the 20 parliamentary constituencies in Kerala, India. It is located in Thiruvananthapuram district and encompasses the major part of Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Ke ...

. In the 2016 Kerala Assembly elections,

M Vincent M, or m, is the thirteenth Letter (alphabet), letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of several Languages of Europe, western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in En ...

of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

defeated the incumbent Jameela Prakasham by over 2,500 votes.

Thiruvananthapuram International Cruise Terminal

Vizhinjam's location, with its proximity to beaches, historical sites, and cultural attractions, is a base for exploring Kerala's heritage. Visitors can take tours to nearby destinations such as Kovalam,

, and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The Vizhinjam Cruise Terminal is currently under construction by Adani Ports.

Gallery

Image:Lighthouse Kovalam.jpg, Kovalam Light House Image:Kovalam Beach (TUI) - 2016.JPG, Kovalam Light House beach Image:Kovalam Lighthouse Beach.JPG, Lighthouse beach Image:Kovalam Hawah Beach.JPG, Hawwah beach (Eves beach) Image:Kovalam Samodra Beach.JPG, Samudra beach Image:Kovalam - view from the lighthouse.jpg, Kovalam beach – view from lighthouse Image:FishingBoat-KovalamBeach-Kerala-India-May2002.jpg, Fishermen and bystanders bringing a fishing boat ashore on Kovalam (Lighthouse) beach (May 2002)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Beaches of Kerala Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram Villages in Thiruvananthapuram district Populated coastal places in India