JOIN USIf Kerala is god’s own country, Varkala is probably his secret getaway! A perfect location to relax while basking in the beauty of the untouched land and beaches. Situated about 50 km from Trivandrum is this small beach town called Varkala. It is home to the Papanasham beach, believed to have holy waters, and the Janardanaswamy Temple dedicated to lord Vishnu.
Perched almost perilously along the edge of 15 metre high laterite cliffs, the North Cliff of Varkala has a naturally beautiful setting. The place was on my go-to list for a long time and finally, it happened last year. A group of five girls decided to head out and explore this beach town.
How did we go?
We travelled by train, the Kanyakumari Express, starting on Thursday night from Bengaluru. The duration of the journey was close to 15 hours and we arrived at Varkala around 1 pm the next day.
What did we do?
After freshening up, we indulged in some Kerala food at a beachside restaurant. After soaking in the view of the beautiful beach, we decided to take a walk along it and witness the sunset. We also played for sometime in the water and clicked pictures.
The sunset was surely the highlight of my trip. Shades of yellow, orange and red played in the sky, painting the most perfect picture. Thanks to the clear sky, we got to see the sunset in all its glory. Then we walked further down the beach, up the cliff, to reach the famous Cliff Road. This is where most of the hotels, restaurants and shopping areas are located. Shops selling silver jewellery and Ayurvedic shops with essential oils and spices are aplenty.
We had dinner at a quaint little place called Coffee Temple. The next morning, we headed to the black sand beach. What’s interesting is that only a small portion of it has black sand while the rest is brown. The black sand literally sparkles in the sunlight!
We were told that the black sand contains minerals which are good for the skin and have healing properties as well. Two of us went ahead and lathered up in the sand and even had a fun sand fight! Later, we decided to head back to our hotel, grabbing a bite on the way.
In the evening, we headed back to the black sand beach for the sunset which the clouds spoilt for us. Nonetheless, we got a beautiful view of the grey clouds meeting the ocean at the horizon. With the cool breeze blowing, I was lost in the peace and quiet of the surroundings with only the sound of the waves for company.
Dinner was at Darjeeling Cafe, where we tucked into some delicious food. The live music and good vibe added to the charm. The next morning, we decided to visit the Janardanaswamy Temple and Edava Beach Road before heading back to Bengaluru. The temple, dedicated to lord Vishnu, is very old with simple yet beautiful architecture. The Edava Beach Road is a stretch where on one side is the Edava beach and on the other, the beautiful backwaters — the best of both indeed.
Varkala is a gem of a place. Its pristine views, calming vibes, relatively untouched beauty and the beautiful beaches are what make it a traveller’s paradise.
Fact file
Total distance: 660 km one way.
Accommodation: We stayed at Mohan’s Inn on North Cliff where the room tariff was Rs 1,700 per night.
Places to eat: Darjeeling Cafe and Coffee Temple on North Cliff Road.
Aishwarya Purushotham
(The author can be contacted at ash.p.3495@gmail.com)