Varkala Beach, Thiruvananthapuram

Varkala beach is situated in Thiruvananthapuram district. It is also called as the Papanasam Beach. The word meaning of ‘Papanasam’ is ‘Destroy the sins’. People believe that taking a dip in this sea water would wash away all our sins, hence the name. In this beach, there are high cliffs adjacent to the sea. It is a unique feature in southern Kerala as no other place has such a geological feature adjacent to the Arabian Sea. This is called as the Varkala formation. The coastal areas of other parts are normally flat. There is sand at the place where the cliff ends. The cliff, sand and the sea all together makes this beach an attractive one.

There are water sprouts in these cliffs. There is a mineral spring that attracts many tourists to this place. It is believed to have medicinal properties. People who visit this beach make it a point to drink the holy water. Some may even take bath in this water. Many tourists visit this place to enjoy the beauty as well as for religious reasons. Many people come here during the ‘Karkidakam’ month to offer the ritual called ‘vavubali’ to their ancestors who have passed away. After that they visit the 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swami temple for the poojas. This temple is another main attraction of this place.

The view of the sunset from this beach is also very magnificent. People can engage in various sport activities like swimming, parasailing, scuba diving, playing volley ball etc. There are many local vendors nearby where one can go for shopping.