Beaches

Kovalam Beach | Kovalam is one of the most beautiful and famous beaches in South India. It has three different beaches of which the Lighthouse beach is the most famous. Ayurvedic treatment and exotic sea food are attractions that draw foreign and domestic tourists to Kovalam all year round.

Varkala | Varkala beach is famous for its night life, and for its quiet secluded stretch of sand. The Papanasam beach in Varkala is known for its mineral springs and rocky cliffs. The 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy temple and the Nature Care Centre are the two main attractions here.

Shanghumukham Beach | Adjacent to the airport, this beach is a favourite haunt of sunset watchers. In the day time, you can see fishermen trying to pull out long fishing nets from the sea, near the 35-m long sculpture of mermaid and a restaurant shaped like a starfish.

Temples and Palaces

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple | Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of sculpture and architecture. The temple pond and the traditional Kerala style buildings surrounding the temple are the other interesting attractions.

Padmanabhapuram Palace | Enroute to Kanyakumari, sits the majestic old palace famous for its 17th and 18th century murals, carved mahogany ceiling, coloured mica windows, secret underground passages, inner courtyards, durbar hall, museum, four poster medicinal bed, Begian mirrors, granite dance halls and special lac shiny floors made of a unique combination of egg white, jaggery, lime, burnt coconut, charcoal and river sand. The palace is built in the traditional Travancore architectural style and its architecture is also in some places symbolic of Indo-Chinese collaboration.

Archaeology and Art

Shree Chitra Art Gallery | This art gallery displays select paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, Svetlova and Nicholas Roerich and exquisite works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of art in India. The collection also includes paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali. (Open 1000-1700hrs daily except Mondays and Wednesday forenoons.)

Napier Museum | The Indo-Saracenic structure dating back to the 19 century boasts of a "natural" air conditioning system, houses a rare collection of archaeological and historical artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings. (Open 1000-1700 hrs daily except on Mondays and Wednesday forenoons.)

Other Attractions

Veli Tourist Village | This is the point where the Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea. Speedboats and Pedal boats are available here to explore the charm of the lagoon in a leisurely manner. (Open 1000-1700 hrs.)

Kanyakumari | The southern most tip of India, Kanyakumari is the point where the three mighty water bodies, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean converge. The famous Vivekananda Rock memorial amidst the turbulent sea is a major attraction. A short bus ride from Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari is famous for its spectacular sunrise and sunset views and the Devi Temple.

The Zoological Park | One of the first Zoos in India, it is located in a well-planned botanical garden. With huge trees like frangipani and jacaranda dotting the sprawling lawns and wild fowl swimming in the lake, it is like a small jungle in the heart of the city. It houses some of the rare wildlife exclusive to Kerala. (Open 1000-1700 hrs, closed on Mondays.)