Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) is a tropical South Indian beach city by the Arabian Sea. The nearby beaches are famous for the white sand, palm trees, ayurvedic therapy and Western ghat hills looming over the famous maze of canals called the Kerala backwaters.
The offbeat beaches can be easily reached with affordable and efficient taxi service in Trivandrum:
Lighthouse Beach is 44-50 mins from Trivandrum by cab. It is named after the 30-meter high lighthouse on a picturesque rocky peninsula. You can climb to the top to get amazing Southern Kerala sea views with Poovar on one side and the famous Beemapalli mosque on another. It is a photographers’ delight.
The beach has affordable accommodation, ayurvedic therapy resorts, convention centres, swimming pools etc. It is perfect for swimming, surfing, parasailing and paragliding. The main cuisine here is seafood.
Shangumugham Beach is near Trivandrum International Airport. It can be reached in approximately 24 minutes by taxi. A giant Sagarakanyaka (Mermaid) sculpture welcomes you to this beach.
This beach is associated with the Hindu deity Sri Ananthapadmanabhan. Hindus take a holy dip, pay homage to their forefathers, and immerse idols after religious festivals here.
Children love this beach because of the unique ‘Jawaharlal Nehru Park of Traffic signs for children’, a skating school and indoor sports complex.
There is Indian Air Force base near this beach.
Vizhinjam Beach is around 43-45 min if you rent a car in Trivandrum. It is a natural port and archaeological/historical site with evidence of ancient Roman trade and an age-old fishing hub, thriving till today.
This beach also has a colourful mosque and granite rock cave shrine with relief sculptures of Hindu deities.
Vizhinjam Marine Aquarium is another major attraction.
This beach is not suitable for swimming because of the rough sea. However, you can go boating.
Veli Beach is near Veli railway station (1 km), Trivandrum International Airport (2 km), and Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station (5 km). It can be reached by taxi in no time.
The seascape is unique with a tourist village, a botanical and artistic park bedside an in-land lagoon lake, and two hills overlooking the landscape. A fantastic floating bridge and floating restaurant connect the tourist village to the beach.
Adventure activities include boat rides, safaris, pony rides by the sea and hiking, kayaking, hovercraft rides on the hills.
There is an open-air theatre for cultural shows.
You can take a taxi to visit Akkulam Tourist Village and Akkulam Lake nearby.
Hawa Beach (Eve’s beach) is 42-47 minutes from Trivandrum in a taxi. It is just opposite the Lighthouse beach.
There are many government-certified Ayurvedic therapy centres here. Take a swim, a boat ride and then a rejuvenating Ayurvedic massage and sunbath. Stay safe, as the sea is rough on this most tranquil beach.
Hungry after a swim? Good news, all types of cuisine including continental and vegan are available. You can also get some local fish cooked with the fresh catch of the day.
Later in the day check out the shopping hub, famous for its handmade guitars.
