Kovalam by road: Trivandrum's crescent beaches by car

How to reach Kovalam by car, and what the transfer costs

Kovalam was Kerala's first internationally known beach resort, and it still has the loveliest natural shape of any beach on this coast: three small crescents of sand separated by rocky headlands, with a red-and-white striped lighthouse on the southern point looking down on the whole scene. Fishing boats pull up on the sand at dawn, the promenade fills with cafes and ayurveda centres by mid-morning, and sunsets are watched from the rocks by the lighthouse. It is close enough to the capital to combine beach days with the city's temples and museums, and far enough south to make Kanyakumari, the southern tip of mainland India, an easy day out.

Because the airport is so close, many travellers arrive at Kovalam within an hour of landing. What they then need is a car for the places around it: Poovar's estuary, the Padmanabhaswamy temple, Kanyakumari, Varkala or the backwaters to the north. This guide covers the short transfer, the longer drives from Kochi, what to see and when, and RutzIndia.com's fares. When your flights are confirmed, book online and pay by card or UPI.

Getting there: airport, city, Kochi and Varkala

From Trivandrum International Airport (about 15 km). The airport sits right on the coast, and the drive to Kovalam runs south along the bypass road past Enchakkal and Thiruvallam. It rarely takes more than 40 minutes. Check flight status on the airport's official website. Your chauffeur is at arrivals with a name board and follows the flight in real time; there is no waiting charge for the first half-hour after a domestic landing or the first hour after an international one, after which the hourly rate applies. As a short transfer within 40 km, this is priced at our standard airport-transfer fare rather than per kilometre; the national rates are explained on our airport taxi page.

From Trivandrum city and the railway station (about 16 km). Via East Fort and the Thiruvallam road, around 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic in the old city. The same transfer fare applies.

From Kochi (about 215 km, 5 to 5.5 hours). South on NH66 through Alleppey, Kayamkulam and Kollam, then round Trivandrum on the bypass. It is a long day's drive, often split with a houseboat night at Alleppey; our Alleppey by road guide explains how.

From Varkala (about 60 km, 1.5 to 2 hours). Many visitors spend a few nights on each beach. The drive uses NH66 and the city bypass; see Varkala by road for that end.

The roads are flat and busy rather than difficult. The approach to Lighthouse Beach is narrow and parking is limited, so your driver will drop you at the nearest point and meet you there later.

What to see around Kovalam

The beaches themselves. Lighthouse Beach, the southernmost and busiest cove, has the promenade, restaurants and the lighthouse, which you can usually climb for a view along the coast. Hawa Beach, just north, is smaller and rockier, and Samudra Beach, further north beyond the headland, is quieter and home to several larger resorts.

Vizhinjam. Just south of Kovalam, the old fishing harbour is at its most colourful in the early morning as boats come in. Vizhinjam also has a small rock-cut cave temple protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (see the ASI website for listed monuments), and nearby is the new deep-water international port, a very different sight.

Poovar. About 16 km south, the Neyyar river meets the sea at Poovar, where a golden sandbar separates the estuary from the ocean. Boat rides through the mangroves and out to the sandbar are the main attraction.

Trivandrum city. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in the East Fort area is one of Kerala's most celebrated shrines, with a strict dress code: men in mundu (dhoti) and without shirts, women in saree or mundu; only Hindus may enter. Nearby are the Kuthiramalika palace museum, the Napier Museum and zoo in their gardens, and the Shanghumugham beach by the airport.

Padmanabhapuram Palace. About 50 km south-east across the Tamil Nadu border, this great wooden palace of the old Travancore rulers is one of the finest examples of traditional Kerala architecture anywhere. It is closed on Mondays; check before you go.

Kanyakumari. About 85 km, where three seas meet and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial stands offshore. It combines naturally with Padmanabhapuram in one day. See our Kanyakumari by road guide.

Ayurveda. Kovalam has dozens of ayurvedic centres, from simple massage rooms on the promenade to full residential programmes at the resorts. The official Kerala Tourism website explains the treatments and how to choose an accredited centre.

Food here means seafood straight off the boats: pick your fish on display at a beach restaurant and have it grilled or cooked in a Kerala curry, with appam, parotta or rice.

Seasons and festivals

• October to March is the best time, with calm seas, sunshine and every cafe open. December and January are the busiest months.
• April and May are hot and humid; mornings and evenings on the beach are still pleasant.
• June to September brings the south-west monsoon. The sea is rough and swimming is often banned; beach businesses thin out, but ayurvedic treatments are in demand.
• Attukal Pongala in Trivandrum, usually in February or March, is one of the largest gatherings of women in the world, when the city's streets are lined with women cooking offerings on open hearths. Roads in the city are closed for much of the day, so plan transfers around it.
• Onam (August or September) brings decorated streets, boat races on the backwaters and cultural events in the capital.
• Navaratri and the Padmanabhaswamy festivals add processions and crowds in the city in their seasons.

RutzIndia.com services from Kovalam, with fares

All cars are within four model years and come with professional chauffeurs.

• Airport and railway transfers at the fixed transfer fare.
• Local sightseeing on our 8 hr / 80 km or 4 hr / 40 km packages for Trivandrum, Poovar and Vizhinjam.
• Day trips to Kanyakumari and Padmanabhapuram Palace.
• One-way drops to Varkala, Alleppey, Kochi and the hills at the end or start of a Kerala tour; see our Kerala tour by car.
• Groups in a Tempo Traveller for families, yoga retreats and wedding guests.

These figures exclude 5% GST. Tolls, beach and temple parking and any interstate permit (for Kanyakumari and Padmanabhapuram in Tamil Nadu) are billed at actual cost. A Kanyakumari day return is billed on the 250 km round-trip minimum, which is Rs 9,000 Pay Now to Reserve in a sedan. Overnight trips add the driver's night allowance of Rs 1,500 per night. Pay by card or UPI, with GST invoices for companies. See our fares page for every vehicle class and one-way taxi rules for long drops.

A four-day plan with Kovalam as your base

• Day 1: arrival. Airport transfer, a swim at Lighthouse Beach, sunset from the lighthouse rocks.
• Day 2: Trivandrum (8 hr / 80 km package). Padmanabhaswamy temple early in the morning, Kuthiramalika and the Napier Museum, lunch in the city and a late afternoon at Shanghumugham beach.
• Day 3: Kanyakumari and Padmanabhapuram (about 200 km, billed on 250 km). Leave at 6 am, palace at opening time, Kanyakumari by noon with the ferry to Vivekananda Rock, sunset at the tip, back by night.
• Day 4: Poovar and Vizhinjam (4 hr / 40 km package). Early harbour visit, boat ride through Poovar's mangroves, lunch, and an ayurvedic massage in the afternoon.

Where to stay

Lighthouse Beach has the most budget and mid-range choices within walking distance of cafes, but its lanes are narrow and cars cannot reach many doors. Samudra and the headlands between the beaches have larger resorts with their own driveways, which make car pickups easy. Families who want calm water sometimes base themselves at Poovar or Chowara to the south and drive in to Kovalam for the evenings.

Why the short transfer is a flat fare

Guests sometimes ask why a 15 km airport run costs more than a few hundred rupees when our outstation rate is Rs 36 per km. The answer is that a short transfer ties up a car and chauffeur for most of a morning or evening: positioning to the airport, parking, waiting for baggage and immigration, and the return run. So every trip within 40 km is priced at the airport-transfer fare, and the per-km rate applies only to longer journeys such as Kanyakumari, Varkala or Kochi. The fare shown is the fare you pay, with GST, parking and any tolls itemised on the invoice, and nothing added for the name board, the flight tracking or the included waiting time.

Practical tips

• Swim between the flags, only when lifeguards are on duty, and never during the monsoon.
• Temple dress codes at Padmanabhaswamy are strict; mundus can be hired at the entrance.
• Carry your passport or ID for the Tamil Nadu border crossing towards Kanyakumari.
• Beach parking is tight; agree a pickup point with your driver.
• Morning is best for the harbour at Vizhinjam and the Poovar boats.
• Cancellations are free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% within 72 hours, 50% within 48 hours and 100% within 24 hours or on no-show. See our cancellation policy.

Need a longer South India journey? The travel desk can plan Kovalam, Kanyakumari and the temple towns of Tamil Nadu in one route.