Kovalam Beach

About Kovalam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram

Crescent coastline anchored by a striped lighthouse

• Kovalam Beach sits roughly 16 kilometers south of the city center.
• It first gained international attention when the Regent Maharani of Travancore built the Halcyon Castle nearby in the 1920s.
• A rocky promontory divides the shoreline into three distinct bays: Lighthouse Beach, Hawah Beach, and Samudra Beach.
• The southern section, Lighthouse Beach, takes its name from the 30-meter Vizhinjam Lighthouse, which sits on Kurumkal hill and remains open to visitors who climb its spiral stairs for coastal views.
• Black and red rocky headlands keep the surf relatively calm in specific spots compared to open stretches of the Arabian Sea.
• Seafood stalls and rental shops line the paved promenade above the sand.
• The best months to visit run from November through February, when the sea is calm and humidity drops.
• Access to the public sand is free throughout the day.