FROM THE VAULT · KERALA

Varkala

Cliffs, cafés and conversations that stay long after the sunsets.

THE PRACTICAL STUFF

GETTING THERE

Nearest airport is Trivandrum International (TRV), about 45 minutes away. Varkala also has its own railway station on the Thiruvananthapuram–Ernakulam line, a 5-minute auto ride from the cliff. Most travellers fly into Trivandrum and take a prepaid taxi or app cab straight to the cliff.

GETTING AROUND

The cliff itself is entirely walkable. For the railway station, town, or Odayam Beach, autos and app cabs are the norm - there's no local bus route worth relying on.

WHAT IT COSTS, PER DAY

BUDGET

₹1,500–2,500

Hostel dorm or guesthouse, local thali meals, occasional auto rides.

MID-RANGE

₹3,500–6,000

Boutique cliffside stay, café meals, one paid activity a day.

LUXURY

₹9,000+

Private pool villa, all meals at cliff restaurants, spa and water sports.

WHERE TO STAY, BY AREA

North Cliff

Quiet cafés, yoga studios, sunset views away from the crowds

South Cliff (main cliff)

The main strip - restaurants, shops, easiest walk to the beach steps

Odayam Beach

A calmer, less commercial stretch 15 minutes north

WHAT TO EAT

What actually gets ordered twice in Varkala.

Karimeen pollichathu (pearl spot fish in banana leaf)Cliffside seafood thaliKerala-style prawn curry with appamFresh coconut water sold along the cliff path

HOW IT READS RIGHT NOW

Monsoon

Wherever the season is turning, right now it's Monsoon across India's west coast - here's where we're taking our travellers.

WORTH DOING THIS SEASON

KayakingHorse RidingBonfireScuba

WORTH THE DETOUR

Anjengo Fort

~30 min

A 17th-century Dutch/British fort and lighthouse on a quiet spit of land.

Jatayu Earth Center

~1 hr

A hilltop bird sculpture and viewpoint, worth a half-day trip.

Trivandrum city

~45 min

Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Napier Museum, and the state capital's old quarter.

SAFETY, HONESTLY

Sea currents at Varkala's main beach can be strong outside the flagged safe-swimming zone - stick to areas with lifeguards.
The cliff path has uneven, unlit stretches at night - a torch or phone light helps.
Solo travellers, including women, generally report Varkala as one of Kerala's more comfortable coastal towns, especially on the cliff itself.

CUSTOMS & ETIQUETTE

Modest swimwear is appreciated away from the main tourist beach, since Varkala is also a temple town (Janardhana Swamy Temple) with its own pilgrim footfall.
Alcohol is served mostly in cliff restaurants catering to tourists - it's less visible in the town proper.

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASK

Yes, generally - it's one of the more solo-female-friendly coastal towns in India, with a steady stream of long-stay travellers and a walkable, well-lit main cliff strip. Normal precautions apply after dark on quieter stretches.

TOLD BY THOSE WHO'VE TAKEN YOU THERE

Mehar Sachdeva

Cliffs, cafés and slow mornings

Mehar has hosted travellers along Kerala's coast for six seasons running, and still starts every trip with the same cliffside sunset walk she took on her first visit to Varkala.

WRITTEN BY OUR COMMUNITY