About Kovalam
Kovalam
first received attention when the Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of
Travancore constructed her beach resort, Halcyon Castle, here towards the
end of the 1920s. Thereafter the place was brought to the public eye by
her nephew the Maharaja of Travancore. The European guests of the then
Travancore kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a
tourist destination in the 1930s. However, Kovalam shot into limelight in
the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies on their way to
Ceylon in the Hippie Trail. This exodus started the transformation of a
casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist
destinations in all India.Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky
outcroppings in its 17 km coastline, the three together form the famous
crescent of the Kovalam beach. Lighthouse Beach - The southernmost beach,
the Lighthouse Beach is the one most frequented by tourists, Lighthouse
Beach got its name due to the old Vizhinjam Lighthouse located on a rocky
promontory here. Its intermittent beams at night render the beach with an
unearthly charm. See some images of Kovalam here.
Hawah Beach - Eve’s Beach, more commonly known as Hawa Beach, ranks
second, in the early day, is a beehive of activities with fishermen
setting out for sea. With a high rock promontory and a calm bay of blue
waters, this beach paradise creates a unique aquarelle on moonlit nights.
Samudra Beach - A large promontory separates this part from the southern
side. Samudra Beach doesn't have tourists thronging there or hectic
business. The local fishermen ply their trade on this part. Detour past
Kovalam junction to land on Samudra Beach which is to the north of Ashoka
Beach. One has the option to walk along the sea-wall too.The sight of the
waves lashing on the rocks below is awesome. Shallow waters stretching for
hundreds of metres are ideal for swimming. The beaches have steep palm
covered headlands and are lined with shops that offer all kinds of goods
and services.The larger of the beaches is called Light House Beach for its
35 metre high light house which towers over it atop Kurumkal hillock. The
second largest one is Hawah Beach named thus for the topless European
women who used to throng there. It was the first topless beach in India.
However topless bathing is banned now except in private coves owned by
resorts. Visitors frequent these two beaches. The northern part of the
beach is known as Samudra Beach in tourism parlance. A large promontory
separates this part from the southern side. Samudra Beach doesn't have
tourists thronging there or hectic business. The local fishermen ply their
trade on this part. The sands on the beaches in Kovalam are partially
black in colour due to the presence of ilmenite and Monazite. The normal
tourist season is from September to May. Ashoka beach is also the part of
Kovalam beach.Tourist facilitiesThere are a large number of beach resorts
in and around Kovalam. The sea port of Vizhinjam is about 3 km away and
famous for its special varieties of fish, old Hindu temples, big churches
and a mosque. The Proposed International Trans shipment Terminal at
Vizhinjam is also close to Kovalam.Kovalam was among the most prominent
tourist spots in India during the hippy era. It still has a high status
among tourists, who arrive mostly from Europe and Israel.[citation needed]
Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several Ayurvedic
salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide
variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists.
