Varkala (Malayalam: [ʋarkala]) is a major coastal municipality situated in the northern suburb of Trivandrum, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala.
Varkala is the only region in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These Cenozoic sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala coast, and are known among geologists as Varkala Formation. The cliffs have been declared a national geological monument by the Geological Survey of India for their protection, maintenance, promotion, and the enhancement of geotourism. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs. In 2015, the Ministry of Mines, the Government of India, and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared Varkala Cliffs a geo-heritage site.Varkala is also known for the 2,000-year-old Janardana Swami Temple, which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is often referred to as Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the South). The temple is located close to Papanasam beach, which is an Ayurveda treatment centre. The temple has an ancient bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties.Another major landmark in Varkala is the Sivagiri Mutt, established by the social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.
The Sivagiri Pilgrimage is usually conducted between 30th December and 1st January every year. The Sivagiri Mutt - a religious retreat was founded by Sree Narayana Guru (1856 - 1928) the renowned philosopher and social reformer of modern Kerala. Even decades after the Guru breathed his last here in 1928, his Samadhi (resting place) continues to be thronged by thousands of pilgrims. The Sivagiri Mutt is also the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangham, a religious organization established by the Guru to propagate his concept of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'
Also they have spin and neck therapy, weight loss, detoxification, stress release programs. Reasonable prices. Usually fee is told after consultation an average ₹700 to ₹2500 per day. As a bonus for the clients they offer yoga training for free.
The only fancy restaurant available at Papanasam/Varkala is in the Taj Garden Retreat.
Almost all hotels and resorts have room service. There are lots of restaurants at the cliff. Most of them and places-to-eat in the cliff are seasonal and spring up during the tourist season (beginning in late November). Try the fresh fish or seafood from any number of the cliff-top restaurants. Seafood is caught by local fishermen and displayed in front of many restaurants. Select your food, have it prepared in the tandoor and enjoy the sunset while you dine.
There are several bars:
=
The town of Varkala is about 5 km inland, centered around the train station, and can be reached via autorickshaw for ₹80
The resort area lies along two cliffs, north and south, overlooking the beach areas. The main Papanasam beach is between these, while less crowded Black Beach is to the north. This entire area is easily accessible by walking the fine sidewalk along the cliff edges.
If you're looking for beaches and are fed up with the crowds and prices at Kovalam, then it's well worth checking out Varkala. The best times to go, are of course in the season, when the beach extends out all around the cliff face for 500 m.
The beaches around this area are excellent and if you're looking for a cheap holiday Varkala should definitely be on your list. In the off season its really mellow and relaxed, swim and sleep and chill out. Only in December does it get really busy and prices start rocketing till January/February, when it starts to quieten down.
The main season runs from Dec 1st- March 31st, with December & early January experiencing the biggest rush. If you want to go out of season, then you can stay very cheaply and of course avoid the crowd. Varkala is quite a new place to hang out in India and has only been developed as a tourist destination in the last years. Slowly even the north of Varkala Beach gets developed for tourists. There is a promenade built from the Department of Tourism, which allows a scenic walk for about 1.5h towards north, passing Odayam and Edava until Kappil.
