Varkala usually gets reduced to its cliffside cafes and yoga retreats, but that framing skips past what actually makes this stretch of Kerala coast genuinely unusual. The places to visit in Varkala worth building a trip around are a geologically rare sea cliff, a beach considered sin-destroying in Hindu tradition, and two boat-access spots—a backwater-meets-sea lake and a temple islet—that most cliffside-cafe guides barely mention.
Places to Visit in Varkala: Beaches, Cliffs & Temples
Varkala Tourist Places: Papanasam Cliff’s Rare Geology
Start with what makes Varkala’s cliff genuinely unusual among Varkala tourist places rather than just scenic. These red laterite cliffs run for roughly 7 km along the coast, standing anywhere from 10 to 46 meters high, and expose the Mio-Pliocene-age Warkalli Formation—sediment laid down roughly 25 million years ago that’s otherwise buried elsewhere on India’s west coast. [STAT: Varkala’s cliffs expose the Mio-Pliocene-age Warkalli Formation, roughly 25 million years old, in the only west coast Indian location where this geological sequence is visible at the surface.] The cliffs have been proposed for national geopark status and were named a national geological monument, which tells you how seriously geologists take this stretch of coastline. Worth knowing honestly: the cliff is also actively eroding, with unregulated development and climate pressures contributing to a documented decline serious enough to draw a National Green Tribunal notice—this is a site worth seeing precisely because its current form isn’t guaranteed to last indefinitely.
Attractions in Varkala: The Papanasam Ritual Bath and Mineral Springs
Among the more spiritually significant attractions in Varkala, Papanasam Beach takes its name directly from its religious purpose: “papam” means sin and “nasam” means destruction in Malayalam, and Hindu tradition holds that a dip in these waters washes away sin. The beach is specifically used for Bali Tharpanam, ritual offerings made to appease departed ancestors, with the new moon day in the Malayalam month of Karkidakam (typically July or August) considered the most auspicious time for the ritual. Natural mineral springs emerge at the base of the cliffs here too, believed locally to have therapeutic properties for skin and joint ailments—a detail that turns a simple beach walk into something with genuine local ritual weight behind it.
Also read: Kerala in Monsoon: Best Places to Visit for the Bold & Adventure-Ready
Places to See in Varkala: Janardhana Swamy Temple
Close to the cliff, one of the older places to see in Varkala is the Janardhana Swamy Temple, dedicated to a four-armed form of Vishnu holding the conch, wheel, mace, and a ceremonial pot. Its origins are traced to around the 1st century CE, though the current structure likely dates to the 12th-13th century Pandya period, making it one of the oldest temples in Kerala regardless of which dating you go by. It’s counted among the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams, a recognized group of significant Vaishnavite shrines, and its interior features detailed paintings of Hanuman in multiple poses—worth a slow look rather than a quick walk-through.
Places to Visit in Varkala, Kerala Beyond the Cliff: Sivagiri Mutt
Among the places to visit in Varkala, Kerala, beyond the coastline, Sivagiri Mutt sits atop a nearby hill as the final resting place of Sree Narayana Guru, a major social reformer whose movement reshaped caste and religious practice across early 20th-century Kerala. The annual Sivagiri Pilgrimage, held December 30 to January 1, draws large crowds and is worth knowing about if you’re visiting during that window, since it changes the character of the whole area for those few days.
Also read: Best Beaches in India: Top 10 Coastal Escapes You Can’t Miss
Sightseeing Places in Varkala on the Water: Kappil Lake
For a genuinely different kind of scenery among sightseeing places in Varkala, Kappil Lake sits about 6 km north of town, where a backwater estuary framed by coconut groves meets the Arabian Sea directly—a rare confluence that puts the calm lake and the open sea side by side, separated by little more than a sand spit. A bridge across the lake offers what’s consistently described as one of the better viewpoints in the area, and the Kerala Tourism Department runs a boat club here with pedal boats and roughly 30-minute guided rides, making it an easy add-on rather than a full expedition. Birdwatching and a generally quieter pace make this a solid counterpoint to the cliff’s crowds.
Tourist Attractions in Varkala by Boat: Ponnumthuruthu, the Golden Island
The most distinctive of the boat-access tourist attractions in Varkala is Ponnumthuruthu—”Golden Island”—about 12 km south of town, reached by a roughly 30-minute backwater ride from Nedunganda village. [STAT: Ponnumthuruthu Island is reached via a roughly 30-minute boat ride from Nedunganda village, about 12km south of Varkala.] At its center sits a century-old Shiva-Parvati temple locals call “Thuruthu Kshethram,” with Shivratri drawing the island’s biggest crowds each year. Boats run around ₹500 per hour or ₹1,500 for a half-day, and there’s no separate entry fee for the island itself. It’s a genuinely quiet, uncommercialized stop—worth the boat fare specifically because so few visitors make the detour.
How to Reach Varkala?
Varkala has its own railway station, Varkala Sivagiri, about 3km from the main beach area and well connected to Trivandrum, Kochi, Kollam, and Chennai. The nearest airport is Trivandrum International, roughly 45 km away, with the drive to Varkala taking 1.5-2 hours depending on traffic—early morning or late evening trips tend to move faster. Both options make these tourist places in Varkala, Kerala, genuinely easy to combine with a wider Kerala itinerary rather than requiring a dedicated detour.
Also read: India’s Most Scenic Coastal Road Trips To Add To Your 2026 Bucket List
Places to Visit in Varkala: Best Time & Trip Planning
Varkala is workable year-round, though the peak monsoon months (June-August) bring road-travel risk worth factoring into your plans, and October through March offers the most comfortable weather overall for exploring any tourist spot in Varkala on foot. Budget a full day for the cliff, Papanasam Beach, and Janardhana Swamy Temple together, since they sit close enough to combine easily, and treat Kappil Lake and Ponnumthuruthu Island as a separate half-day or full-day loop given the boat logistics involved for the latter.
Conclusion: Places to Visit in Varkala
Beyond the cliffside cafes, the places to visit in Varkala that actually stand out are a rare geological formation under real environmental pressure, a beach carrying genuine ritual weight, and two boat-access spots most visitors skip entirely. Save your Varkala stops to your Explurger Bucket List, and let your Automatic Travelogue keep the whole Kerala coast trip mapped as you go. Let the Explurger app help you see the Varkala most guides skip past.
FAQs About Places to Visit in Varkala
2. Why is Papanasam Beach considered holy?
Its name comes from "papam" (sin) and "nasam" (destruction) in Malayalam—Hindu tradition holds that bathing here washes away sin, and it's used specifically for ancestor-honoring rituals called Bali Tharpanam.
3. What makes Varkala's cliff geologically significant?
It exposes the Mio-Pliocene-age Warkalli Formation, roughly 25 million years old, in a location unique on India's west coast—significant enough to be proposed for national geopark status.
4. Is Varkala Cliff at risk of erosion?
Yes—recent reporting notes a documented decline linked to unregulated development and climate pressures, serious enough to prompt a National Green Tribunal notice.
5. How do you reach Ponnumthuruthu Island?
By boat from Nedunganda village, about 12 km south of Varkala—a roughly 30-minute ride costing around ₹500 per hour or ₹1,500 for a half-day.
6. What is Kappil Lake known for?
A rare confluence point where a coconut-grove-lined backwater meets the Arabian Sea directly, with boating and birdwatching available through a local boat club.
7. What is Sivagiri Mutt?
The samadhi (final resting place) of Sree Narayana Guru, a major Kerala social reformer, is sitting atop a hill near Varkala and hosting a major pilgrimage each December 30-January 1.
8. How do you get to Varkala?
By train via Varkala Sivagiri railway station (about 3km from the beach) or by air via Trivandrum International Airport, roughly 45km away.
