Varkala Beach, also known as Papanasham Beach is a beach situated in Varkala Town of Varkala Municipality in

Thiruvananthapuram district Thiruvananthapuram District (), is the southernmost district in the Indian state of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, which is also Kerala's administrative centre. The present d ...

, Kerala, India. The beach skirts the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

, part of the Indian Ocean.

Sights

Varkala beach is the only place in southern Kerala where

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These cliffs are of tertiary sedimentary formation, and named by geologists as ''Varkala Formation''. They are a geological monument as recorded by the Geological Survey of India. Water spouts and spas occur on the sides of these cliffs.

Nearby attractions and activities

The Janardana Swami Temple is situated near the Beach. It is known for a 10-day festival held twice a year, called Arattu. Sivagiri Mutt is another attraction, located atop the Sivagiri hill. Train service is available at Varkala Sivagiri Railway Station. Varkala beach has adventure and leisure activities such as boat riding, parasailing, jetting, and horse-riding. There are also restaurants and cafes; alcohol is not served.

Geography

Varkala is located at .

Trivia

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), packa ...

's co-founder

Travis Kalanick Travis Cordell Kalanick (; born August 6, 1976) is an American businessman best known as the co-founder and former chief executive officer (CEO) of Uber. Previously he worked for Scour, a peer-to-peer file sharing application company, and was t ...

once said that he spent weeks here writing code.

Gallery

വർക്കല ക്ലിഫ്.jpg, Varkala beach Varkala natural spring.JPG, A natural water spout in Varkala Beach Karkkidaka vavu bali at varkkala.jpg, Karkidaka Vavu Bali ritual being performed at Varkala Beach Varkala. jpg.jpg, Evening at Varkala beach Panoramic view of varkala beach cliff.jpg, Panoramic view of Varkala beach cliff

References

External links

Varkala Beach
photographs and 360° panoramas {{Tourism in Kerala Beaches of Kerala Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram district Varkala