ROUTES · 5-DAY · EASY
Trivandrum to Kovalam to Varkala to Kollam.
Kerala's southern coast: the richest temple → lighthouse beach → cliff beach → authentic backwaters. Beach and culture combined.
Trivandrum to Kovalam to Varkala to Kollam
Kerala's southern coast: the richest temple → lighthouse beach → cliff beach → authentic backwaters. Beach and culture combined.
Highlights
Logistics
Trivandrum→Kovalam: 16km (30min). Kovalam→Varkala: 35km (1hr). Varkala→Kollam: 25km (45min). All easy NH roads.
Day by Day
Padmanabhaswamy Temple morning (Hindus). Napier Museum. Kuthiramalika Palace. Drive to Kovalam.
Lighthouse Beach. Vizhinjam fishing harbor at dawn. Ayurveda massage. Lighthouse sunset.
Drive to Varkala. North Cliff walk. Papanasam Beach. Cliff-top cafe sunset.
Morning yoga at Varkala. Drive to Kollam. Afternoon Munroe Island canoe trip.
Option: 8-hour Kollam-Alleppey cruise. Or explore Ashtamudi Lake. Departure.
Route Map
Destinations on this route
ALSO ON NAKSHIQ
Eight more rooms in the magazine.
Guides
Visa, scams, food, packing.
Everything the guidebook won't tell you — written for India in 2026.
Blog
Field notes from the road.
Long-form reads on regions, festivals, and the offbeat circuit.
Road trips
Curated multi-day routes.
Driving itineraries with day-by-day stops, distance, and difficulty.
Collections
Themed reading lists.
Wettest places. Sacred lakes. Solo-female-safe. Curated cuts.
NakshIQ 100
The 100 best destination-months.
India's highest-scoring places, ranked across all 12 months.
The Window
Our weekly newsletter, archived.
One honest spread, every Sunday. The full back catalogue.
Skip list
What we'd skip — and what we'd do instead.
Overhyped places with honest alternatives.
First trip
Planning your first time in India.
Safety, scams, what to wear, food survival, solo female travel.