Sample itineraries for Varkala
Varkala rewards a slow approach, and its compact size means you can see the essentials without rushing. Below are three ways to shape a visit, from a single focused day to a longer, day-trip-anchored stay.
One day (the essentials). Enough to catch the highlights if Varkala is a stop on a longer Kerala route.
- Start early with a walk along the North Cliff promenade before the heat and crowds build, then take the steps down to Papanasam Beach for a swim (where flagged safe) or simply to take in the holy shore.
- Mid-morning, visit the Janardanaswamy Temple on the cliff-top, then head up to Sivagiri Mutt to see Sree Narayana Guru's samadhi and the Sarada temple.
- Spend the afternoon at leisure — an Ayurvedic massage, a surf lesson, or the quieter South Cliff.
- End with the day's centrepiece: sunset from the North Cliff, followed by dinner at a cliff-edge cafe with the sea below.
Two days (the comfortable version). The ideal length for Varkala, adding the nearby backwaters and a fort without any rush.
- Day 1: The essentials above — cliff walk, Papanasam Beach, Janardanaswamy Temple and Sivagiri Mutt in the morning; an unhurried afternoon of wellness or the South Cliff; sunset and dinner on the North Cliff.
- Day 2: Ride or drive north to Kappil Beach and the Kappil backwaters for the estuary and a short boat trip, then continue to Anjengo (Anchuthengu) Fort and the boat crossing to Ponnumthuruthu island with its old temple. Return to Varkala for a final cliff sunset, or add a Kerala sadya lunch en route.
Three days or a relaxed stay. Follow the two-day plan and add a day trip — a backwater cruise from Kollam on Ashtamudi Lake (or the celebrated Kollam–Alappuzha cruise if you have the time), a hill-country escape to Ponmudi, or a heritage day in Thiruvananthapuram for the Padmanabhaswamy Temple and its museums and palaces. A longer stay also lets Varkala do what it does best — a rhythm of morning cliff walks, midday Ayurveda, afternoon swims and evening sunsets — and treats the surroundings as excursions rather than a checklist.
Varkala on a southern Kerala route. Varkala slots neatly into a coastal itinerary between the backwaters and the southern beaches — for example Alappuzha/Kollam backwaters → Varkala (1–2 nights) → Thiruvananthapuram/Kovalam — giving a trip a cliff-and-beach interlude with a strong dose of temple-town character in the middle.