Almost every Kerala honeymoon we plan from Ahmedabad ends with the same question: Kovalam or Varkala for the beach nights? Both are on the Thiruvananthapuram coast, both are about an hour apart, and both photograph beautifully. But they are very different places to spend the last two or three nights of a honeymoon. This Kovalam vs Varkala guide puts the two side by side on the things that matter to a couple from Gujarat: how you reach them, where you stay, how safe the sea is, what you will eat, what it costs and what you can do beyond the beach.
Kovalam vs Varkala at a glance
| What matters | Kovalam | Varkala |
|---|---|---|
| The setting | Three crescent coves (Lighthouse, Hawa, Samudra) below a red-and-white lighthouse | A 7.5 km red laterite cliff with cafés on top and Papanasam beach below |
| From Trivandrum airport | About 15 km, 30–40 minutes | About 50 km, 1–1.5 hours by road; also 30–50 min by train from Trivandrum Central to Varkala Sivagiri |
| Stay style | Full-service beach resorts, sea-facing rooms, spa and pool | Cliff-top boutique resorts, cottages and Ayurveda retreats |
| Evenings | Quiet; resort dinners, promenade walk | Lively; the cliff path is one long row of sunset cafés |
| Swimming | Lifeguards at six flagged points; strong undercurrents on some days | Papanasam beach is good at low tide; fewer lifeguards, steep steps down from the cliff |
| Pure-veg / Jain food | Easiest through your resort kitchen; pure-veg hotels in Trivandrum city | Cliff cafés are multi-cuisine with many veg dishes; veg Kerala meals in town; Jain food needs advance notice |
| Day trips | Padmanabhaswamy temple, Poovar backwaters, Kanyakumari (about 90 km) | Jatayu Earth's Centre, Kappil beach-and-lake, Anchuthengu fort, Sivagiri Mutt |
| Best for | Couples who want a resort honeymoon with privacy and a spa | Couples who want sunsets, cafés and a relaxed, walkable vibe |
Our quick verdict
Pick Kovalam if your idea of a honeymoon is a sea-facing room, a pool, a couples' Ayurveda massage and dinner booked by the hotel. It is 30–40 minutes from Trivandrum airport, so a late flight home is easy, and the best resorts here are the best beach hotels in southern Kerala.
Pick Varkala if you want atmosphere more than luxury: a cliff-top room, a sunset walk past twenty cafés, a swim at Papanasam beach in the morning, and a slightly bohemian, younger crowd. Rooms cost less, so you can stay an extra night for the same money.
Doing both is possible (they are about 55 km apart) but not worth it on a two-night beach leg. If you have four beach nights, split 2 + 2 and start with Varkala so you end close to the airport.
Getting there from Ahmedabad
As of November 2026 there is no non-stop flight from Ahmedabad to Thiruvananthapuram. One-stop options go through Bengaluru or Chennai on IndiGo, Akasa and Air India Express; the quickest take about 5.5 hours door to door. In a Kiwi.com search on 1 November 2026, a 10–16 December return for two adults with checked bags showed from about ₹55,600 for the couple (roughly ₹27,800 per person); prices vary by date and fill up fast around Christmas.
The smarter honeymoon routing is open-jaw: fly into Kochi (non-stop IndiGo and SpiceJet flights, about 2 hours 25 minutes, from roughly ₹10,500 per person one-way with a bag in the same December search), do Munnar and the Alleppey houseboat, finish at the beach and fly home from Thiruvananthapuram. That removes a 5-hour back-track to Kochi at the end. From Alleppey it is about 110 km to Varkala (2.5–3 hours) and about 165 km to Kovalam (3.5–4 hours).
If parents are joining and prefer the train, the weekly 16335 Gandhidham–Nagercoil Express leaves Ahmedabad Junction on Fridays at 15:25 and reaches Trivandrum Central at 03:25 on the third morning. It does not stop at Varkala Sivagiri, so get down at Trivandrum and take a cab (Kovalam) or a local train (Varkala, 30–50 minutes). For most couples the flight is the sensible choice; the train is a 36-hour journey.
Kovalam for a honeymoon
The beaches
Kovalam is three coves separated by rocky headlands. Lighthouse Beach is the famous one, a gentle crescent with a paved promenade of cafés and the striped Vizhinjam lighthouse on its southern headland (climb it in the late afternoon for the best photo of the coast). Hawa Beach next door is calmer and nicer in the morning, when the fishing boats come in. Samudra Beach to the north is the quiet one, with fewer facilities and the big resorts behind it. For a honeymoon, the Samudra side gives you privacy and the Lighthouse side gives you the evening walk; most couples stay on one and walk to the other.
Is the sea safe?
Kovalam has a proper lifeguard set-up. In March 2026 the authorities installed red-and-yellow flags at the six lifeguard stations along the beach and a siren system for emergencies, after three swimmers were pulled out of a strong undercurrent on a calm-looking evening. Swim only between the flags, stay waist-deep if you are not a confident swimmer, and skip the sea entirely during the June–September monsoon when the red flag is up most days. Resort pools exist for a reason.
Where to stay and what it costs
This is where Kovalam wins for a classic honeymoon. The headland and Samudra side have Kerala's best-known beach resorts, with sea-facing rooms, infinity pools and in-house Ayurveda. As indicative December 2026 rates, expect ₹15,000–40,000 per night for the top resorts, ₹6,000–12,000 for good sea-view boutique hotels near Lighthouse Beach, and ₹3,000–5,000 for simple guesthouses a street back. Prices vary a lot by date; Christmas week is the peak.
Beyond the beach
Kovalam's biggest advantage is Thiruvananthapuram city, 15 km away. For a Gujarati couple the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is usually the highlight: darshan runs in morning slots from about 3:30 am to noon and in the evening from about 5 pm to 7:20 pm (check spst.in before you go). Only Hindus are admitted, men wear a mundu or dhoti without a shirt, women a saree or long skirt and top, and phones and cameras stay outside; dhotis are on hire near the gate. Add the Napier Museum and a Kerala-meals lunch in the city. Poovar's backwater-meets-sea estuary is 15 km south of Kovalam for a half-day boat ride, and Kanyakumari (about 90 km) makes a long sunrise day trip.
Varkala for a honeymoon
The cliff
Varkala is the only place on the Kerala coast where a laterite cliff drops straight to the sand. The cliff system runs about 7.5 km through Edava, North Cliff and South Cliff, up to 40 metres high, and the Geological Survey of India has mapped a 6 km stretch as a geo-heritage site. The North Cliff path is where the cafés, shops and yoga schools are; South Cliff is quieter, with resorts set back from the edge; Papanasam beach sits below, reached by steep steps. The sunset from the cliff path, with the sea 30 metres below your table, is the single best honeymoon evening in southern Kerala.
One honest caution: the cliff is eroding. There were collapses and a partial pathway closure ordered by the District Disaster Management Authority in 2024, and the National Green Tribunal has sought reports. Signboards ask you to stay off the edge. Walk the inner side of the path after rain, don't sit on the lip for photos, and pick a resort that keeps a setback from the edge (most South Cliff properties keep around 100 metres).
Is the sea safe?
Papanasam beach is a long open beach with waves that are fine for a morning dip at low tide and rough in the afternoon. Lifeguard cover is thinner than at Kovalam, so treat it as a wade-and-splash beach rather than a swimming beach, and avoid it completely in the monsoon. Odayam and Kappil beaches to the north are quieter and prettier for a walk; Kappil has the backwater lake meeting the sea.
Where to stay and what it costs
Varkala is cheaper. Indicative December 2026 rates: ₹7,000–15,000 per night for the better cliff-top resorts and the one five-star on the beach, ₹3,500–7,000 for sea-view boutique rooms on North or South Cliff, and ₹2,000–3,500 for cottages one row back. Ask for a sea-facing room on South Cliff if you want sunset views without the café noise. Prices vary by date.
Beyond the beach
Varkala has more variety within an hour than Kovalam does. Jatayu Earth's Centre (about 26 km inland at Chadayamangalam) has the world's largest bird sculpture, a 61-metre Jatayu on a hilltop reached by cable car; as of November 2026 the published basic ticket is about ₹400 per person including the ride, open 10 am to 5:30 pm on weekdays and to 6 pm on weekends. In Varkala itself, the 2,000-year-old Janardhanaswamy temple (5 am–12 pm, 5–8 pm) sits right above the beach, and Sivagiri Mutt, Sree Narayana Guru's ashram, is a calm morning visit. Anchuthengu (Anjengo) fort, the East India Company's first post on this coast from 1695, is about 12 km south, and the Ponnumthuruthu island temple is a short boat ride from there.
Pure-veg and Jain food: Kovalam vs Varkala
Neither town has a Gujarati thali place, so plan around it. In Kovalam, the simplest route is your resort: the larger hotels will cook pure-veg and no-onion-no-garlic meals if the request is in the booking, and we add it to every honeymoon file. Trivandrum city has several long-running pure-veg hotels serving Kerala sadya-style meals, dosa and idiyappam, a 30-minute drive away. In Varkala, the cliff cafés are multi-cuisine (Italian, Israeli, continental, Kerala seafood) and almost all have a long veg list, but kitchens use onion and garlic freely and share counters with seafood. For Jain food, pick a resort that will cook for you, tell them a day ahead, and use the veg meals-on-banana-leaf places in Varkala town for lunch. Pack theplas and khakhra for the drives either way.
Best time for either beach
Mid-October to March is the season; December to February gives the calmest sea, the clearest sunsets and 28–32°C days. Christmas and New Year week is the most expensive fortnight on both beaches. April and May are hot and humid but quiet and cheap. June to September is the south-west monsoon: dramatic skies, rough seas, red flags, and many Varkala cliff cafés shut. Diwali week (6–11 November 2026, Dhanteras to Bhai Bij) is a good shoulder window: season weather, pre-Christmas prices.
A 6-night Kerala honeymoon with your beach choice
- Day 1 – Ahmedabad to Kochi to Munnar. Evening non-stop flight; stay the night near the airport or drive straight up (4 hours) if you land before 8 pm.
- Day 2 – Munnar. Tea-estate walk, Mattupetty dam, candle-light dinner at the resort.
- Day 3 – Munnar to Alleppey. Board a private houseboat by 12:30 pm; sunset on Vembanad Lake; overnight on board.
- Day 4 – Alleppey to the beach. Disembark at 9 am. Varkala route: 2.5–3 hours, check in by lunch, cliff sunset. Kovalam route: 3.5–4 hours via Trivandrum, check in by mid-afternoon, lighthouse climb before sunset.
- Day 5 – Beach day. Varkala: morning dip at Papanasam, Jatayu Earth's Centre after lunch, dinner on the cliff. Kovalam: couples' Ayurveda session, Poovar backwater boat in the afternoon, dinner at the resort.
- Day 6 – Temple morning. Kovalam: Padmanabhaswamy darshan and Trivandrum city. Varkala: Janardhanaswamy temple and Sivagiri, then drive to Trivandrum (1–1.5 hours).
- Day 7 – Fly home from Thiruvananthapuram via Bengaluru or Chennai, landing in Ahmedabad the same evening or next morning.
Indicative all-in cost for the couple in December, excluding flights: from about ₹65,000 for good 3-star hotels and a deluxe houseboat, from about ₹1,10,000 with a Kovalam beach resort and 4-star hills, and upwards of ₹1,80,000 for a luxury version. Flights add roughly ₹50,000–65,000 for two on the open-jaw routing. All figures vary by date and hotel.
Who should pick which
- Resort honeymoon, spa, privacy, late flight home: Kovalam.
- Sunsets, cafés, a relaxed walkable vibe, lower room rates: Varkala.
- Parents joining for part of the trip: Kovalam, for the temple and the flatter walking (Varkala's cliff steps are steep).
- Keen swimmers: Kovalam, between the flags, in season.
- Four or more beach nights: both, Varkala first.
Both beaches slot into any of the Kerala itineraries on our Kerala tour packages from Ahmedabad page, and our honeymoon holidays page shows how we build the hills-houseboat-beach combination. If you are still deciding between Kerala and the mountains, read our Kerala vs Kashmir for honeymoon comparison. For the full list of Kerala packages, including a 6-night Kovalam stay, see Kerala tour packages, and remember to add travel insurance; it is inexpensive for domestic trips and covers the flight disruptions that one-stop routings occasionally suffer.
FAQ
Kovalam or Varkala: which is better for a honeymoon?
Kovalam for a resort-style honeymoon with a spa, privacy and a quick airport transfer; Varkala for sunsets, cliff cafés and lower prices. Most couples we plan for choose Kovalam when it is a two-night beach leg at the end of a Munnar–Alleppey trip, and Varkala when they want a longer, slower beach stay.
How far is Varkala from Kovalam?
About 55 km by road, 1.5 hours in normal traffic. You can also take a train from Trivandrum Central to Varkala Sivagiri in 30–50 minutes and a short auto ride to the cliff.
Is Varkala cliff safe to visit?
Yes, with care. The cliff is eroding, and after collapses in 2024 the authorities closed a section of the path and put up warning boards. Stay on the inner side of the path, avoid the edge after rain, and choose a resort set back from the lip.
Can we swim at Kovalam?
In season, yes, between the red-and-yellow lifeguard flags at the six staffed points. Undercurrents can be strong even when the sea looks calm, so stay close to shore. Avoid the sea in the June–September monsoon.
Is pure-veg and Jain food available in Kovalam and Varkala?
Yes, with planning. Resort kitchens in both places cook pure-veg and no-onion-no-garlic meals when told in advance; Trivandrum city has pure-veg Kerala meal hotels; Varkala cliff cafés have many veg dishes but shared kitchens. We put the food note in every booking.
Is there a direct flight from Ahmedabad to Trivandrum?
No, as of November 2026. Fly non-stop to Kochi and finish your trip at the beach, flying home from Thiruvananthapuram with one stop, or take a one-stop flight both ways via Bengaluru or Chennai.
Planning a Kerala honeymoon from Ahmedabad?
Tell us your dates and whether you lean Kovalam or Varkala, and we will build a private Munnar–Alleppey–beach itinerary with pure-veg or Jain meals arranged, honeymoon inclusions and the open-jaw flights sorted. Vibrant Holidays has planned honeymoons from C G Road, Ahmedabad for 11 years.
Call toll-free 1800-313-4262 · 2nd Floor, Ashish Complex, Above Liberty Showroom, Swastik Cross Roads, C G Road, Ahmedabad – 380009 · www.vibrant.holiday
Fares, hotel rates, ticket prices and timings in this article are indicative, checked on 1 November 2026, and change with season and date. We never promise specific fares; confirm at booking.
