Varkala is a coastal town in the southern part of Kerala known for the unique 15m high 'Northern Cliff' adjacent to the Arabian Sea. Varkala has some of the best pristine beaches, hills, lakes, forts, lighthouses, natural fisheries and springs - all of this together makes this town a little paradise. It is popular for its hippie culture, shacks on the cliff serving great seafood and playing global music and the samadhi of Kerala's saint Sree Narayana Guru. Varkala is the only town in Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These Cenozoic sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala coast, and are known among geologists as Varkala Formation. The cliffs have been declared a national geological monument by the Geological Survey of India for their protection, maintenance, promotion, and the enhancement of geotourism. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs. In 2015, the Ministry of Mines, the Government of India, and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared Varkala Cliffs a geo-heritage site. 

How To Reach Varkala Mentioned Below 

BY AIR

Nearest airport is at Thiruvananthapuram located around 45 km away from the beach town. It caters to over 40 international and national flights and over a thousand passengers every day. Flights connect Thiruvananthapuram to many major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi (Cochin), Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. It is also connected by flight to several destinations in Middle East. Pre-paid taxis are available from the airport to Varkala.

BY TRAIN

Varkala lies on the rail line connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam. However, all trains do not stop at the station. Thiruvananthapuram is the major rail head close to Varkala. Thiruvananthapuram is connected by rail to several Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru. Taxis can be hired from the railway station to Varkala.

BY ROAD

The state-government run KSRTC plies buses regularly from Thiruvananthapuram. Tourists coming from Kochi can board a bus to Thiruvananthapuram and get down at Attingal to catch a connecting bus to Varkala. Buses can get crowded and the journey can get a tad tedious.