Introduction
Not to be confused with Covelong, a fishing village in Chennai.Beach and seaside resort in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Locality in Kerala, IndiaKovalamLocalityFrom top to bottom: 1. View of Kovalam Harbour
2.The Kovalam lighthouse
3.Development along the Karamana RiverKovalamShow map of KeralaKovalamShow map of IndiaCoordinates: 8°24′01″N 76°58′43″E / 8.4004°N 76.9787°E / 8.4004; 76.9787CountryIndiaStateKeralaDistrictThiruvananthapuram districtGovernment • TypeMunicipal Corporation • BodyCorporation of ThiruvananthapuramLanguages • OfficialMalayalam, EnglishTime zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)Postal code695527
Kovalam (Malayalam: [koːʋɐɭɐm]) is a beach and seaside resort in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. Kovalam is located 12.6 km (7.8 mi) southeast of the city center. The beaches around Kovalam are popular vacation destinations for both domestic and international travellers.
Etymology
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Kovalam means "coconut grove", after the coconut trees which are common there.
History
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Kovalam first received attention when the Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore constructed her beach resort, Halcyon Castle, here towards the end of the 1920s. Thereafter, the place was brought to the public eye by her nephew, the Maharaja of Travancore. The European guests of the then Travancore kingdom discovered the potential of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. In the early 1970s, many hippies came on their way to Ceylon via the hippie trail, beginning the transformation of a casual fishing village in Kerala into a significant tourist destination.
Geography
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Beaches[edit]
Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline, the three together form the crescent of the Kovalam beach.
Lighthouse Beach – the southernmost beach, the Lighthouse Beach, is named after the 118 feet (36 m) Vizhinjam Lighthouse located on top of the Kurumkal hillock.
Hawah Beach – also known as Eve's Beach, consists of a high rock promontory and a bay, and is used by local fishermen.
Samudra Beach – separated from the Lighthouse Beach by a large promontory, it is also used by local fishermen.
Ashoka Beach – sea-wall to see the sea above the rocks and swimmable shallow waters
Tourist facilities[edit]
Kovalam was among the most prominent tourist spots in India during the hippie era.[citation needed] It still has a high status among tourists, who arrive mostly from Europe and Israel.[citation needed] Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several Ayurvedic salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists.
One of the first hotels to open there was the Kovalam Beach Resort, which was designed by Charles Correa from 1969 to 1974.
Transport[edit]
The nearest train station is Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station, about 16 km (9.94 mi) away. The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 10 km (6.21 mi) away.
