A guide to Colachel – the hidden beach paradise of Tamilnadu

With its really lengthy coast-line, Tamilnadu is a beach-lover’s paradise with all kinds of interesting beaches belonging to it. You may have seen all the big and popular ones, but without a visit to the beautiful Colachel beach, your Tamilnadu beach experience can’t be considered complete. This pretty and cosy beach is hidden away somewhere on the coast of Kanyakumari and makes for a beautiful visit.

What makes Colachel special? It turns out that there is quite a history to this beach town. It has played a major part in defending our country from the early Dutch invasions when the Tranavancore kings ruled it. And it isn’t just about history either. Today, the Colachel beach is one of the most pristine beaches in the southern coast that can lift up your senses with all its untouched beauty and the serenity.

Why travel to Colachel

If you are a traveler who likes places that are not over-crowded, Colachel is something you would cherish, for all the solitude that it offers. The beaches are clean and blue as they are not filled with people. And this makes for a great beach experience for any beach-lover.

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The ‘victory pillar’ that was built by Tranavancore king Marthanda Varma on the Colachel beach is a popular structure that draws visitors here. This 17-feet structure is a symbol of the victory of the Tranvancore forces against the early Dutch invasions and stands beautiful on the major beach of this quiet town.

The Dutch seem to have had an influence on this town as well as we see plenty of ancient churches with beautiful architecture in this town, some of which you should visit.

Top things to do in Colachel

Visit the Paraikal beach which happens to be one of the most beautiful beaches of the town; Pay a visit to many of the old churches in around town such as the Basilica of our lady of Presentation, St.Joseph’s church and Kalimur St.Antony’s church; The Colachel market which is where most of the fish and other sea food is sold is also a place where you can find some interesting local treasures to shop for; Sometimes we get to witness some of the ancient dance and theatre art forms being exhibited in one of the temples here if we get lucky.

Cuisine on offer

The sea food of Colachel is quite popular and the fish curry that is made here especially is worth tasting in one of the many small restaurants and snack stalls that are along the beaches here.

When to go

Being a coastal town, Colachel is mostly warm and humid throughout the year and the best time to visit is from November to March when the weather is considerably colder.

Getting there

By Air : Trivandrum is the closest airport to Colachel and you can reach here from Trivandrum through a cab or bus in about a couple of hours or slightly more.

By Road : There is a good road structure that leads to Colachel from many of the surrounding towns and cities that are around which makes it easier for travelling through road to Colachel whethere you decide to drive or take the many buses that connect to the town.

By Rail : Colachel’s closest railways station is Eraniel, a town that is about 8km away from it.

Getting around in Colachel :

Since the town is small, you can walk around through the most of it. You can also travel through the many auto rickshaws that you can spot in the town if not the local buses.

Accommodation:

Colachel is too small a town with no good places to stay and hence we would recommend that you stay in Nagercoil which is about 30 minutes away from here while you visit here. Places such as the Pioneer grand palace and Parvathi residency are good to stay at in Nagercoil and many more you can choose from here.

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