Kovalam, Coastal neighborhood in Thiruvananthapuram district, India
Kovalam occupies a stretch of coastline in Thiruvananthapuram district with three crescent-shaped beaches separated by rocky headlands. A lighthouse marks the southern edge of Lighthouse Beach and can be seen from almost every point along the shore.
Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore built Halcyon Castle as her beach residence in the 1920s and opened the area to visitors. The three beaches developed into an internationally known coastal destination from the 1970s onward.
Fishermen launch their boats from Hawah Beach and Samudra Beach each morning, selling their catch directly on the shore. Visitors can watch them unload their nets and observe working methods passed down across generations.
Access to the sea is available at each of the three beaches, with Lighthouse Beach receiving the most visitors. The other two sections offer a quieter setting and fewer crowds, especially on weekdays outside the main holiday periods.
The rocks near the lighthouse create natural pools that form calm bathing areas at low tide. The water remains shallow and warm in these sheltered zones even when the open sea becomes rough.
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