The town of Kovalam is situated along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in South India. Kovalam is a famous beach destination visited by Indian and international tourists all round the year. It is 15 km from the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram.

The word ‘Kovalam’ in Malayalam stands for ‘a groove of coconut trees’. Kovalam was a cluster of small fishing villages during the pre-Independence era that belonged to the state of Travancore. The earlier history of Kovalam is very obscure.

 The town of Kovalam came to the lime light during the reign of the Maharaja of Travancore in the 1930s. The Maharaja of Travancore was so impressed by the beauty of the place that he spent a lot of his leisure time on the beaches of Kovalam. He also invited his European friends over to this place and they made the place popular.

Kovalam shot to fame during the 1970s, during the era of the hippies. The town witnessed a heavy influx of hippies taken in by the beauty of the place. Since then, Kovalam became famous among international tourists. Some small fishing villages still exist in Kovalam which are at a distance of 4 km from the beachfront.

Kovalam consists of crescent shaped sandy beaches. 

The best time to visit the destination is from November to March.