If you are choosing between Kovalam and Varkala for surfing, the short answer is that both are good places to learn, and they suit slightly different trips. Kovalam is the established beach town just south of Thiruvananthapuram, close to the airport, with a surf scene built around Lighthouse Beach and the Kovalam Surf Club. Varkala sits north of the city, with a red laterite cliff above its main beach and quieter sand-bottom beach breaks to the north, such as Edava and Kappil. Surf guides generally rate Varkala as the more consistent of the two, and both are at their best from roughly October to March.
We run a surf school at Edava, so we are not neutral about Varkala. But we are also listed with the Kovalam Surf Club and share the same coastline, and plenty of our guests surf both. Here is an honest comparison.
Where the two towns are
Thiruvananthapuram, also called Trivandrum, sits between them. Kovalam is south of the city, about 12 to 16 km from the airport according to Kerala Tourism (Kerala Tourism). Varkala is north of the city; from the airport, Edava is about an hour by road, depending on traffic. Our guide on how to reach Varkala covers the trains and roads in detail.
Allow a couple of hours by road between the two towns, depending on city traffic. That is close enough to split a trip between them.
One note on names: there is also a Kovalam near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, often called Covelong, with a surf scene of its own. This guide is about Kovalam in Kerala.
The waves in Varkala
Varkala is a stretch of beaches rather than a single spot. The Surf Atlas guide to Kerala calls Varkala the single best surf spot in the state, and singles out two breaks, Kappil and Edava, which it says can produce glassy, head-high sets on a good swell (Surf Atlas).
- Edava, where we teach, is a sand-bottom beach break. With no rock or reef underneath, it is forgiving for beginners, and on bigger, cleaner days the outside peaks give intermediate surfers room to turn.
- Kappil, further north where the backwater meets the sea, can be excellent but has stronger currents. It is best left to confident surfers and guided sessions.
- The main beach below the cliff, Papanasam, is busier with swimmers and has pilgrims and rituals on the sand, so it is less suited to surfing.
Our guide to surfing in Varkala goes through each beach, and which one works on which tide and swell.
The waves in Kovalam
Kovalam's surf centres on Lighthouse Beach and the beaches next to it. Kerala Tourism describes the waves there as moderate, with enough energy for pop-ups, balance and clean rides, and notes that the rocky contours around Lighthouse Beach help shape predictable breaks (Kerala Tourism).
Surf Atlas describes Kovalam as a series of points and beach breaks, including Hawa Beach, a peeling left on its best days, and a point break off the rocks under the lighthouse at the south end of the beach. The same guide says Kovalam lacks a touch of Varkala's consistency, so a flat day is a real possibility (Surf Atlas). Its dedicated Kovalam guide agrees: mostly beach breaks, with some points mixed in that can show quality on the right swell (Surf Atlas).
Where Varkala's northern beaches are mostly open sand, Kovalam's rocks and headlands pack more variety into a small area.
When to go: the season is the same
Both towns share the same coast and the same calendar. Kerala Tourism gives October to March as the best period for surfing at Kovalam, and Surf Atlas gives the same window for the state as a whole, when longer-period groundswells arrive in the dry season. From June to September the southwest monsoon brings heavy rain and rough, stormy sea to the whole coast, and lessons pause or move to the calmest days.
October is the opening of the season, November to February usually brings the most settled weather, and March and April get hotter with smaller swells. Our Varkala surf season guide goes month by month, and most of it applies to Kovalam too.
For beginners
Both are good places to learn, and the right choice depends more on the school than the town.
- Kovalam has gentle waves at Lighthouse Beach, and Kerala Tourism describes it as particularly well suited to first-timers, with guided, paced lessons.
- Varkala has more beaches to choose from. At Edava, the whitewater on the inside is where beginners stand up, and the sand bottom means a fall is a splash rather than a scrape.
Whichever town you pick, look for small groups, an instructor watching from the water, and a school that checks the sea before every session. Our guide on how to choose a surf school in Varkala lists what to ask.
For intermediate surfers
If you can already paddle out and ride green waves, the question becomes consistency and variety. Varkala's run of beaches gives you options when one break is closed out or too small, and Surf Atlas rates it the more consistent of the two. Kovalam's points and reefs can offer better-shaped waves on the right swell, but need that swell to turn on. Many intermediate surfers base themselves in one town and drive to the other when the forecast favours it.
How the two towns feel
Kovalam is one of Kerala's best-known beach towns, with a busy promenade along Lighthouse Beach, the lighthouse at its south end, and plenty of hotels and restaurants. Being close to the airport makes it easy for a short trip.
Varkala splits in two. The cliff above Papanasam has cafés, shops and sunset crowds; the northern beaches, including Edava and Odayam, are working fishing beaches where the evenings are quiet. If you want to surf in the morning and be somewhere calm after dark, the north suits you. Our comparison of Edava and the Varkala cliff explains the difference.
The Kovalam Surf Club and the local scene
Kerala's surf scene owes a lot to Kovalam. The Kovalam Surf Club, on Lighthouse Beach opposite Hotel Wilson, was set up in 2005 by local surfer Mani Sreekumar and Belgian surfer Jelle Rigole (Adventure.com). It works on a principle of "No school, No surfing": local children surf for free as long as they keep going to school. The club runs a surf school, board rental, accommodation and transport (Kovalam Surf Club).
We are listed with the club, and we see ourselves as part of the same growing scene. The state now runs its own contest too: the second International Surfing Festival was held at Edava in 2025, which we wrote about in our festival guide.
Surfing both in one trip
Because the airport sits close to Kovalam and Varkala is about an hour north, a split trip is easy:
- Land and stay in Kovalam for two or three days. Surf Lighthouse Beach, watch the club's local surfers, and settle in after the flight.
- Move north to Varkala for the rest of the week. Base yourself at a quieter beach, take a course of lessons or surf Edava and Kappil, and add the cliff, the backwaters and a day trip.
- Check the forecast each evening. If one town looks better tomorrow, it is a short drive away.
If you are coming mainly to learn, one base is usually better than two: progress comes from surfing the same beach every day with the same coaches.
Kovalam vs Varkala at a glance
| Kovalam | Varkala | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | South of Trivandrum, 12 to 16 km from the airport | North of Trivandrum, about an hour from the airport |
| Main surf spots | Lighthouse Beach, Hawa Beach, the lighthouse point | Edava, Kappil and the northern beaches |
| Wave types | Points and beach breaks around rocks | Mostly sand-bottom beach breaks |
| Consistency | Surf guides rate it less consistent | Surf guides rate it the more consistent |
| Best season | October to March | October to March |
| Feel | Established beach town, busy promenade | Lively cliff, quiet fishing beaches to the north |
| Good for | Beginners, short trips near the airport | Beginners, longer trips, surf courses |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kovalam or Varkala better for surfing?
Surf guides generally rate Varkala as the more consistent, with breaks such as Edava and Kappil. Kovalam has gentle waves at Lighthouse Beach and some good points on the right swell. Both are good for beginners; for a longer surf trip, Varkala's range of beaches gives you more options.
When is the surf season in Kerala?
Roughly October to March for both towns, when the monsoon has passed and cleaner groundswells arrive. June to September is the monsoon, with rough sea and heavy rain.
How far is Kovalam from Varkala?
They are on opposite sides of Thiruvananthapuram. Allow a couple of hours by road, depending on traffic through the city.
Can complete beginners learn to surf in Kovalam and Varkala?
Yes. Both have gentle beginner waves in season and surf schools that teach first-timers. Look for small groups and an instructor in the water with you.
What is the Kovalam Surf Club?
A surf club on Lighthouse Beach in Kovalam, set up in 2005, that teaches local children to surf on the condition that they stay in school. It also runs a surf school, board rental, accommodation and transport.
Is Kovalam in Kerala the same as Covelong?
No. Covelong is another name for Kovalam near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, a separate surf spot on India's east coast. The Kovalam in this guide is in Kerala, near Thiruvananthapuram.