Three people sitting on a clifftop path above the sea, watching the sunset

Experiences

Sunrise & Sunset Treks

Walk the cliff line while the light is doing its best work. North at dawn when it's empty, south at dusk when the sky goes ember.

Easy coastal walking, sandals fine. Dawn treks end at breakfast; sunset treks end wherever the music is.

A dusk sky of dark cloud and orange light over the sea

How it runs

Walking the cliff: the practical bits

The cliff itself: Red laterite, and southern Kerala has no other cliffs on the sea. The Geological Survey of India has declared them a national geological monument.
Getting there: About ten minutes from Edava by scooter or auto-rickshaw. Evening parking near the cliff is limited, so a scooter is easier than a car.
At dawn: The path is close to empty at first light, before the cafés open their shutters.
At dusk: South Cliff is usually calmer than North Cliff at sunset. In December and January, get there early if you want a café table facing west.
Below the cliff: Steps lead down to Papanasam beach. The Janardhana Swamy temple, thought to be one of the oldest in Kerala, is a short walk from the sand. Cover shoulders and knees, and give families room for their ceremonies, which often happen early in the morning.
Take care: The path runs beside real drops, in places with no railing between you and the edge. Keep a step back, tread carefully once it has rained, and be doubly careful after dark or with small children.
How to ask: Say so at the house the evening before.

Sunset over the Arabian Sea. Filmed at Kuma Surf. Watch: Sunset over the Arabian Sea near Kuma Surf House

Dawn or dusk

A Varkala cliff walk, timed to the light

Same coastline, both ends of the day. North at dawn, south at dusk, and never quite the same walk. Mornings are for having the path mostly to yourself. Evenings are for the sky.

The dawn cliff walk ends at breakfast, which is the right order for those two things. The sunset one has no fixed finish and tends to end up wherever the music is.

It is free for guests.

Two fishermen carrying a long beige fishing net along wet sand while surfers wade into the sea behind them — Nets one way, surfboards the other.

On the doorstep

A working coast, not a backdrop

Edava is a public beach with fishing boats on it, and plenty of the people out on this coast are at work, not on holiday.

Nets come up the sand while surfboards go out past them. Give both a little room, and ask before you photograph someone hauling a net.

A woman in sandals carries a teal soft-top over coastal rocks and green creepers, another woman with a white board behind — Right footwear. Wrong accessory for a walk.

What to wear

Sandals will do

The walking is easy. No boots, no poles, nothing to rent.

Bring water, and a hat if the sun is still up. The surfboard can stay at the house.