Alleppey

One of the best places to visit in Alleppey is Kuttanad Backwaters. This isn’t a place, it’s a phenomenon. It is a spectacular lagoon, surrounded by the beauty of lakes, rivers, canals, misty mountains and ethereal landscapes.The experience of floating along the pristine backwaters on a houseboat is inexplicable. You will have to live it to know it! The place is also known as the ‘Rice bowl of Kerala,’ for its stunning rice plantations.

St. Mary's Forane Church is famous for its religious significance and as a prominent Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in a particular region, typically dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This beautiful church traces its existence back to 835 AD and is known for its events, Friday Liturgy and educational institutions. Currently, the church is a world-renowned center of pilgrimage, where one can know more about the culture and lifestyle of the Christians.The other feast celebrated here is St. Sebastian’s Feast. Fireworks and other dazzling display of colors make this feast remarkable, interesting and fun. The gorgeous decorations, feast and regal look of the church make it one of the best places to visit in Alleppey.

The Alleppey Lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction located in Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kerala, India, offering stunning panoramic views of the coastal area and serving as a historic beacon for maritime navigation.Famous as the Alappuzha lighthouse, the Alleppey lighthouse can be spotted from miles away. A humongous tower celebrating the solitude by the coastal strip wearing strips of red and white is how it has best reminisced.

Alleppey Beach is a renowned seaside destination in the coastal town of Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kerala, famous for its golden sands, serene backwaters, and vibrant beach culture. This stunningly beautiful beach is known for its vast, endless stretches, thereby proving as a getaway for couples as well as families. The beach is also close to Sea View Park, which offers an opportunity to enjoy and have fun through different types of boat rides. A picnic spot is located close-by, therefore families can enjoy a day off at the beach and picnic at that spot. The beach is often referred to as the ‘Venice of the East,’ because of its romantic location and popularity among European countries.

St. Andrew's Basilica Arthunkal is a significant religious pilgrimage site known for its annual feast dedicated to St. Sebastian, drawing thousands of devotees and tourists.It has been renovated many times in history but always it has always stood tall and strong. With its majestic architecture and proximity to the Arthunkal Beach, St. Andrew’s Basilica is probably the most popular spiritual edifice in Alleppey.

Karumadi is a historical village, known for the ancient Karumadi Kuttan, a partially broken granite statue of Lord Buddha believed to date back to the 9th or 10th century.What makes this statue even more alluring is the fact that the left-hand side of this Sri Buddha Statue is missing. Several travelers, especially the ones who are gravely ill or have someone who is ill, come to this village and touch the feet of this Lord Buddha statue because is believed that the statue has healing powers which can be directly transferred to the healer or the victim.

Marari Beach is a popular coastal destination. celebrated for its pristine sandy shores, tranquil backwaters, and eco-friendly tourism, offering a relaxed and serene getaway for visitors.This beautiful destination is known for being a beach symphony, thanks to its glistening sands and crystal clear waters. Watching sunrise and sunset here is quite a romantic experience that couples would love to enjoy. The place is rated as one of the World’s Top five Hammock Beaches by the National Geographic Survey. Marari Beach is known for providing unique experiences to travelers. Taking them away from modern life, this beach gives them an opportunity to unwind and to enjoy the different facets and bounties of life and nature. The village by the sea is one of the best places to visit in Alleppey where one can go to learn more about the culture and heritage of Kerala.

Pandavan Rock is a historical site with large rock formations associated with the Pandavas from the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, and is believed to have served as their shelter during their period of exile.Thus, it is one of the best places to see in Alleppey. It is also quite famous as a picnic spot. The route to the caves is easy but elder people should avoid the trail, in case they suffer from health problems. The rock caves are adjoined by the Kallada Dam, which is a tourist attraction as well.

Pathiramanal is a small island located in Kerala's Vembanad Lake, known for its lush greenery, rich birdlife, and its role as a popular stop for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.It is a bird watcher’s paradise since it is supposed to hold approximately 91 local species of birds and 50 species of migratory birds. The location of the island is extremely scenic, making it a lovely space to observe birds and the water. It is also completely uninhabited so you don’t have to worry about the crowd and hawkers disrupting the beauty. However, because it is uninhabited and not a major tourist hotspot, you will find that it lacks the usual facilities that bring tourists to comfort like benches in order to sit, restrooms, and places to buy food from. Let this not be a distraction since the island is very small and can be toured within an hour, which means that you won’t necessarily be inconvenienced by the lack of facilities, especially if you go prepared.

Vembanad Lake is renowned as the longest lake in India and one of the largest in the state. It is famous for its picturesque backwaters, rich biodiversity, and as a popular destination for houseboat cruises, making it a key tourist attraction in the region.Boating in this lake is a part of a backwater trip in Kerala. The Kumarakom Tourist Village offers houseboat cruises and holiday packages that you can take advantage of and so have the best possible backwater boating experience on your trip. The lake is full of exciting possibilities- just imagine yourself floating on the lake early in the morning, sipping a hot cup of coffee and listening to the gentle lapping of the waves and chirping of birds. Now that is peace and happiness!

Ambalapuzha Temple is one of the most rewarding places to visit in Alleppey. The temple is the oldest Krishna temples in Kerala and among the oldest in India too. The temple has a lovely, soothing ambiance which will calm you down and make you simply want to sit in the temple for hours on the end. Ambalapuzha Temple is also a favorite hangout spot of foreigners. And it deserves all the attention it gets.The inner sanctum is decorated with paintings of Sri Krishna and the other incarnations of Lord Vishnu. A large mandapam outside is a great place to sit and absorb the atmosphere of the temple. Because of its importance in the Vaishnava tradition, the temple is also popularly considered to be the “Dwarka of the South”, which is a great distinction to confer on a place.

Champakulam is a captivating rural set up on the banks of Pampa River in Alappuzha district, with lush greens paddy fields and coconut trees forming a perfect picturesque, lying amidst the rice bowl of Kerala. Champakulam Moolam Boat Race is the oldest tradition and a must to view in Kerala. If willing to move around visit the Champakulam Church which is one of the oldest churches in India.T his church has witnessed a lot of tourists in herds as well as various changes with time enhancing its heritage furthermore. Nearby this locale is a place that manufactures wooden statues of the Lord Christ and exports the same all across the globe.

This is one of the unique places to visit in Alleppey. Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple, as the name suggests, is a temple devoted to snakes. In fact, it is actually an important place of worship for the devotees of the serpent god or Nagaraja. The Mannarasala Temple is the biggest of its kind in Kerala and is considered to be a powerful place of worship.Most snake temples are located deep inside forests, and Mannarasala is no different. It stands deep within the forest glade but this does not deter pilgrims. The temple witnesses a lot of people coming in daily; people who come to the temple in order to pray. Women who desire babies come here to pray for fertility. Once the wish comes true, the baby is brought to the temple and a ceremony felicitating the powers of Nagaraja is held.

A century-old temple set in the most beautiful part of Alleppey—this is Mullakkal Bhagavathy Temple for you. It is frequently visited by pilgrims, architects, street photographers, seekers, and of course, travelers. The 500-year-old temple is known for its deity, Goddess Bhagavathy, who stands tall at a height of 20 feet inside the temple.One of the top places to visit in Alleppey, this temple forbids men with upper body clothes to enter inside the inner sanctum. If you want to learn about the culture of Alleppey people, then do not miss the temple’s Thaipooya Kavadi festival.

The ancestral home of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, this Bhawan is also a pilgrim. One of the best Alleppey tourist places of all time, Chavara Bhawan intends to serve humanity. This tranquil place is surrounded by paddy fields and the backwaters of Alleppey, which alone makes it one of the most sought after places to see in Alleppey. It was built in 1805, and since then, has contributed to the development of humanity. It is located in a quaint village called Kainakary, which is surrounded by water from all sides. Thus, The Bhawan is only accessible by boat.

Kayamkulam Lake used to be a lake before the authorities decided to break the bar separating it from the Arabian Sea to build a fishing harbor. As a result, it is now a lagoon. It is a place full of activities including fishing, races or other touristic activities. The aquatic life in this lagoon is very viable commercially, hence the popularity of the spot as a fishing ground.Alongside the fish, many birds also make themselves at home in the environs surrounding the waterbody. Expect a variety of activity zones here. You can use the Cycling Track or Recreation Room or lunch on the floating restaurant or pay a visit to the Tsunami Museum or the Adventure zone.

Your trip to Kerala is incomplete without visiting at least one of its beaches. Vijaya Beach Park is the place to head to when looking for beach locations in Alleppey. This park is actually a children’s park on Alappuzha Beach managed by the Kerala Municipal Board. There are a variety of things you can do here and a good amount of facilities you can make use of to enjoy the beach experience better. If you are with children, let them have a go on the trains, slides, and swings set up for them. There are rides for adults too. Excellent boating facilities are offered here too. A large variety of cultural programs are also enacted for the benefit of tourists and there are some entertaining events which you can take part in. The park also boasts of a video game area where your young ones can have fun.