Alleppey's main beach is 2km west of the city centre; swimming is fraught due to strong currents, but the sunsets are good and there are a few places for a drink or a snack. Unfortunately, at research time, the setting was being slightly ruined by the construction of an enormous flyover road right by the beach.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
11.88 MILES
This reserve on the 5-hectare site of a former rubber plantation on Vembanad Lake is the haunt of a variety of domestic and migratory birds. October to…
26.9 MILES
Two kilometres south of Kayamkulam (35km north of Kollam), this restored mid-18th-century palace is one of the finest remaining examples of royal Keralan…
St Mary’s Syrian Knanaya Church
14.95 MILES
Perched on a low-lying riverside hill 2km northwest of central Kottayam, this bright-white church was founded in 1550 by Syrian Knanaya Christians (the…
14.97 MILES
Built by the Portuguese, 2km northwest of central Kottayam, the elegant 1579 Cheriapally (Little Church) fuses European baroque architecture with Keralan…
0.86 MILES
In a grand building fronted by Greco-Roman columns, this intriguing museum houses a priceless, astonishing collection of crystal, porcelain, South Indian…
20.74 MILES
The Shiva temple at Ettumanur, 12km north of Kottayam, has inscriptions dating from 1542, but parts of the building may be even older. It's noted for its…
0.22 MILES
A few blocks back from the beach, the candy-striped 1862 lighthouse contains a small museum with an original oil lamp, but is best visited for the 360…
18.59 MILES
Devotees make offerings at this 400-year-old Vishnu temple, 2km southwest from Tiruvalla (28km south of Kottayam), in the form of regular, traditional all…
Nearby Alappuzha (Alleppey) attractions
0.22 MILES
A few blocks back from the beach, the candy-striped 1862 lighthouse contains a small museum with an original oil lamp, but is best visited for the 360…
0.86 MILES
In a grand building fronted by Greco-Roman columns, this intriguing museum houses a priceless, astonishing collection of crystal, porcelain, South Indian…
1.73 MILES
One of Alleppey's most popular Hindu temples, in the busy bazaar area.
1.8 MILES
Dedicated to the goddess Bhuvaneshvari, this major Hindu temple in central Alleppey has a soaring, rainbow-coloured Tamil Nadu–style gopuram.
11.88 MILES
This reserve on the 5-hectare site of a former rubber plantation on Vembanad Lake is the haunt of a variety of domestic and migratory birds. October to…
7. St Mary’s Syrian Knanaya Church
14.95 MILES
Perched on a low-lying riverside hill 2km northwest of central Kottayam, this bright-white church was founded in 1550 by Syrian Knanaya Christians (the…
14.97 MILES
Built by the Portuguese, 2km northwest of central Kottayam, the elegant 1579 Cheriapally (Little Church) fuses European baroque architecture with Keralan…