Varkala

If you're looking for beaches and are fed up with the crowds and prices at Kovalam, then it's well worth checking out Varkala. The best times to go, are of course in the season, when the beach extends out all around the cliff face for 500 m. The beaches around this area are excellent and if you're looking for a cheap holiday Varkala should definitely be on your list. In the off season its really mellow and relaxed, swim and sleep and chill out. Only in December does it get really busy and prices start rocketing till January/February, when it starts to quieten down. The main season runs from Dec 1st- March 31st, with December & early January experiencing the biggest rush. If you want to go out of season, then you can stay very cheaply and of course avoid the crowd. Varkala is quite a new place to hang out in India and has only been developed as a tourist destination in the last years. Slowly even the north of Varkala Beach gets developed for tourists.