Varkala in 2 days: what to see, in what order

A Vishnu temple about 2,000 years old by local tradition, on a rise above Papanasam Beach, with a long flight of steps up from the sea. Pilgrims bathe at the beach below, whose name means washing away of sins, before they pray here, above all for rites for the dead.

Tip: Only Hindus may enter the inner temple; men go in shirtless and in a mundu or dhoti. The outer courtyard and the steps are open to all.

The hilltop headquarters of the order founded by Sree Narayana Guru, the social reformer who preached one caste, one religion, one god for all. His samadhi, a white domed shrine, sits on the hill with the Sarada Mutt temple he built nearby.

Tip: Dress modestly; photography is not allowed inside the shrines. The Sivagiri pilgrimage from 30 December to 1 January draws very large crowds.

A small island in the backwaters about 12 km south of Varkala, reached by country boat from Nedunganda in about 30 minutes, with an old Shiva and Parvathi temple among the coconut palms. The ride passes fishing nets and village banks, a quieter taste of the backwaters than Alleppey.

Tip: There is no entry fee; agree the boat fare and the time on the island before you set off. Allow about an hour and a half for the round trip.

A fort built by the English East India Company in the 1690s, one of its first footholds in Kerala, now a quiet walled square of laterite above the sea with old graves of company men in its grounds.

Tip: Shade is scarce; carry water. The lighthouse is a two-minute walk away.

A red and white lighthouse beside the fort, with a view from the top over the fort walls, the fishing village of Anchuthengu, the backwater and the sea.

Tip: Only open in the late afternoon. Bags and cameras may carry a small extra fee; the stairs are narrow.

A sculpture of the bird Jatayu from the Ramayana, about 200 feet long, lying on a rock hilltop at Chadayamangalam, about 28 km inland. A cable car climbs to it, and the top has a museum inside the bird and wide views over the hills.

Tip: Tickets are sold at the gate, about Rs 400 to 550 with the cable car. Adventure activities cost extra and are booked separately.

A strip of sand where Kappil backwater lake meets the sea, about 8 km north of the cliff, with coconut palms on one side and surf on the other. The district tourism boat club under the bridge hires out pedal and rowing boats on the lake.

Tip: The sea here has strong currents; swim only where the lifeguards say. The boats leave from below the Kappil bridge.

A cove of dark sand at the north end of the cliff, below Odayam, quieter than Papanasam. The black colour comes from minerals in the sand.

Tip: The walk back to the North Cliff along the top takes about 20 minutes.