A wonderful expanse of white sand where the crabs are 100 to 1 compared to the tourists is where the small beach town of Mararikulam lies. Mararikulam boasts restaurants, hotels and small guest houses which are located along the Arabian sea. It’s backed by another small town of Alleppey and is on the edge of the famous backwaters of Kerala. This makes Mararikulam one of the lesser known beauties of South India.

Unlike the busy beaches of Goa, Mararikulam offers a peaceful beach where you can relax as you explore the rest of Kerala.

Some Experience In Mararikulam

We have enjoyed our best moments in Varkala Beach & want to spare more time on this beach. Fortunately, Jibu, our charming guest house manager in Alleppey that we loved (check the blog here), informed us about Mararikulam. He mentioned it was quite beautiful and relaxed; during this time of the year, it should be inexpensive and almost devoid of tourists.

So, we headed out to explore this relatively unknown Keralan beach town.  

We were on the way to Mararikulam for one last beach stop before going to Kochi and then driving to the highlands and tea plantations of Wayanad. It exceeded our expectations and is the best beach town we visited in Southern India!  

Mararikulam’s beach has stunning white sandy beaches strewn with colorful fishing boats waiting to set out for the ocean. In the second half of the day, the vessels would return with catches for the beachside restaurants which are ready to start serving them in the evening. A few resorts scatter sun loungers along the beach and small eateries dot the shoreline.

The beach at Mararikulam is calm and relaxed, like when we visited in late February. It was peaceful. A handful of international tourists had checked into the resorts and hotels, but the beach remained nearly deserted during the day. While we have heard that the beach gets busier with locals escaping the larger towns on weekends, it felt like a hidden little paradise during the week.  

Finding our spot wasn’t challenging; throwing down some towels and heading to shallow waters became a ritual. The surf was much milder than we experienced in Varkala, so swimming was great. Heroines and crabs that joined us in the breaking surf scuttled back and forth to the rhythm of the rolling waves. The inviting waters let me escape the scorching Indian sun and feel refreshed.  

When needing a caffeine-based pick-me-up, take a stroll to the lovely Peacock Art Cafe bringing with them some good, strong French… press coffees alongside a cheeky slice of cake.

We would stroll along the beach in the afternoons and relish ice cream. We would also read books and do much more. As the day progressed, we would sit in plastic chairs at a cafe and gaze at the setting sun. Since the beach is westward facing, we witnessed stunning sunsets every single night. Looking from Mararikulam beach, the closest land is Somalia!

Mararikulam town is located inland from the sea and has a stretch running parallel to the sideways coast road. It has countless small shops and family restaurants, as well as quiet streets lined with palm trees. The town is extremely laid back and calm. You will also find lots of pretty churches along the coast road which Southern India’s diverse religious makeup are a reminder of.

When it was time to eat, we would meander towards the little restaurants instead of driving as they are located right next to the beach. Roads strewn with little restaurants. If we were feeling a bit more luxurious, we dined right on the sandy shore. Along the beach, there were many seafood dinners serving fresh seafood curries, often paying less than we expected. I’d recommend prawn and mango curry, especially from the Sea Lap Beach Restaurant.

We went to The Fisherman’s Cafe for a special treat one night. While the food wasn’t all that great, it was incredibly popular. I never saw an empty table when my friend and I arrived until we waddled out a few hours later. Everyone staying in Mararikulam seemed to be there, and we were undoubtedly the only tourists. We shared a Keralan classic called Pollichathu whole baked fish, which was superb. The ambiance was also lovely, with citronella candles and our feet in the sand.

Our two-day stay in Mararikulam was unforgettable. Each moment was enjoyable, from the beautiful relaxing moments near the keen with the pleasing warm winds against my skin to the fantastic swimming we did in the calm sea. At first glance, this beach seemed less-known akin to the Koh Mook beach in Thailand or the Karimunjawa Beach in Indonesia. 

As for now, Mararikulam is along the lines of lesser-known gems that are waiting to be explored. The place is perfect for an off-peak period and requires no reservation as the pricing is reasonable, and it comes with mouthwatering foods alongside exquisite views. The calmness and serenity that Mararikulam offers are breathtaking; we are so glad we went to experience what awaits us.

Getting to Mararikulam – Alleppey to Mararikulam

The direct way to reach Mararikulam from Alleppey is by public bus. They operate quite frequently from the bus terminal. Just go there and inquire.  

Alternatively, you can start from the town; we boarded the bus from this location. Our guest instructed us to look for the bus and jump on it, which is precisely what we did!  

Each person paid 20 rupees, which is a mere 30 pence, and the bus gave the closest stop to our Marriott accommodation within 30 minutes. The bus travels the entire length of the road that runs beside the beach, so no worries asking the conductor about stopping when you reach your destination.  

You can travel by train from Alleppey to Mararikulam as well; just make sure the timing is right because not many trains stop at the tiny Mararikulam station. One thing to note is that the bus is faster than the train for reasons we can’t explain.

From Elsewhere

Mararikulam is positioned on the coastline of Kerala and is accessible via the bus and train networks. Here’s how to get to Mararikulam if you’re coming from further away:

Taxis To Mararikulam

Whether in Alleppey and Kochi / Cochin or even far-off places like Trivandrum, you can easily get a taxi to Mararikulam. You can look for 12go to book this, or for your accommodation in Mararikulam, they can book it for you.

Mararikulam’s Accessibility via Train

Mararikulam has a small train station in the region that serves the Trivandrum, Alleppey, and Cochin lines. This was useful when trying to move to Cochin from the beach. We managed to book my tickets on the spot, unlike many travelers in India, this is always a good practice. The coastal journey is absolutely better if completed by train since the route passes through many beautiful towns and villages. 

Most people traveling through are not likely to stop by the small station since it is less frequent and serves larger regions. The Times of Departure have been posted here on Google, so have a look.

Don’t panic if you arrive at the small station and no one is there. We knew our train was due to depart at 12:35, so we made the trip 35 minutes beforehand, expecting the waiting room at least to be filled with fellow travelers only to encounter hollow halls and shuttered stalls. During our waiting, the station staff arrived around 10:45, an hour and fifteen minutes after the train was scheduled to arrive. If your trip requires purchasing tickets in advance, ensure that you are not there at the sudden respite between trains so that you can at least be guaranteed some form of station staff!

Our tickets in general class from Mararikulam to Ernakulam station (the large station bordering Cochin) set us back 30 rupees (\u00a30.30) per person, with the journey taking approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. As I mentioned with the bus (below), the train will likely take you to Ernakulam, not Fort Cochin. Hence, you’ll have to get an Uber or rickshaw to the Fort from the station.  

Catching a Bus from/To Mararikulam

Buses from or to Mararikulam can be caught on the route operating between Alleppey and Cochin / Kochi / Ernakulam. The buses travel along the main coastal road, which runs parallel to but sets back from the beach. Most buses headed north will drop you off in the Ernakulam part of Kochi, not the tourist district of Fort Cochin, meaning you’ll have to switch or take an Uber rickshaw.

You can use the bus system to move around the state of Kerala. The KSRTC bus network will intersect with buses from other states, allowing travel throughout Kerala. Even if you cannot reach your final destination directly, you should be able to get to a central town and transfer to the appropriate bus. 

You can book your transport in advance through the provided links. If you come from Cochin or Trivandrum, see the links below for options.

Where To Stay In Mararikulam

While in Mararikulam, we indulged in what seemed to be one of our most treasured stays in southern India – Koshy’s Homestay.

Koshy’s homestay was built on white sand alongside the Beach. The bathrooms had excellent shower facilities, and the air conditioning worked wonders, making the huge and clean rooms incredibly pleasant. Additionally, there was a large table with chairs set on a veranda where breakfast was served to us. Speaking of breakfasts…

This is an image of one of the walled rooms at Koshy’s Guesthouse. The room is very spacious and has a double bed. The floor is marvelous as it is tiled with marble.

Undoubtedly, the best feature of Koshy’s is the food. It dominated the meal plan, which included breakfast. For India, they served one exceptional breakfast, and for us, one of the best dosas we had was served. Not to mention the idlis. Other South Indian breakfast delicacies were brought to us daily in huge and tasty portions. Our hosts also prepared grilled chicken for dinner one night and it was incredibly reasonably priced for such a delicious dish.

Incredibly nice as well was Jerry’s team, who planned our rickshaw to the station. They were quite helpful in tracking down train times and plotting our destinations too.

Since we have only been to one hotel in Mararikulam, we cannot say this is the best hotel in all of Mararikulam. However, it was ideal for us and well beyond our expectations for the price we paid. For booking, click here. 

While staying at Mararikulam, you will find ample places ranging from luxurious resorts to cozy homestays, depending on your needs and finances. 

Conclusion

We hope you’ll read all this and give it a chance. Places like Mararikulam are a good instance of the places that are there to be had when you go, at least a little, off the ‘normal’ trail. It is not exactly undiscovered, but for now, at least, it remains uncrowded, unspoiled, and possibly the calmest white sand beach in southern India.